Design as a Conversation

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Not only is design itself oftentimes a conversation, but it promotes conversations across different ideas, and across different generations. Over the past couple of months, I have been indulging in the drama and high stakes of Lifetime's Project Runway. Unfortunately, I am more interested in interiors than fashion, and some of the styles of past decades were lost on me, but I was particularly intrigued by the challenge in episode 8. Let me just say that if you had asked me what "sportswear" is, I would probably give you a quizzical look and tell you it's the shorts and tee I wear to the gym. If you asked me about Jacquelyn Kennedy's style, on the other hand, I'll be more than happy to talk shop with you. This is exactly why I was so thrilled by their challenge, which was to create a sportswear look inspired by Jackie Kennedy.

The winner of this particular challenge was Mondo Guerra, whose outfit consisted out a purple houndstooth pencil skirt, a striped half-sleeve tee, and a cropped black jacket with purple lining. The judges declared that while Jackie Kennedy might not wear his look exactly like that, she was certainly clear as the inspiration. I later noticed quite a bit of discussion on the Internet about whether or not Mondo should have been the winner. Most people seemed to think that his look would never have been worn by Jackie Kennedy. However, I think his look was a perfect example of a design discussion between the early 1960s and today. Clearly, the jacket and skirt hearken back to clothing that was actually worn by Jacquelyn Kennedy, but with a more modern color palette and silhouette. Mondo's look, complete with the retro styling of his model, invoked a discussion across decades.

Houndstooth skirt suit worn by Jackie Kennedy
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