Trends

On Helmut, Jil, Joseph, Juergen, Corrine, Kirsten and Stella










As Jen at Mahalo fashion bemoans, every drop of interest has been squeezed out of the ’70s so what’s next on the retro rehash front? I hate to say it but the fact cannot be ignored, it’s time for the nineties revival proper. It’s had a couple of false starts, the latest being nu-rave, but I think we can start looking at the 90s revival from a grown-up point of view. As Fashionista reports that 1990s finest alterna-models Kirsten Owen and Stella Tennant are rumoured to be the faces of Marc Jacobs’ fall campaign, I’m thinking the following will start looking fresh now:

Skinny black suit trousers and pointy black ankle boots -very Helmut Lang/Jil Sander, very Alison Mosshart

Spiky kitten heels – Remember when Dolce & Gabbana did these? I can totally see Vicky Beckham working a kitten heel and sheath dress combo

Non-trashy silver: Who can forget Jean Colonna’s silver jeans, silver leather jackets, silver-sprayed Cons?

McQueen’s ‘ugly’ aesthetic – think edgy tailoring, angry walks, intricate details, elaborate shows

Tom Ford for Gucci’s smoky eye and liquid jersey dresses with punky patent boots (wow, was that really 10 years ago?)

Isaac Mizrahi’s AW04 ballskirt and tee combo – legendary!

Joseph – when did it all go wrong with Joseph? I used to lust after those big black slouchy knits like a junior fashionista possessed, not to mention the boyish trouser suits, luxe hoodies and flat-front trousers with trademark stripe up the side

Patrick Cox loafers – I’m still regretting that I could never afford the gold ones. With news that Patrick Cox has been bought by Eddie Davenport, may I suggest they revive these pretty sharpish?

Camel: AW 94/95 = Camel suits at Calvin Klein (complete with chignons and 60s eyeliner), camel Crombie-style coats at Helmut Lang, camel dresses at MaxMara and Ann Demeulemeester (with aforementioned black ankleboots)

1990s models – Supermodels aside, who doesn’t miss the golden greats: Emma Balfour, Bridget Hall, Lorraine Pascale, Kiara, Veronica Webb, Kirsty Hume, Cecelia Chancellor …

1990s photographers: Ellen von Unwerth, David Sims, Juergen Teller, Corinne Day

CK Jeans: That iconic ad is imprinted on my brain!

Agnes B garconne look – admittedly I never stopped rocking this look but I reckon it’s time for it to resurface. Agnes B has been under-the-radar for most of this decade so let’s hear it for the stripy tee, Black picot-edge cardi and beatnik sunnies. PS, old Agnes is opening up shop in Spitalfields Market soon too.

Pics:
CK One
CK One
Emma Balfour in iD
Juergen Teller for Katharine Hamnett Denim
iD cover with Lorraine Pascale
Milla Jovovich wears Alberto Biani in iD photographed by Bob Richardson
Elle

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Cruise control




This season sees the Resort/Cruise collections go mainstream. As customers are increasingly fashion-aware and exposed to newness 24/7, the onus is on designers to give them more fashion, more frequently. Whereas Cruise used to be something of an also-ran (see this article from 1988!), this season it’s become an event in itself with proper celebs – witness Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron and Christina Aguilera at Dior – and coverage in the dailies.

This quote from Karl Lagerfeld on Style.com sums it up:
“It’s not Resort anymore. It’s another collection—in the story of Fall, pre-Fall, Paris/London, pre-Spring, Spring—called “cruise.” It’s like a code name, but the thing is that Chanel needs six ready-to-wear collections a year, every two months completely new things at the shops. There are hundreds of shops all over the world that have to have something new all the time or else there’s no reason to go back. Or else you go to a place like Colette where they see 100 labels. If it’s one label, this label needs to have something new all the time.”

Pic: Style.com

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The return of florals and nautical







At last! The bane of any fashion editor’s life, the week-after-week trawl of new season previews is over! The bulk of the high street brands show last, so Arcadia, New Look, River Island and Urban Outfitters have all been unveiled in the last couple of weeks. I must say, I’m usually very picky but on the whole there have been some not-bad-at-all presentations. (more…)

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Is it time for turn-up jeans again?




I must say, I felt terribly pleased with myself a few months ago when I unearthed a barely-worn pair of (ahem) Hobbs biker boots circa 2003 from the forgotten depths of my wardrobe. It made a welcome change from the Converse-and-jeans rut I’d unwittingly got myself into. When you spend your days haring around London from one appointment to another in all sorts of weather you can’t really cut it in 4-inch Chloe heels.

Biker boots feel fantastically practical and protective, yet rebelliously cool at the same time. What I have noticed is I’ve been turning up my (straight-legged Nudie) jeans oh-so-slightly in order to show off the buckle, as without that essential detail I could be wearing any old generic work boot. Which makes me wonder, as the biker girl look takes off – witness all the leather jackets and biker boots in magazines and stores from Gap to Burberry –will we see a return to turn-up jeans? Last time we had the turn-up trend it was all about showing off the selvedge seam on your limited edition, uber-rare Japanese denim jeans, and the time before that it was the eighties-copies-the-fifties look channelling Marlon Brando in The Wild One.

As someone who will always champion the androgynous look over anything overtly sexy, I reckon this one’s a goer. After the boyfriend jeans and the high-waisted flare, let’s welcome back the straight-leg turn-up. Keep the turn-up small to elongate the leg and as with any masculine-inspired look, remember to factor in loose, flowy hair, a generous application of eyeliner and a good swipe of lipgloss.

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