Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2009 (80's Again)

History repeats itself. Fashion elements in different decades also repeat themselves to create new trends. One typical example is the hot "bling bling" of 60's becomes trendy again around these few years. This year, it's 80's turn. In the 80s, the fashion trend was masculine influenced with the wide use of shoulder pads for women. However, fashion designer will not just simply copy but adopt. Fashion designers manipulate fabric in ever bolder (and bigger) ways but the shoulder pads are smaller to give a less masculine effect than the 80's. Fashion brands leading this trend are Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Christian Lacoix and Ralph Lauren etc.

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2009 (3D Design)

Volume cutting becomes a popular design trend in fashion in recent years. Fashion designers fulfill their needs for creativity by bending, folding and twisting fabrics in a ever bolder way. This year, 3D designs are leading the trends along the runways of different brands. Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, YSL and Chloe are presenting their ways of 3D ideas. Some people may think 3D designs are only showpieces to attract eyeballs in fashion shows and are not suitable for real life dressing. But, you may also catch this trend with clothes carrying 3D features like cocoon sleeves and draping designs. These features will surely make your dressing styles richer and more trendy.

Perky Yellow

Isn’t it fabulous to wear YELLOW now? It’s the colour of sunshine and could brighten up one’s mood. After seasons and seasons of black, black and… black, perky YELLOW has finally come. It is the perfect colour to wear whenever your spirits needs an uplift. Yellow carries the same healing qualities associated with the sun. It offers warmth, optimism, and light. All shades of yellows (and golds) will cheer you up and help make you feel happier. Yellow is often criticized as being garish and overpowering. But there are so many shades of yellow.. from amber yellow, mustard yellow to tangerine yellow and buttery yellow. The options are unlimited. Pick one to match your own skin and hair colour and wear it out out into the world to make an affirmation statement.

Remember, being happy is your choice!

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2009 (Asymmetric)

Symmetry is always a balance beauty in human history. In 2009, everything seems going in the other ways. Financial crisis, swine flu and other difficulties are driving people to lose faith in things thought to be right in the past. Under such circumstances, asymmetry gives an unbalance beauty from the chaos. Asymmetric design are one of leading fashin trends in this Spring and Summer. Asymmetric goes with one shoulder, one strap blouses, uneven skirt hem and all designs with asymmetric cuts. Versace, Ninna Ricci, Lanvin and Valentino etc are leading the influx of this asymmetric fashion trend.

Will Plaid be Out?

Plaid or tartan or gingham, or checkers, whatever you call it, is everywhere last season. Will the trend continue in the new season? On a second thought, I would ask, has plaid ever be out? Actually I have been seeing plaid since my childhood, my secondary, my college. I think pattern like plaid or floral or polka dots, will never be out. Every season, there are plaid designs, and one can’t possibly be looking “out”, for wearing plaid.

I like the versatility of plaid shirt. A tailored one paired with skirt makes one looks preppy. A loose one could be worn as a cardigan and paired with tube tops. Red and green tone produces a college look, while brown tone looks rustic. The possibility is infinite. How about plaid / tartan in ruffles and fluid flowy chiffon?

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2009 (Shiny and See-Through)

No need to say, both shiny and see-through are the most effective fashion elements in attracting eyeballs. In this spring and summer, you won't make yourself look odd to dress with shiny and see-through because they are one of the fashion trends.

Shiny

Metallic colors, sequins, beads and shiny stones are the common elements for shiny. Fashion designers mix-and-matches them to create different charming effects. Prada, Chloe and YSL are the fashion brands leading this fashion trends.

See-through

To me, see-through is a better presentation of sexy than deep V, short pants or simply bra top as it gives more space for imaginations and goes in between sexy and conservative. Moshcino, Fendi and Celine all launch different styles of see-through collections this year. Besides fashion effect, the light material for see-through such as chiffon also gives you another advantage for S/S ie COOL!!!

A Worthwhile Investment – Scarves to Play Up Your Style

Small square ones, long thin ones, large shawls, bandanna, silk, chiffon, lace, cotton, wool, pashima, knitted, crochet, floral, tartan, plaid, embroidered, beaded, sequined, patched… the list could go on and on. Expensive or bargain, scarves make great difference to outfits. They create layering effects, they give the wearer an ethereal aura, or sometimes an artistic touch. They give a chic and dressy feel to an otherwise too boring outfit. And the choices of scarves are so wide that you would be able to choose one to fit for different occasions and attires. Formal and business, evening, clubbing, yachting, outing, traveling, dating…and most important, it has a practical function to keep you warm, when it gets too windy or when the air conditioning is a bit low, not to mention its versatile way of dressing, as a halter top, headband, sarong or wrap skirt.

