The return of an era, an accelerated come back in fashion, embraced with fondness and nostalgia, the revival of the 1980s fashion? The 1980s trends have been creeping in for a while, the leggings, the big shoulder biker jackets, bright neon colours and the fish net tights. The last fashion week, 2009, and the current SS10 fashion week catwalks of New York, Paris and Milan paid homage to the benighted era of the 80s that some of us have many fond memories of.

Design houses such as Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, D&G highlighted the 80s very strongly in their collection with displays of big shoulders, saturated neon colours, wedge hairdos, pouf skirts, shredded fishnets, oversize jackets, big chunky jewelry and metal mesh. The ‘must-nots’ in the 80s have become the new fad today as ‘the must-haves’.

I was a young girl then. I remember that time very vividly. It had a huge influence on me, on my fashion, music and movies. The 1980s fashion history was quiet memorable and distinctive. It was influenced by many fashion icons, TV dramas such as Dynasty and Dallas and pop artists. Costume drama brought fashion into real everyday eighties life.

Corporate business suit dressing with the big shoulder pads, copying styles worn by Diana princess of Wales, Madonna who was famous for the lace gloves and crucifix conical bra, Michael Jackson was doubtless the most irresistible pop-culture phenomenon to emerge from the ‘80s. The “Thriller” wardrobe has been seen on many runways this season. The best of them was the Balmian show. Power dressing, stretch dressing lent a significant liberation to the men and women who could chose to be anybody. That decade also created many fashion legends like Jean Paul Gaultier, Franco Moschino, Versace, Armani and Yves Saint Laurent know for their surreal yet cheesy creations. Many fashion critics believe the 1980s was an era of bad fashion with no taste and style.

For me it is about humour and freedom. An era full of logos, brash and kitsch designs, branding was extremely important then. It was a time of greed and individual living, whether in fashion, champagne or property. The only way to acquire a 1980’s lifestyle was via the credit card.

Whats better than that swinging decade to revive again, especially in the midst of one the most severe financial global recessions. It is about escapism for people and not to hide behind safe and approved tastes. We are smarter, poorer and open to new ideas today, breaking all barriers and reinventing ourselves in every dimension be it fashion, work life or personality. Being flamboyant and liberated today is far more difficult to digest for many when 10 per cent of the population is unemployed. But hey, I believe tough times have been good for creativity. To think out of the box! Everybody loves to indulge in a little bit of sin, especially when there is a little risk involved.

Priya Sachdev is creative director, TSG