Fur realz - Fall/Winter 2011/2012

The European Fall/Winter 2011/2012 menswear season is off and running in Milan. After a day of shows, what are the early trends? Military detailing, velvet, drop-crotch trousers and a surprising amount of colour for a winter season. Of note, Burberry's tangerine and cyclamen pink pea coats, duffle and puffa jackets and Jil Sander's skinny knits, parkas and colour-blocked suiting in an eye-popping palette, which creative director Raf Simons looks to have carried over from his womens' spring 2011 show. Not to mention fur. This time last year we noted a preponderance of shaggy glam rock mens' coats in various fabrications. And although this season, Dolce e Gabbana used faux fur and Roberto Cavalli's patchwork fur coat had almost a vintage vibe, the luxury ante was definitely upped by Burberry, which showed a number of rabbit, lambskin and patchwork Finnish mink jackets, including one spectacular two-tone mink for a cool US$27,000. 

The biggest name in the mens modelling business right now, Serbian Australian Andrej Pejic - who debuted at number 40 on models.com's Top 50 Male Models list last month and then suddenly jumped to number 17 in the past week - was conspicuous by his absence.

Although Pejic briefly touched down in Milan last week to attend some early castings and is so far only confirmed for Tuesday's Neil Barrett show, a "money job" in London saw him up stumps and head to the UK for several days. He is due to arrive back in Milan today.


Images:
1, 2, 3, 4: burberry/getty via daylife
5, 6: dolce e gabbana/dolce e gabbana
7: roberto cavalli/ap via daylife

From Social-Lites to Urbanomics: Eleven "crucial" consumer trends for 2011

vanessa jackman

The just-published list of 11 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2011 by consumer analyst Trendwatching is an interesting read. More than one trend, not surprisingly, was borne of the social media revolution. Of particular note for the fashion business is #4: "Made for China (if not BRIC)". This flags the flurry of Western fashion and luxury brands to launch either limited edition products specifically tailored to, or else completely new brands in, the rapidly-developing BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia India, China). Goldman Sachs, which coined the term in 2001, reports that the BRICs have contributed over a third of world GDP growth over the past decade, growing from one sixth to nearly one quarter of the world economy. By 2050, predicts Goldman Sachs, their combined economies could eclipse those of the current richest countries of the world. This year's bespoke BRIC product includes Levi’s Denizen jeans brand for Asians; a 12-unit collection of Christian Dior Lady Blue Shanghai products, including a phone, that was only released in Shanghai; the new Hermès brand Shang Xia and Chloé's limited edition Marcie handbag, launched exclusively in Shanghai stores this month. Here is Trendwatching's 2011 list, complete with a dizzying array of buzzwords. Get with the program.

1. Random Acts of Kindness (aka RAKs) 
Seen as part of the Generation G (for generosity) megatrend, via which companies are using social media to monitor the temperature of consumer moods and acting on this intel with treats, surprises, pampering etc...
 
2. Urbanomics 
Tapped as "one of the absolute megatrends for the coming decade". Half the world’s population reportedly already lives in urban areas, with 180,000 people moving into cities daily. Research indicates that urban consumers tend to be "more daring, liberal, tolerant, experienced and more prone to trying out new products and services".
 
3. Pricing Pandemonium
From local discounts to flash sales, member sales, group buying, dynamic pricing and GPS-driven deals, pricing in 2011 will never be the same again according to Trendwatching. Fuelled, of course, by always-on connectivity.
 
4. Made for China (if not BRIC) See above.
 
5. Online Status Symbols 
From badges to widgets to Likes to Diggs, any kind of symbol, either virtual or real world, that helps consumers display to peers their online kudos eg connections, popularity. Digi bling in other words.
 
6. Wellthy 
The rise and rise of the wellness movement.
 
7. Social-Lites and Twinsumers 
Consumers have become curators in a new media landscape that is fuelled by word of mouth, recommends and person-to-person dynamics. Twinsumers? Consumers with similar consumer patterns and interests.
 
8. Emerging Generosity
Brands and wealthy individuals from emerging markets will increasingly be expected to give, care and join Generation G - as opposed to simply selling and taking. If they don't, the Transparency Triumph will see to it that they are exposed as douches. 

