TONIGHT I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEONE ELSE

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Teresa Cannata'

Have you ever asked yourself what is needed in the world of fashion right now? No, I’m not referring to a “fashion shower”, but to those accessories you’ve always wanted in your closet that are very hard to find in shops. One is surely the hat box, a style that has haunted my style dreams since the 80s. For this reason, my personal “thank you” goes to Jason Wu, who has featured some hat-box bags in his spring/summer 2013 collection.

Carolyn is the most basic bag style seen on the runway: it’s made of baby calf leather and features a shoulder strap. Details make it special: the top handle, the designer-stamped tabbed closure, the protective feet, the grosgrain interior and the cosmetic mirror.

Isn’t it great? I love its lady-like shape, so reminiscent of the 50s, and the contrasting contemporary touches (the extensive use of metal for details, for example). The hat box speaks of millinery shops, veils and feathers, soirée outfits and rivers of champagne flowing through ballrooms.

On the other hand, the same style speaks of a nearer past. It reminds me of the skeleton drum case/hat box used as a suitcase by Madonna in the role of Susan, the unforgettable protagonist of Susan Seidelman’s Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). Such an old-fashioned piece of luggage looked totally out of place, yet it perfectly blended with Susan’s eccentric style, an inexplicable mix of old, thrifted, antique and new. No need to say that I’d love to own a hat box bag just to channel my inner Susan. A pair of , and a won’t be bad either.

http://www.jasonwustudio.com/