The coolest look in the room may just be the one that seems like it belongs in a lecture hall – minus the homework.
There is something unexpectedly seductive about dressing with a little less swagger and a lot more intellectual charm.
Geek chic remains a fascinating aesthetic that designers continuously return to from season to season.
In this context, it involves dressing like you have somewhere serious to be, with oversized frames, buttoned-up silhouettes, polished layers and an occasional touch of eccentricity.
Think less conventionally cool, more deliberately clever.
Just last week, Valentino brought the fashion crowd into the Sainte-Genevieve Library in Paris for its runway show, with guests seated among the reading tables.
Models walked along shelves lining the space, while guests were invited to bring their favourite reads. The books were later donated to public libraries in select cities.
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Celebrities duly obliged, with many carrying titles that offered a glimpse into their interests – or perhaps sent a more personal message.
Actor Colman Domingo, for example, arrived with Julia Child’s Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, while actress Naomi Watts carried Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre.
The clothes presented for the occasion, however, were less bookish, save for a few more eclectic looks that had a slightly academic air.
That could very well be the point. Geek chic does not require looking as though you have spent the afternoon in the library.
It is more about borrowing the codes of intellectual dressing and giving them a fashion-minded twist – turning the once-unassuming into something desirable.
It is widely accepted that Gucci helped popularise the aesthetic a little over a decade ago with its Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, the debut of then creative director Alessandro Michele.
Over the years, Michele outfitted his models in vintage- inspired, librarian glasses, pussy-bow blouses, pleated skirts and retro knitwear, turning traditionally unfashionable references into coveted pieces.
It is worth noting that Michele is now the creative director of Valentino, making the house’s recent library-themed show an interesting continuation of that visual language.
Beyond clothing, accessories have also embraced the geek chic trend.
Glasses, once something many people were eager to conceal, are now being embraced as a fashion statement – to the point that some people wear optical frames even without needing corrective lenses.
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Luxury houses, in particular, have sent models down the runway in thick-rimmed glasses, treating eyewear as an integral part of the look rather than a functional afterthought.
Compare that with the makeover shows of the 1990s and 2000s, when one of the first steps in transforming a so-called “fashion victim” was often swapping glasses for contact lenses.
Footwear, too, has played with traditionally unconventional silhouettes, from chunky loafers to thick-soled clogs that were once considered decidedly unchic.
These are often paired with white, calf-length socks, harking back to the collegiate styles of 1950s Ivy League dressing and 1960s campus fashion.
Worn high up the leg, socks can also recall school uniforms in countries such as the UK and Japan – a styling cue that brands including Miu Miu have incorporated into their own runway language.
The academic look continues to surface on runways, often paired with glasses and other geek chic staples such as retro floral dresses, prim silhouettes and deliberately proper proportions.
What was once considered awkward or unfashionable has become another way for fashion to signal confidence, thus proving that sometimes, looking clever can be the coolest statement of all.
