Designers must, by nature, find inspiration from somewhere. If you believe that fashion is art then you have to make the jump to believe that everything a designer sees and experiences will end up in their collections in some form, one way or another.
When I spot a piece from the past that is remarkably like a piece from the present, it is interesting for several reasons. First you have to wonder if the present day designer has also seen this same image and then as you mull that, you have to wonder where the original designer got their inspiration from. A thought most people never make the leap to because they get to caught up in making a judgement call judgement on the present day designer.
But don't make the mistake of judging too harshly.
Even if, for example, Miuccia Prada did at some point see this exact image and seeing it caused a light bulb to go off in her head — step back a moment and look at what she DID with that, not just dwell in that fact that she used it as her launch pad to that idea. Life does not always have to be cut and dry, black and white. Creativity comes where one finds it and to revive a beautiful item long lost to the pages of a 40 year old Vogue, to be able to breathe life into it and turn one image into an entire stunning collection... ... well dammit girls — how many of you can do that? That is exactly how the design process should work. And even more wondrous - it is entirely possible she has never even seen this image before.
Interesting thought no?
I am not making a call one way or the other. I just want to present it and will do so again when I find things that have modern day counterparts — because I do find them quite often. The argument of right or wrong, did she or didn't she, and how many others have as well... .are all somewhat silly I think. One is one thing and the other is another. They are similar and they are entirely different.
top photo from youthquakers, 2nd a compilation of miu miu images