How you feel about fashion’s latest mining of the Noughties era might depend on how triggered you are by the words Crazy Larrys (RIP). Yes, here we are, back on the Kings Road, sloping in a loafer and baggy jean, rugby shirt collar popped, fiddling with Daddy’s signet ring.
In recently released imagery for Celine’s spring summer 23 collection, Hedi Slimane’s models traipsed through the reading room of the Bibliothèque Nationale, in Paris. They were in boot cut blue jeans and ugg-esque boots, checked boxer short-shorts, spangly pink jackets and string vest tops which had the (personal) unnerving familiarity of Bristol University library circa 2001.
The winning shoe of this year has undoubtedly been the loafer, adopted by everyone from Kendall Jenner (The Row) to Rishi Sunak (Prada); just add a slightly crumpled billowing button down shirt and loose blue jean and season one of Made in Chelsea is reborn. Rugby shirts have become the top du jour, with everyone from Stella McCartney to Arket running off fashioned up versions.
If you need a refresher, or are too young to remember the morning after a Mahiki Treasure chest, then prepare to be drenched in posh Noughties nostalgia via Emerald Fennell’s new film Saltburn, which opens this week.
The opening Oxford montage features not Bullingdon bowties, but velour covered bums spelling out Juicy Couture, Jack Wills hoodies, cricket jumpers and yes, Uggs. The girls trot out in Kate Moss for Topshop, the boys rah in Ralph Lauren shirts, gap-yah woven bracelets dangling from their wrists.
Felix, played by the Abercrombie-ish Jacob Elordi, even sports a Livestrong yellow rubber bracelet, which is the kind of attention to detail I’m here for. Oh for the halcyon days when we all thought Lance Armstrong was a hero. (Livestrong rubber bracelets were the gold-dust cult hit for Armstrong’s Livestrong charity, the wearing of which bestowed not only in-the-know status but the smug caché of performative giving).
Sophie Canale, the costume designer for Saltburn, based Felix’s look on “Prince William and Harry, who were out clubbing in London at that time; I was brought up in Cornwall, so I had all these personal [memories] of going up to Rock at the weekend and seeing all these rich boys who’d be there every summer.” The clothes were sourced from eBay and Vinted, and then washed and worn in to give that “borrowed off Daddy” feel. “There’s a cricket jumper knitted vest which is Felix’s but worn by [his sister] Venetia, too”.
Venetia (Alison Oliver) who Canale pitched as somewhere between Kate Moss at Glastonbury and Lily Allen, is the perfect incarnation of an end of night Sloane staggering away from a tent at The Secret Garden Party festival, chipped blue nail varnish, dirty blonde with black roots and dripping in Nasty Gal tinsel jackets, Miu Miu heels, Agent Provocateur leopard print bodysuits and Christopher Kane (from whom Canale sourced archive runway looks).
It’s a blurry nostalgia trip, bookended by the twenty year trend cycle which makes it all feel far and near at the same time. If what you’re thinking is, Chelsy Davy, then bear with. More posh Noughties delights are coming for us with the imminent arrival of The Crown, the finale of which promises Kate’s student runway show and other bootcut-blue-legged St Andrews meet-cutes. You have been warned.
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