Quote Originally Posted by O'Callaghan View Post
Fashion concepts on runways are almost always extreme and would never be worn by anyone in RL.
Depends really upon the show. Most shows these days-- fashion just like automobile, boating, computer, etc.-- are about selling product. Not even the "haut couture" shows are still just about "design concepts". The Prêt-à-porter shows however were always about selling product. The objects as seen are not available to immediate consumers but shops through their buyers. Large dept stores and chains have their own buyers and for small boutiques there are middle men to fill the role of buyer (sometimes working directly for the fashion house). Shops all need a unique article so even the same basic design sold to two stores in competing areas will demand (and get) slightly different products. Buyers, in turn, are under constant appraisal by their employers (or customers) and so are motivated to get what sells--- and bribes from the fashion houses do enter the picture--- or, at least, not make too many purchasing mistakes.

I'd be more surprised if they showed anything sensible that would actually sell.
But that's the whole point of the shows: to sell. That does not, of course, mean that what they are selling is always about what you might see as news-blips. The "blips" are about getting into the news and skirts and extreme models has been a recipe over the past few years. When Marc Jacobs shows up in skirts and high heels is not about selling the skirts or high heels but about getting the product "Marc Jacobs" in the news. This raises the value of the brand which makes, for example, the buyers at Barneys happy who sell the shoes, skirts and tights albeit not from Marc Jacobs as well as Louis Vuitton (Jacobs is currently chief designer) and Marc Jacobs branded clothing.

I doubt if it provides all that much evidence that they think men's clothes without two legs in them are in the latter category, although it could be a sort of 'trial balloon'.
Menswear have been itching to sell skirts for decades. Its about fashion and the more fashionable one can get men to dress and the more flux one can introduce the bigger the potential market. Mens fashion has become more "fashionable" over the past 40 years but its still relatively conservative. The industry needs to find ways to motivate men to keep up with styles and clothing trends--- and then introduce trends to keep consumption running. Again we are talking about a $50 billion USD market with tremendous growth potential. Throw in the observation that male disposable income is higher than female and..