The press is full with a revival of the Eighties. Like the crazy big shoulders at Marc Jacobs, the glam and sex at Tom Ford and the masculine suits in bright colours in various collections. And then of course all those tracksuits we so hated in the eighties, but now are actually looking quite good and an attractive addition to the current athleisure wardrobe.
There is a lot written about the millennials and their refusal to comply to a fashion world with stale shopping malls and luxury brand stores that are closer to a museum than a fun shopping experience. In various anti-fashion manifestos the baby-boomer fashion elite complained about the ‘vulgarisation’ of fashion. And then BOOM, we now hear that millennials are addicted to fashion, which does not come as a surprise judging by the popularity of Instagram. They have their own heroes, their own refusal to adapt, their own brands and their own mindfulness in asking themselves who they are, how they fit in between gender discussions, eco-matters and race.
Technical solutions dominated recent Première Vision and were confirmed by the first wave of designer catwalks. And although luxury branding is trying to walk in the footsteps of Gucci, with a wave of extravert design crossovers, more consistent developments are taking place on the crossroads between sport, casual streetwear and warrior glamour.
New season, new colours! Against the backdrop of the positive mood, confirmed at the Lingerie Salons in Paris, this is the moment to give new colour stories a try. Dora Larsen, the successful British start-up brand by an ex Topshop buyer, is going wild with colour and it works. She also told us that in her E-shop her customers are far more courageous in their colour choice than store buyers.
No question about it; lingerie’s new era has begun with a big bang in Paris, including diversification of the offer and an impressive change in atmosphere. Dominating at both Salon International de la Lingerie and Interfilière was a dynamic mood with a focus on newness and experimentation.
From the Victoria’s Secret extravaganza in Shanghai to interiors in cosy Scandinavian Hygge, retail has opened all the registers to make us forget the rising uncertainty in the world around us. Big retailers like Galeries Lafayette and Selfridges try hard to be super original, Le Bon Marché has young designers customising everything and live opera and ballet performances.
How-to-wear boundaries have broken down in the last couple of seasons. Blending origins and designs characterises successful fashion of today. After Gucci made blending of origins its watermark of success, the total fashion world is into the art of blending. After a couple of years the print industry is booming. Real print designers are high in demand despite the competition of clever Photo-shoppers. Not only prints, but also multi-coloured jacquards were the eye-catchers of recent Premiere Vision.