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 speak to the preoccupations of today. Here, the fall 1999 outing of the woman-led brand Ghost, originally presented in New York in October 1999.
Women were the topic of much discussion in fashion this year—see Sarah Burton’s exit from Alexander McQueen and Phoebe Philo’s eponymous label launch, for starters. Back in the ’90s one of the names on fashion insiders’ lips was Tanya Sarne, who founded the label Ghost with Katharine Hamnett in 1984. Though the two would part ways, the brand kept on going, reaching its peak in 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 many years, though the brand was based in London. The name Ghost is related to the idea that the collections would be ghostwritten, in a way, by designers working under Sarne’s direction, and she often took her bow alongside her assistant in the atelier. Fashion, of course, is a collective activity, even if the creative-director formula requires a star system.
Ghost was known for its easily flattering and easy-to-pack slipdresses in synthetic materials. Feminine detailing was another signature. Embroidery, cutwork, and quilting were all used in the label’s fall 1999 outing, which had a vyshyvanka-meets-Victoriana theme. Instead of slips, Sarne and the team showed duvet-style quilts for an autumn collection that was cozy and light.