9. Planned Spontaneity 
Getting together has never been easier. An evolution of Nowism, that is connected to Mass Mingling and which hinges on the exploding mobile trend of geo-tagging.

10. Eco Superior 
Products that aren’t just eco-friendly, but supposedly superior in every way to their less green predecessors. Examples include the Stealth Toilet and the new all-electric, zero emissions Renault DeZir that can reportedly reach 100km/h in five seconds. Just watch out for the Vélibs (see #11).  

11. Owner-less
The rise of organised sharing and rental programs, as opposed to outright ownership. Think clothing exchanges and car- and bicycle-sharing programs, such as the hugely popular Vélib bicycle service in Paris (in the picture, above). As documented in the 2010 book What's Mine In Yours: The Rise of Collaborative Consumption by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers.

Head to the Trendwatching website for much greater detail about these and other trends. 

Juliette Hogan's morning attire

Beehives, cats' eyes, pussy bow blouses, floral shirtwaisters and tweed Princess coats...there was a definite Sixties vibe to Juliette Hogan's 'The Morning After The Night Before' show at New Zealand Fashion Week. See frockwriter's Posterous for more photos. 

Living in the Seventies - Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011

all images: getty via daylfe

Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall and Marie Helvin didn’t ride out on white horses from behind the circular Richard Serra-lookalike set (most likely signed by Marc Jacobs’ go-to stage designer Stefan Beckman), but with their frizzed-out Sarah Moon hair and bleached-out Aladdin Sane eyebrows, Jacobs’ Spring/Summer 2011 models sure looked like Studio 54 refugees. When decked out in gold lamé or Brady Bunch stripe knit hotpants, skinny rib sweaters, bandeau “boob tubes” and floppy sun hats, with more than a little Iris from Taxi Driver thrown in for good measure – the child prostitute played by Jodie Foster in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film. Another key reference for this collection appears to have been Yves Saint Laurent’s influential Ballets Russes collection, also, coincidentally, from 1976. There were voluminous off-the-shoulder peasant dresses and tops, often in the signature YSL colours of violet and red, with oversized safari jackets over maxi skirts echoing an earlier YSL collection. With flowers in their hair and at least one palm tree emblazoned on a top, this collection felt a little more Resort than Spring/Summer. But this has been a very safe season in New York so far, with the GFC still impacting on US retail, as it continues to bite elsewhere. There were some beautiful, commercial, chevron-striped chiffon dresses and sweet crochet swimwear, but it's the hugely-flattering, high-waisted bellbottom trousers which may well Fly Robin Fly out the door.

An army of Abbey Lee Kershaw clones at Preen? Spring/Summer 2011

 

On Thursday frockwriter reported that some Australian hair salons are seeing an influx of customers wanting the “choppy long bob”, aka the Kob or Chanel Bob, worn by Australian model Abbey Lee Kershaw – which we revealed was cut by Chanel’s hair stylist for the brand’s Fall 2010 advertising campaign. On Friday, we reported that Kershaw died her hair platinum blonde on the eve of New York Fashion Week. And yesterday, we wondered if the decision could in any way be proving problematic with her work options at the event. Surely not, given her stature in the industry by this time, but even some of Kershaw’s fans over at The Fashion Spot are asking the same question. Overnight Kershaw walked in two more shows, Derek Lam and Preen, bringing her total New York Fashion Week show tally thus far to five (Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Derek Lam, Preen and Rag & Bone – which she closed). But while Wu put Kershaw in a turban and Wang plastered all of his models’ hair with white clay, both Lam and Preen left Kershaw’s bold new do down. And dang if Preen’s other models didn’t look like ALK clones - notably those with the shorter hair. According to makeup director James Kaliados (below), the beauty look was inspired by Catherine Denueve in the 1964 film The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, which would of course match the 60s vibe of Preen's structured white shift dresses - white being another major early trend on the SS11 runways. Preen's hair stylist Luke Hersheshon put clip-on bangs in every (other) model's hair. Only problem with the Deneuve reference: she didn’t have bangs in that particular film.









