From the Magic trade show in Las Vegas February 14-17, 2011, our special correspondent reveals fashion trend forecasts for 2011 and 2012:
Art reinvents itself, but trends start on the runway and then filter into interior design, auto design, home appliances, graphic design and event styling. We recently attended two major fashion industry leaders’ seminars at the Magic trade shows in Las Vegas, where two major trends were confirmed for upcoming seasons —1) Calm Modernism and 2) Retro Chic. One would think these trends would conflict each other, but this mash up of the past looking toward the future is what best defines, you guessed it, the present.
On the first day of Magic, February 14th, David Wolfe, Creative Director from the Doneger Group, outlined specific looks from designers’ 2011 catalogues. Mitch Cole (standing in for Vice President Laurie Pressman) delivered PANTONE’s Summer 2012 — the bridge to the color trends of the Future seminar the following day, February 15th.
Let’s start with what’s OUT! Despite the success of the film Black Swan, Wolfe explained the whole Goth-ish Dark Side trend is so dead. R.I.P. Rocker Chick trend as well! Good riddance! Consumers are ready to cautiously break out of this gloomy recession and into the renewed energy of Spring, which will feature bright orange reds, bold azures, turquoises and hot pink. Fall will stick to neutrals like slate grays, terra cottas and ivory. Wolfe also suggested that navy is now a noir alternative (despite everything our fashion forefathers told us about the infamy of black), and textured metallics will become more prominent in apparel, not just accessories.
The future is all about an “influx of technology in fashion,” Wolfe proclaimed. Clothes will be made with solar panels; rain boots will generate energy to recharge mobile phones! To complement this movement, silhouettes will become less restricting. Say goodbye to the jegging, and hello again to the tailored trouser and tunic.
Two looks from Ralph Rucci (on left) and two more from Michael Kors (on right) from the Fall 2011 lines.<
But with this passion for the future, consumers still want to be connected to the past. Style influences from shows like Mad Men (set in the 1960s) and Boardwalk Empire (set in the 1920s) have not only influenced runways and red carpets, but restaurants, offices and bridal registries have seen a shift toward this Retro Chic trend as well. From coffee machines to tooth brushes, people want to be completely surrounded by classic pieces and clever environments.
Retro Chic romanticism picked up momentum when Louis Vuitton, lead by Creative Director Marc Jacobs, channeled 1950s glam in this Fall 2010 ad campaign.
Mui Mui’s 2011 Fall/Winter line featured silhouettes and shoulder pads fit for Joan Crawford.
Without any consideration of a trend, the designers and fashion forward thinkers will strive to invest in enhanced natural fibers, like cotton, silks and knits. For example, Mr. Wolfe has vowed to only wear Wrinkle-Resistant Pinpoint Oxford Cloth Shirts from L.L. Bean, which appropriately match his reissued 1959 Ray Ban frames quite well.
Industrial designers have already picked up on the trends, and we cannot wait to see how event stylists, floral designers and A/V specialists will incorporate these fashion influences into their projects.
Jane Hamley’s Turnable Room (aka Gazebo) looks to the future but echoes the bomb shelters of the 1950s and 60s.
The Cuisinart brand’s best selling appliances feature retro-futuristic lines.
Power Advantage PLUS 9-Speed Hand Mixer and
Classic 12-Cup Percolator.