I heart scarves. I usually buy a scarf once it attracts my attention. If I don’t take immediate action, chances are I can’t find it again anywhere. What’s more, buying a lovely scarf is one of the many ways to make myself happy.

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2009 (Summary)

Though Spring is still on its way to earth, to be more precise Northern Hemisphere, we need to get prepared for the coming Spring/Summer fashion trends. The trends are summaried as follows :

1. Asymmetric

2. 3D Design

3. 80's Again

4. Shiny and See-Through

As usual, we will discuss each trend one by one in details later.

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2008 (Dropping Down & The 70's Glam)

Short or Long are always two opposite forces for fashion trends each year. The trend is like a pendulum. Sometime it goes for short and sometimes it goes for long. Some people even relate the long short trend to economy. When the economy is hot, the skirts goes up and when the economy goes down, the skirt runs down. It seems quite correct for this year. Long is winning the trend. Length of skirt drops from knee length to Mid-calf and even drops down to floor-grazing. The lean and mean silouette look were shown all along the runways of Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, and Erin Fetherston. Even the sexy Dolce & Gabbana go for more conservative and "dropped down" its skirt design.

On the other hand, the 70's Glam also revives for this F/W fashion trend. Hippy style, neutral look of Annie Hall and elegant dressing are all design elements of fashion designers. All these styles are presented in an elegant way with premium materials like silk, chiffon, fur and sequins. Brands like Hermes, D&G and Gucci are leading this trend.

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2008 (Checkers Again)

In the Fall and Winter fashion trends of recent years, checkers is undoubtedly the most repeatedly used element by famous fashion designers. Besides checkers, many people use alternative words like Tartan or Plaid (American English). According to Wikipedia, Tartan/Plaid is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. D&G has used tartan as the main element in their F/W 2008 fashion show which has injected the soul of English countryside style into their new fashion designs. From scarf to coat to skirt, you can find checkers all around the runway. However, you will not get bored. Checkers are well presented in their design with different colors bands and mix and match with thin belts, faux fur coat etc. Besides D&G, Tommy Hilfiger also integrates checkers into their college look design. With their classice colors of red, white and blue, checkers have evolved into a modern classic element in their new design.

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2008 (Minimalism)

Maximalism has been widely adopted for many years by fashion designers to give a more attractive and WOW outlook. This year, Minimalism gives a good balance by leading one of the fashion trends. A less-is-more philosophy is embedded in the DNA of many famous fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Jil Sander, Narciso Rodriguez, and Prada. Maybe you will ask whether it will be too boring for such a "Less is More" idea. However, without fancy designs, Minimalism is expressed in a different way through cuttings, contrast and combinations in materials and a marvellous use of colors. One of the master pieces is a nude color dress from Prada. The simple and clean design outstands the cutting. It's just like a second layer of skin for human beings!

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2008 (Summary)

Fashion is a business hard to catch up. Fashion is a life style you want to catch up. Fashion is something ladies must catch up. Fashion is ..... No matter what, now is time for you to catch up with the lastest fashion trends for Fall and Winter 2008. Below is a summary of some major trends :

1. Minimalism - Less is More

2. Checkers Again

3. Dropping Down

4. The 70's Glam

As usual, I will further explain each trend in more details later. Don't miss it!!!

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2008 (Printed Matter)

Printed matter? Yes, this time the printing is on clothes. Apart from the normal printings, you will find floral prints, stars and moons, geometric patterns and even a whole chinese painting. What a wonderful world it is! This trend reminds you to be more lively and energetic in your new Spring & Summer. It also gives you more options in mix and match besides simple colors. Leading fashion brands promoting this trend includes Chanel, Prada, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent etc.

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2008 (Color Saturation)

After a dull gray and black winter, the spring and summer of 2008 lead us back to a colorful world. The color is not simply bright color but a saturation of colors. Oh! No. To be more exact, it should be saturated colors. Colors like chartreuse, tomato red, electric blue and neon shades of green, yellow, pink and orange are all flying along the runways of S/S 2008 fashion shows. Brands like Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and Alexandre Herchcovitch etc feature this trend along with ethereal design fashion. To go with the simple cutting design of fashion, materials are kept to be simple and basic. Generally one type of fabric is used (mostly satin) and pure saturated colors are adopted without any patterns like dots and stripe. Let's all go along with the most basic presentation of colors and simple cutting design.

