With fashion’s Gold Index at an all-time high, is a new Gilded Age upon us?
24K magic is in the air this season.
Wool suit blazer, and matching wool wide-legged trousers, both by Hermes. Gold-toned body harness with chain fastening, by Moschino. Gold-toned ring, by Givenchy. (Photo: Joel Low; styling: Daryll Alexius Yeo)
For thousands of years, gold has captured the human imagination unlike any other precious metal has. Pure and untarnished, gold's brilliance conjures illusions of mysticism and grandeur. From majestic Greek temples to grand Roman churches, it has been employed to embellish mankind's past.
Today, gold's decadent shine adorns more than just the walls of ancient monuments or antique scriptures. It boasts a magnetism so captivating and powerful, it has been utilised to decorate the body either as exquisite threads or opulent jewellery pieces.
Once the definition of social status and wealth, gold now signifies the ideals of grace, elegance and sophistication. Whether metal or colour, fashion's obsession with gold shows no signs of fading. And we're all the better for it.
In the lead-up to the fall/winter 2019 season, the late Karl Lagerfeld set the agenda with a Chanel Metiers d'Art collection that refreshed gold's extravagant undertones for the contemporary woman.
Held inside New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the influential designer showcased a collection that captured the pulsating energy of the city – but with an Egyptian twist. Lagerfeld's imagination took him on a time travel between the past and present, resulting in tweed jackets, column dresses, slick boots and Egyptian royalty-inspired headgear dipped in the lustrous hue.
Gold then solidified its presence on the fall/winter 2019 catwalks – and we're not talking mere flecks and specks. Instead it was a full-on gold rush this season: At Celine, Hedi Slimane's pin-sharp retelling of 70s bourgeois chic yielded an indulgent sequinned ensemble that glittered with the promise of a better tomorrow.
In Milan, Jeremy Scott gave gold on a light-hearted spin when he showed a bejewelled leather jacket-skirt combination against the backdrop of an TV gameshow at Moschino.
Joseph Altuzarra gave the trend a jolt of modernity when he paired gold knits with gold pleated skirts. Michael Kors, meanwhile, dialled up the glitz and glamour of all-American style with a series of disco-ready frocks that proved all that glitters really is gold.
Photography by Joel Low, styling by Daryll Alexius Yeo, hair by Junz Loke using Kevin Murphy, makeup/skincare by Alex T using Beautyblender® & Drunk Elephant, photography assistant Alfie Pan, fashion assistant Low Rin. Location: The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, Presidential Suite
