Run Away Style

Sneakers are enjoying their nights out.

Sneakers are the new cool. Everyone in Europe, where it’s still cold and windy, is wearing them.

WHEN Cara Delevingne, Chanel showstopper and Karl Lagerfeld model, announced, “I hate high heels more than anything”, she echoed the sentiment of a growing tribe of young women devoted to sneakers. Perhaps the supermodel’s rant was an after cry of Lagerfeld sending out a game-changing couture collection teamed with knee-pads and trainers. Perhaps it was just the word on the street.

As high fashion continues to make itself more accessible to a larger group of people, it turns towards street-wear instead of museums and historical references. This is a first, as fashion pundits and couture gurus have until now held couture in a rarefied space: as an unattainable ephemeral idea, like some kind of exotic beast.

Chanel and Delevingne have sent shudders down the spines of fashion snobs, myself included, who will only wear runners for running. I confess to giving the dirtiest looks to passengers who show up at airports in their trainers. How utterly un-chic, I’d think. Only to eat my imaginary hat now.

Sneakers are the new cool. Everyone in Europe, where it’s still cold and windy, is wearing them. Dapper young men are teaming their tweed blazers with neon sneakers. The ladies aren’t stepping out without Nike, New Balance or their favourite Converse.

Luxury labels can’t help but quickly launch their own keds to cash in on this uber trend. Gucci’s sneakers have satin panels, Isabel Marant’s Perkins are kooky with high tops and Velcro.

Dior has taken their men’s high-tops to their women’s line, Saint Laurent’s come in metallic sheens. Meanwhile, Adidas is collaborating with Stella McCartney, Missoni has tied up with Converse and Givenchy with Nike. Streetwear goes bespoke and you can’t help but buckle to the trend.

Much of this modern approach to couture comes from high fashion trying to reinvent itself. But it also stems from an army of bloggers — clearly the most fashion people at the moment — running from show to show in their lace-up strainers and being photographed by the fashion week red-carpet watchers. Sportsmen and cultural icons, especially Jay Z and Kanye West wearing trainers on front rows have only added to their street cred. Never mind these shoes can cost up to USD 1,000.

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Since fashion is also a chronicler of the right-now, I’d also like to believe that the ubiquitous sneaker is a reflection of our obsession with healthy living. Never before have people run for fitness as they do today. Sports-chic is the new catchphrase among trend watchers.

Delhi designer Namrata Joshipura’s entire fashion week collection, shown as the finale show at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week last month, was an ode to being young and sporty. Joshipura, a running addict herself, is one of the country’s most gifted designers simply for translating sporty-chic on the runway.

When your spangled cocktail dress comes with a racer-back, or hot pants are worn as evening wear, these are literally clothes than make you want to run away with them.

I’m going to have to make my peace with my sneakers. I’m going to start by saying, “Anything’s better than Crocs. Or Fit-Flops.”

namratanow@gmail.com

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