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Are animal prints back in vogue?

"Fashion journalists, rejoice! Animal print is headlining in New York," posted the American Vogue in its online edition during the New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018-19 edition, as luminaries such as Tom Ford and Diane von Furstenberg seem to have gone strong on this style. Well, I am a fashion journalist, but when I read this, I did not exactly 'rejoice'. Somehow, I have never enjoyed this trend, even though it re-emerges every few seasons.
It is too much for me; it screams for attention. Whenever I have tried to wear this print, I have felt as though it is wearing me instead. That is never a good thing. Next season, animal print will be the order of the day - Tom Ford recently showed trousers in bright red leopard print, Zadig and Voltaire decided it was time to add some yellow to their zebra print, the said colour was also Diane von Furstenberg's choice for her leopard print dresses. After reading this review, I realised there is actually no need to wait for Fall: animal prints are already everywhere, albeit in more subdued avatars than their Fall versions.
ASOS has done a whole collection this season called 'Made In Kenya', that has leopard and zebra prints in monochromes. Oddly enough, it is this masstige online brand that makes me think maybe I could give animal prints another chance. They use the print as a ruffle detail on a sweatshirt or all over a simple maxi dress. The fact that it's in black and white may have given the print a cleaner look, which makes it more palatable to me. And I actually now own an oversized sleeved T-shirt from the collection. It's an easy, fun piece I can pair with my shorts or jeans while running errands during the weekend or simply lounging around at home.
While animal prints - be it leopard, zebra, tiger or cheetah - have been around since 1930s, it was in the '80s when these prints truly went mainstream. This was a time when women were starting to make their presence felt in workplaces, in the big boardroom meetings; the animal print represented a strong persona that these women were meant to possess. The Italian brand Dolce & Gabbana, a label born in the 1980s, has made leopard prints part of its signature collection. I have tried on the pieces with this pattern, but never bought one.
Now, I am getting ready to debut in my first full animal print ensemble, thanks to home-grown designer Reema Ameer. She has actually used the leopard print in its traditional colours and has injected a relaxed vibe into this powerful pattern. Reema has teamed an oversized jacket with shorts and an animal print palazzo with a simple white shirt that has an animal print robe-style belt tied around the waist. Then, there is an animal print camisole-styled top. By using this strong pattern on relaxed shapes, she has made this style seem more accessible. And that is how fashion often works, doesn't it? First, it makes a statement on the ramp, one that often makes you feel as though the clothing is just meant for the runway or the red carpet. It keeps showing you the same idea over and over again, and before you know it, it ends up in your wardrobe.
sujata@khaleejtimes.com

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