Trends Report Autumn/Winter 2009-10
CAN the truth be that there are no trends for autumn/winter 2009-10?
"IT's not really about being 'the Prada girl' or 'the YSL girl', said Vogue's fashion director Lucinda Chambers after the international fashion pilgrimage that came to an end in Paris last night. "There are so many choices out there - there are clothes for all the women you might want to be. Of course we will be there to give guidance about how to wear the new collections and get the best out of them, but there is a wonderful free attitude: you can make your own choices from an amazing variety of clothes and styles."
The trends then, rather than focusing on colour or shape, are more about attitude. For a start, we're still allowed to be optimistic despite feeling so thrifty: London's exuberance, colour and romance was proof of that (see Erdem's colour, Christopher Kane's romantic finesse, Henry Holland's paparazzi-pleasing aesthetic and Paul Smith's confident florals), and while just about every designer who presented this season kept their eye on the safest money - the perfect black trousers, cashmere knits, skirt suits, smart belted coats - there was a raunchy aggression that encourages us all to stand up and be noted, despite the make do and mend mentality forced upon us by the news every day.
The full A-to-Z of the new season's trends is below, but for a quick and reliable hit, remember the following when it comes to shopping for the new season:
-
The footwear: Ankle boots - heeled: wedged or stilettos. Unless you dare to wear waders.
-
The dress: Forties-inspired and belted.
-
The coat: A big statement, the shaggier the better.
-
The length: It's not recession long yet - you can still show a little leg.
-
The trouser: Nappy pants are still in - or go tight and in leather if you dare.
-
The must-have: something, anything, with pronounced shoulders.
-
The colour: black. If not black, then black. And if you really can't bear to, then pink - or red and black together.
Pierre Sanchez, Juliane Damon-Scowcroft