Early Fall 2010 Predicitions: Part 1

The Fall 2010 shows are still about two months away, but I'm going to be bold and attempt to make some trend predictions now. I'll feature two today and two in a later post.

As a disclaimer, let me say that these are based mainly on hunches and what little can be gleaned from the Pre-Fall 2010 shows that are starting to surface. I have no insider knowledge of what any designer is planning for fall. However, I will explain why I think each of the trends I have picked are likely.

1. Chinoiserie/Japonisme. This is perhaps the most obvious and bankable of the trends for fall. For Karl Lagerfeld, his Far East-inspired Pre-Fall collection was derived from the brand new Chanel boutique that has just opened in Shanghai. With a video series highlighting the collection's development, a line of exclusive products only sold in the Shanghai boutique, and an interesting though somewhat painful to watch short film (see it all at Chanel's "Paris-Shanghai" website), the folks at Chanel are doing their best to create a lot of buzz. It's a Lagerfeld line we're talking about, so the buzz would have likely been there anyway.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

But I wouldn't predict a trend wholly on what boils down to a business decision on Chanel's part to expand in China. Versace's pre-fall collection featured references to Japanese pop culture, and with great success. Hopefully Donatella will revisit this reference for fall, as it seems to mesh well with the Versace look.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

A few kimono-style dresses and blouses and the occasional obi-like belt also popped up here and there on the Spring runways, which may indicate designer interest heading east.


Bottega Veneta. Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Marchesa. Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

Maybe most convincingly, a dose of Chinoiserie/Japonisme just makes sense right now. Historically, the East-through-the-lens-of-the-West look means high glamor and exotic escapism. Although the economy seems to be slowly improving, a little old school glamor might still be what women will be looking for come fall. Lastly, Chinoiserie links with the next trend I'm predicting...

2. The Thirties. I think the 1930s will be present in Fall 2010 collections on two separate fronts: in silhouette and in detail. The silhouette of the thirties--slim, longer hemlines, full shoulder--is right at the moment. A lot of women are (or will soon be) tired of the tricky cuts and volume that have been on runways for the past few seasons. The body-con cuts on so many Spring runways are an indicator of that. Also, while I agree that the '80s trend may very well be on its way out (here is Tommy Ton's feature on the subject at Style.com), I think a full shoulder will be around awhile longer. This could easily translate to a 1970s revival as it did in some of the jackets at Stella McCartney's Spring 2010 show, but in many ways the look and silhouette of the '70s owe a lot to the 1930s (ahem, Biba).

The novelty prints and details of the 1930s, often derived from the work of Surrealists like Dali and Duchamp, are also likely to pop up this fall. Elsa Schiaparelli is my official vote for "Most Likely Historic Designer to be Referenced in Show Notes" next season. Zac Posen used hand and mouth motifs on jewelry and shoes for Spring, two shapes used by Schiap:


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

For Pre-Fall, Posen again referenced the thirties, this time with bold plaids and novelty prints of bunnies, swans, and mushrooms. In fact, Posen's Pre-Fall collection may be the best example I can provide of the fine line between the 1930s and 1970s look:


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

Several other designers presented bold prints reminiscent of the '30s and/or Surrealism this spring. I talked about the childlike prints at Miu Miu in a previous post, but here are some other examples:


Dries Van Noten. Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Temperly. Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

I think we'll continue to see the 1930s referenced as Pre-Fall and Fall collections are presented.

Stay tuned for future Fall 2010 trend forecasts!

Runway Bonanza Part 3: Miu Miu

Ah, Miucci Prada. No one else could make me want to wear blouses printed with napping nudes.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

I would even rock the matching skirt. What fashion devil did Miuccia Prada sell her soul to and where can I find him? In her spring 2010 collection, Prada's little sister collection was about innocence and the loss of it. This was expressed with a steady stream of schoolgirlish pieces in childish prints (cats, sparrows, daisies, and puppies). Then, the naked lady print was thrown into the mix, as if to catch you off guard. Presenting them this way, Prada almost seems to be saying something about how easy it is to make the transition from naïve girl to sexually-awakened adult. Or maybe she's just saying that the human form doesn't necessarily have to be classified as pornographic.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

But the prints weren't the whole story. Let's not forget the innovative and yet desirable suiting in what appears to be a jacquard silk, with their short jackets and stovepipe pants. The look is slim, polished, and darkly quirky.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

The waist-sash is interesting: based on the pictures on Style.com, they are indeed attached to the jackets. There is something about it that is subtly bondage-like, like some kind of brace or extraneous strap. She also did a few similar pieces that were more akin to a cropped blouse, shortened to bolero length, and ruffled out at the bust.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

This type of shortened topper, which has popped up in other collections this season, could be a welcome alternative to a jacket or cardigan. It works over a collared blouse like it was shown on the Miu Miu runway, but I like the idea of it over a printed t-shirt or a low tank top, too.

I love the forties style of the silhouette and the cross-over top in this look. The skirt could be appealing to a wide variety of women.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

Prada's later pieces, studded with sequins but still using the prints and pointy '70s collars, were somewhat less successful in terms of their sales-floor appeal, but were none the less beautiful. This one below was my favorite:


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

There's way too much going on, but then that's its charm.

I can't finish up without mentioning the shoes. Miuccia covered round-toed, chunky-heeled maryjanes with her cat, daisy, and sparrow print. Since Prada is usually one step ahead of everyone else, it makes sense that her shoes look very mid-nineties while everyone else is revisiting the eighties. I haven't wanted heels like that since junior high! With skinny jeans, a standard-issue suit, or a dress, they could be fantastic.


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).


Photo from Style.com (click the image to visit the source).

I could post images all day. I highly suggest that you go to Style.com right now and treat yourself to what is, in my opinion, one of the best collections of the season.