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Spring Fashion Forecast: Maximalists Rejoice! | October 08, 2014 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—Whether it’s a reflection of recent consumer optimism that the economy finally has turned a corner, or just the eternal fashion pendulum swinging, the results of Fashion Month (a week of shows each in New York, London, Milan, Paris) are pretty consistent: for spring/summer 2015, more is more.
Embellishment is back. The spring ready-to-wear runways were filled with brilliant, rainbow-colored and rave club-inspired clothes, ruffles, transparency, obi sashes, and even furs for spring. And for all that we love to mock the 70s—with its leisure suits and sideburns—as the Decade That Taste Forgot, there is in fact a lot of innovation and fashion designers just love to mine it for inspiration. This spring, look for flared trousers and fringed vests straight out of The Brady Bunch. At Etro, models also sported very 70s jewelry—a stone charm on a leather cord tied close to the neck.
The Seventies as interpreted by Etro, left, and Prada, right. Both feature bold jewelry reminiscent of the era: Etro's more hippie-ish, Prada's more Cleopatra-inspired. Photos: Imaxtree
Has minimalism had its day? Just as we got used to seeing Birkenstocks and Tevas as high fashion, “mom jeans” become cool, and “normcore” (i.e., ordinary clothes) become a bona fide fashion movement, what happens now?
More importantly, what does it mean for fine jewelry?
Minimalism can be really scary. First, there’s the whole recession connection, which we saw in the early 1990s and the late “aughties” as somber clothing reflected somber economic news. Yes, there’s the very valid argument that plain clothes are just crying out for jewelry to liven them up—and thankfully many women agree—but there is lingering fear that fashionistas won’t want any distractions to break up their monastic black.
But on the other hand, embellishment can be equally challenging. Having permission to pile on adornment—and signaling optimism—is great, but if the clothes are all spangled up, where does that leave jewelry?
Let’s first address minimalism, which many women prefer over embellishment simply as a matter of personal taste. Minimalism today is definitely not plain—or cheap. Céline is proof positive of that: is there anything more coveted now than Phoebe Philo’s cozy sculptural clothes? Devoid they may be of excess ornamentation, but not of luxury. It’s in the subtleties of drape, the nap of the special weave, and so forth. It’s the ultimate inconspicuous consumption: those in the know instantly recognize it (and know what you spent on it) but it doesn’t reek of excess.
On a broader scale, minimalism made its mark in the plethora of new sites and brands offering affordable luxury basics, such as Mansur Gavriel bags, Everlane cashmere, Warby Parker eyeglasses. All pride themselves on offering elegant simplicity and practical building blocks of a wardrobe, without the price tag of a Céline or the conscience-twinge of fast fashion disposability. Again, subtleties of cut and fabric come into play, even with the lower cost of entry. Basics? Yes. Boring? No. We all need a white shirt, so why get a cheap, ill-fitting one when you can spend a bit more to get a well-cut Egyptian cotton one, yet without fully breaking the bank? The recession may be over, but even affluent shoppers still want real value. No wonder there’s a waiting list.
So here we are facing spring-summer 2015 with a riot of color, texture, and extras. Now what?
Let’s look at some trends.
Athleticism. Whether more people are hitting the gym or just want to look the part, activewear is the fastest-growing segment in apparel. No longer confined to the gym, workout gear is a bona-fide daywear look (just check out any neighborhood grocery store for proof), and brands from mass marketers like Gap and H&M to up-market designers like Tory Burch to luxury sites like Net-A-Porter are adding athletic wear to their offerings. So it’s no surprise that the design inspiration will be applied to non-active styles as well.
The jewelry: Whether working out or just pretending to, for this look, keep jewelry tight and close to the body. Stud earrings, simple wedding band, sporty watches, dainty necklaces that won’t get in the way. Save the bold cuffs, knuckle-buster cocktail rings, and layered pendants for another outfit.
