THE VEIL

Photographs by Holly Falconer via People in London

Meadham Kirchhoff's A/W 10 collection has bewitched me for over a year. It was crazy and fantastical and fun, it shouted a defiant "Uh...and what?!" to trends and Arcadia Group rip-offs, and it summarises everything I adore about fashion. And veils. Let's talk about veils. The veil, in my eyes, is completely underrated. Unless you're a conservative muslim woman living in France, and in your case, it's now as controversial as crack. Veils have become a symbol of oppression, of suspicion. Of course, there is a vast difference between a burka and the Meadham Kirchhoff veils, but overall, the veil is a garment which has completely disappeared from the western wardrobe. Even most wedding veils no longer cover the face, and if they do, they're more of the the net-cloth-over-a-cakestand variety. Diane Pernet and Lady Gaga are the only two women I know of who rock the veil. The veil used to be a symbol of female power. To wear a veil was to communicate to others that your beauty was of such high regard, of such exclusivity, that one had to earn the privilege of witnessing it. Such mystique, such medieval mischief is in these sheer garments; just the right amount of opacity to conceal, yet keep admirers guessing. Yes, there is something distinctly spectral in these models' appearance, but it is a commanding presence that they conjure. You can't fail to attract attention in a hot pink mantilla trimmed with lace, can you?