all images: style.com

Alexander Wang's artistic license - Spring/Summer 2011

For anyone who missed the Alexander Wang live stream earlier this morning on style.com, here is a video of the complete show, below. A pretty collection from Wang, delivered entirely in a white, ecru and pastel palette. The edgy sportswear hinged on layering and super-wide trousers – both major early trends in this Spring/Summer 2011 season, seen across several shows – as well as a barely-there digital print used in loose tunics and asymmetric shift dresses that looked a little like it was cut from the gouache-splodged white sheet off the floor of a painter’s studio. Not surprisingly, Jean-Michel Basquiat was an inspiration. Wang’s deconstructed trenches, overalls and paint-splattered bombers had a definite 1980s vibe, when Basquiat was at his peak. Grungy metallic accents included an aquamarine foil hoodie, embellished turn-down belts, jagged metallic stripes on pants - as if the outside seams had been duct-taped closed - and nose rings on all the models. It was hard not to be reminded a little of the Spring/Summer 2007 collection of Marc Jacobs (with whom Wang once interned), which played a key role in the popularisation of the still-current harem pant trend. 

Australia’s Abbey Lee Kershaw and Julia Nobis both walked in the show, as they did Rag & Bone on Friday, together with Bambi Northwood-Blyth, who has scored two shows so far (after Thursday’s Jen Kao).

In other Oz model news, Catherine McNeil walked in Jason Wu and opened Ohne Titel. Ajak Deng walked in the runway debut of Bono’s Edun collection.

As for Kershaw’s newly-platinum locks, died on the eve of the event, it seems the jury may be out on the look, which has transformed her into a Hitchockian heroine. It's definitely a different vibe than the Gidget de luxe look which helped set her apart from the other high fashion ice queens and with which she conquered the world's catwalks over the past two years. At Thursday night's Chanel party, she told Fashionologie that she planned to keep the colour all season, "unless a designer asks for it to be changed". 

Kershaw also walked at Jason Wu – in a turban. True, she wasn’t the only model in the 1940s-nosed show to be wearing one. At Wang, as with all the other models, she had white clay in her hair. Incidentally, that's the second time in four months that Nobis has had to wash white clay out of her own hair, following Dion Lee's SS1011 show in Sydney in May. 


 


all images: daylife

Kate Sylvester's charming summer

The collection was called ‘This Charming Man’, but there was no sign of Morrissey the muso (or the Australian designer for that matter, who has nevertheless been flitting in and out of shows for the past two days). Auckland’s Kate Sylvester did however deliver yet another charming collection of her signature discreet chic. If you had tapped leather as an emerging trend of this antipodian summer season, you are not wrong. Several collections have included leather, among them yesterday’s hot newcomer Flannel and Sylvester one hour ago. Her caramel leather series included a mid calf length A-line skirt, bomber jacket and matching bustier and knickers. Also of note, soft Liberty-like florals on sweet pinafore dresses and roomy trousers – another emerging trend in Sydney – and her knit twin sets, swapping a cable knit bodysuit for a regular sweater with one pair. A little more subdued than usual - the autumn/winter 2010 collection shown in Auckland had much more attitude - but there is more than enough to keep Sylvester’s cult fan base happy. Click here to see frockwriter's Posterous pic gallery of the show. And keep up to date with our real-time coverage of RAFW via Twitter and Facebook.

Zimmermann's 'Vanishing Point'

A little futurism from Zimmermann, the Sydney fashion brand that had never done swimwear before the birth of Australian Fashion Week in May 1996, but which launched a capsule swimwear collection there specifically with an eye on the export market. In the 15 year interim, Zimmermann has established itself as one of the world's most fashion-forward swim brands. Unlike many swim brands however, fashion is at the heart of Zimmermann. The collection, entitled 'Vanishing Point', featured a collision of linear graphics and soft florals in a romantic futuristic vision, that was ably assisted by some spectacular silver neckpieces, courtesy Sydney jewellery brand MANIAMANIA. An easy summer wardrobe of sheer, fluid trousers, jumpsuits and maxi dresses, many of them featuring geometric cutout panelling. The best maillots had wrapped bodices with cutout detailing. The showstoppers: a series of fringed tops and dresses in eye-popping turquoise. Click here for frockwriter's Posterous gallery of photos.