Seventies. As mentioned above, the decade is a huge inspiration for spring 2015. Think early—Mary Tyler Moore and The Partridge Family—not late almost-‘80s punk.
The jewelry: What could be more ‘70s than big hoops, lots of necklaces, beads, and so many earthy gemstones? It’s a veritable jewelry box of choices!
Transparency. A trend we’ve seen come and go, it’s back in full force for spring 2015—and as always, it’s surprisingly versatile. Don’t let the runway versions scare you: the young and fit will bare more, but the older and less fit use the trend as a veil to fashionably disguise that which they’d rather not show.
The jewelry: Keep proportions in mind. Delicate fabric will look overwhelmed by massive jewelry. For a big jewelry look, add layers of delicate necklaces, rings, or bangles rather than a chunky statement piece.
Balenciaga's take on transparency. Photo: Vogue UK.
Denim. Serge de Nîmes is not just for jeans anymore. The spring runways featured denim dresses, tops, full trousers, jumpsuits, you name it. We’ve all heard the expression “Texas tuxedo” (alt. “Canadian tuxedo”) to describe/deride denim on denim, but nevertheless, it is THE hot denim look for spring.
The jewelry: Just about anything goes with denim. Diamonds and denim are not mutually exclusive, as industry fashion experts have been saying for years. Whether bold or delicate, simple or intricate, avant-garde or classic, ethnic, gold, silver, whatever, it all works with denim.
Denim dresses, denim maxis, denim everything. But dare we say this runway look from Chloe is almost...normal? Like, something you could get at the mall? Enter Normcore, which is definitely not dead. Chloe also showed the look at the top of the page, and note the gladiator sandal, which is shaping up to be the shoe for spring. Chloe photos: Vogue UK.
Kimono style. Lots of hints in the seasons leading up to this trend: pajama styles for day, bathrobe coats, dropped shoulders, and so forth. For spring, the classic kimono-style belt is now holding everything together.
The jewelry: Marni showed it with a hinged tubular collar necklace. This style has boldness to it, so it needs bold jewelry to stand out.
Marni, left, and Dior, right, show strong necklaces to counterbalance a strong belt. Photos: Imaxtree.
Slit skirts: The newest way to get a peek (or more) is a skirt slit to, well, wherever the wearer is comfortable. Of course the runways showed thigh-high versions a la Angelina Jolie at the 2013 Oscars, but in stores, they’ll likely be more modest. But if you believe in the right to bare arms (or midriff) that’s ok—designers still showed plenty of options, including interesting cutouts that showed a host of other body geography for those who don’t wear their athletic gear for the purpose it was intended.
The jewelry: Nina Ricci showed a statement necklace with her slit skirt and bright but simple yellow top. Imaxtree photo.
Don’t want to bare it at all? If neither sheer nor slit nor cutout is your thing, spring held no shortage of oversized clothes to hide everything: designer Kenzo, for example, offered so many baggy, drapey pieces it was almost like just staying in bed. Or you can go normcore and put a sweatshirt over a long skirt like a Nineties college girl; just make it modern with flat shoes or sandals instead of Doc Martens.
Kenzo offers plenty to hide in. Photo: Vogue UK.
Gingham: If there’s an “it print” for spring, it’s an updated version of gingham (and its cousin, plaid.) Technically, it’s a pattern, not a print, and while there’s not really much to do to update it, the update comes from how it’s used, not how it’s drawn. Dorothy in Oz it isn’t. But for those who feel that spring and summer should always be about flowers, those were still around.
Gingham gets sophisticated at Altuzarra. With a busy pattern, he takes the jewelry way down to a simple pair of earrings. Photo: Imaxtree
Color. While bright color abounded and Pantone argued for softer pastels, the standouts on the runways were yellow and white.
Spring fur. Even if they are pastel colored, is there really any reason for spring furs to exist, other than to wave a little bit of the luxury-is-back flag? Not unless the polar vortex is particularly late departing this year. So we vote for luxury jewelry instead!