Editor’s Note: We continue our tradition of expanding the Vogue Runway archive by digitizing collections originally shot on film, focusing on shows from the past that respond to today’s concerns. Here’s Fall 1999 from the female-led Ghost brand, originally presented in October 1999 in New York.
Women have been the subject of much discussion in fashion this year – for starters, see Sarah Burton’s departure from Alexander McQueen and Phoebe Philo’s eponymous label launch. In the ’90s, one of the names on the lips of fashion insiders was Tanya Sarne, who co-founded the Ghost label with Katharine Hamnett in 1984. Although the two parted ways, the brand continued, reaching its peak during the grunge era. In 1992, Ghost was invited to show at New York Fashion Week, and Sarne continued to present her collections in the city for years, even though the brand was based in London. The name Ghost relates to the idea that the collections would, in a sense, be authored by designers working under Sarne’s direction, and she often took a bow alongside her assistant in the studio. Fashion is of course a collective activity, even if the creative director formula requires a star system.
Ghost was known for its easily flattering and packable slip dresses made from synthetic materials. Feminine details were another feature. Embroidery, cutwork and quilting were all used during the label’s fall 1999 outing, which had a vyshyvanka-meets-Victoriana theme. Instead of slips, Sarne and the team showed off duvet-style comforters for a fall collection that was cozy and light.