Christopher Esber, Australia's latest fashion star

The revelation of Day 1 however, most definitely had to be Christopher Esber. Now 23 and sewing from the age of eight, Esber cancelled his solo debut at last year's RAFW because of a death in the family. Esber had previously shown his graduation collection in 2008 as part of the NSW TAFW group show. A tightly-edited and perfectly-executed brand statement, it left you wanting so much more. Esber is a disciple of minimalism and to be sure, a legion of legends did it first, from Halston, to Calvin Klein and Helmut Lang. Esber is also not the first hot new Australian talent to launch with this aesthetic bent, two cases in point, Josh Goot and last year's RAFW breakout star, Dion Lee. But his futuristic vision embraces not only sculpted cigarette pants, high-collared shell tops, crisp leather gilets and tailored sheaths, but sweet little whimsies, such as the ice-blue, micropleated skating skirt - which, on closer inspection backstage, was constructed over a bizarre satin foundation garment. Little wonder Australia retailer Belinda Seper ran backstage after this show (as she did with the earlier RTW1 show, specifically to check out Carly Hunter. Here is a quick chat we had backstage). Click here to see frockwriter's Posterous pic gallery of Esber's show. No doubt we will be hearing a lot more about him.

A new day dawns at RAFW

So the first two shows of the first day of the soon-to-be post-Simon Lock era of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week have wrapped. The first, a very pretty collection of draped jersey goddess gowns and digital print blouses and maxi dresses from Fashion Week veteran Lisa Ho. Delivered in a nude colour palette jolted by shots of magenta and lichen green, it was an easy, breezy patio-perfect collection with relaxed lines. The same could be said for Ginger + Smart's 'The Transcendent' collection. Jumpsuits ruled, ditto a knockout series of bodycon dresses, fluid trousers, kimono tops and plissé blouses, the best in a spectacular digital print. Obviously an early SS1011 trend. Click here and here to see frockwriter's Posterous pic galleries of both collections. The relaxed mood of the clothes was in direct contrast to the vibe vis-a-vis the seating arrangements of RAFW founder Simon Lock. Lock usually sits in the very first seat on the right hand side at the beginning of the runway. Sitting in Lock’s spot: IMG Asia Pacific general manager Dan Hill (above). According to Lorraine Lock, Lock has been “banned” by Hill from attending many shows and is “beside himself”. Frockwriter will check with Hill for his side of the story (update: when we approached Hill, he suggested we discuss it at another time. According to an IMG source, Lock had to submit a "list" of show requests that he wanted to attend. Lorraine Lock reports a number of those names were crossed off by IMG). In the interim, it's worth noting that in 14 years, Lock always prided himself on never missing a single show. An interesting start to the week.

Alexander Wang channels Twilight for FW1011

alexander wang fw1011/ap via daylife

Opened and closed by veteran Natalia Vodianova, Alexander Wang's layered, Gothic-inspired show featured one Australian model, Abbey Lee Kershaw, who is already omnipresent at the FW1011 shows, which kicked off officially on Thursday. Streamed live a couple of hours ago, click here to see SHOWstudio's just-posted video.

Fancy a shag?

gianfranco ferre FW1011/getty via daylife

Beyond fashion's rapidly accelerating digital uptake, with four brands streaming their shows live in the first two days of the men's Fall/Winter 2010/2011 runway season, which is currently underway in Milan, a couple of other trends of note. A definite heritage theme, with several houses that are celebrating anniversaries (Ermenegildo Zegna, 100 years; Dolce e Gabbana, 20) delving into their respective roots. The skinny trouser continues to trend, with a firm nod to the spray-on version - aka megging. At Dolce e Gabbana and Emporio Armani, morphing into longjohns. One garment to emerge in multiple collections is the shaggy man's coat or vest. Part glam rock, part Fred Flintsone, it's fashioned from fur, astrakhan, shearling or wool.









Top to bottom:

1. Gianfranco Ferré/Reuters
2. Gucci/Getty
3. Vivienne Westwood/Getty
4. Pringle of Scotland/Getty
5. Burberry/Reuters
6. Costume National/Getty