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2008 (Hippie Revival)

It's not suprising that the Hippie styles of 60's has revived as fashion trend for S/S 2008. The core values of Hippie lifestyle represents freedom, love, peace and caring about the environment which are also the major concerns of modern people. During the 60's, Hippies borrowed clothing from folk cultures, used strong colors, flamboyant styles and a love of humble items such as jeans and other tattered and embellished street wear items to proclaim their non-conformism and thirst from freedom. Using anti-fashion as yet another form of protest against the establishment, they utilized clothing to tell of their plight for social equality and diversity.

This year, it was the "Summer of Love" all over again on the runways. Brands like Balmain, Giorgio Armani, and Veronique Branquinho filled their designs with masses of fringe and splatterings of tie-dye. Prada embraced both fairies and flou. Nina Ricci mashes up hippie and rock styles to give a thought to be mad effect. In all, the Hippies are reviving in new ways in fashion design. Let's enjoy this new "Summer of Love" with our love of the summer and our hippie styles.

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2008 (Ethereal Design)

This year, fashion designers started the new S/S season with ethereal design elements. What is ethereal design? Ethereal design should give you the feeling of an angel coming down from the heaven. Loose fitting, see-through and sheer layers are the general features that used to describe ethereal designs. You don't have to very complicated to get along with this trend. The designs can be very simple, loose and clear cutting with fresh colors. Varous fashion brands have used silk, chiffon and jersey material to feature a feeling of lightness, freshness and comfortability. Excellent ethereal designs have been offered by brands like Lanvin, Dries Van Noten, Louis Vuitton and Loewe etc. Under this fashion trend, you should be quick to renew your gym membership as you may need to expose plenty of flesh.

Fashion Trend - Spring and Summer 2008 (Summary)

After a long long autumn/winter season, we have come to the new season of fashion - Spring and Summer 2008. Spring is the start of year and season of new hope. Fashion designers has brought along the new life of spring and fill up their designs with vivid colors and freshness. Below are some of the major trends of fashion this year :

1. Ethereal Design

2. Hippie Revival

3. Color Saturation

4. Printed Matter

As usual, we will explain each trend in more details later. Don't miss it!!!

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2007 (Cross Culture)

"The World is Flat" is a bestselling book by Thomas L. Friedman in 2005. He pointed out in his book that the flattening of the world can be a force for good - for business, the environment and people everywhere. However, the world of fashion has already flattened with the creative and cross cultural designs of great fashion designers. The year, "cross culture" is a major fashion trend for Fall and Winter. Among these greats, Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga is the most admirable fashion designer with a mix and match of different enthnic fashion designs. From oriental to western, from batik printed dress to Russian military jacket, different cultural elements have been mixed to create an attractive and elegant fashion collection. In his hand and mind, flattening of the world has already been made happened in fashion. Besides Balenciaga, multi-cultural designs are also adopted in the fashion collections from Dries Van Noten, Anna Sui, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood. To keep up with the changes, you should prepare yourself for this evergoing trends of globalization in fashion designs.

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2007 (Couture Details)

In the past, couture and read-to-wear are two separate sections of fashion. Couture is commonly thought to be deluxe, fancy designs only suitable for parties and important functions. This fall, fashion designers have brought along the details of couture design into the designs of ready-to-wear fashion. Cascaded ruffles running along the front, origami-like cranes, ripples and layering etc are found in the designs of latest fashion collections. Among these famous brands, you can find Christian Dior, Lanvin, Givenchy and Gucci etc. One of the best presentations for such details is from John Galliano of Christian Dior who is really a master in presenting couture details in ready-to-wear. His designs of multi-layering tube evening dress , bias cut gown as well as knee length skirts accompanied with sequins and embroideries truly bring out the most graceful parts of ladies.

However, design is design. Not everyone is brave enough to wear clothes with couture details in common life. But why not making yourself more attractive!

Fashion Trend - Fall and Winter 2007 (Gray / Grey Market)

If I say BLACK is the longlasting color in fashion for Fall and Winter, no one will disagree. You will be always right by dressing in black. However, fashion is about trendy. You have to catch up with the latest trends. This year gray/grey color has come into play. Unlike black, there is a great depth in gray color. Light gray, dark gray and charcoal gray or gray tones in between have offered a wide range of options for fashion designers. Following this trend, grays are adopted in different styles of fashion from dress to evening wear and from top to coat etc. Gray appeared as a simple single tone gray, mix and match of grays in different tones or gray with sequins or beads are found in the lastest fashion collections such as Yves Saint Laurent, Mark Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Vera Wang etc. To me, gray color gives a feeling of elegance and softness. Unlike the favorite black, gray offers a better presentation of clothes cuttings which is especially great in showing the detailings in fashion. The depth of gray is also a better choice in layering different pieces. So, have you found your own gray/grey for this Fall and Winter?