How often did designers think about the Roman Empire this fashion month?
How often do you think of the Roman Empire? No, really. Because, chances are, it’s a fair few times per day, especially if you’re a white man living in the Global North – or, as it goes, a fashion fan. As TikTokers the world over have shown in low-fi vox pops, those hulking amphitheaters, basilicas, and grape-grazing swingers live rent-free in the Western mind. Of course, where there’s a trend on social media, there’s usually a counterpart on the runways. And with most creative directors today being white European and American dudes, we were bound to catch some sartorial Freudian slips evidencing an eternal obsession with Rome’s heyday. That said, this season the aesthetic went beyond the work of the aforementioned suspects, and we’re talking more than nods to laurel wreaths and a few gladiator sandals. Read more at i-D.