Stylesight, one of the leading online fashion forecasting and trend-research providers for the fashion and design industry presented the top trends for Fall/Winter 2012 and Spring/Summer 2013 at their recent STYLE SIGHT LIVE conference in NYC. As guests filed into the large auditorium, Stylesight broadcasted a series of 15+ minute long inspirational videos, pulling images from different cultures, nature, cities, fashion and architecture to illustrate the major trends for the season. Then Stylesight’s SVP of Trend Forecasting, Isham Sardouk, recapped the megatrends from each.
MEGATRENDS Fall/Winter 2012
The four themes are RAW ENERGY (circulatory systems and the forces of the universe exude intense power, releasing an abundance of energy or adrenaline-fueled creation), SENSING MATTER (natural substances like skin and stone inspire a breadth of tactile innovations and the development of materials with increased functions), WILD CRAFT (barbarism goes high-tech in mysterious green forests while handmade goods retain rough and unpolished textures) and DIGITAL DIMENSIONS (innovation finds inspiration in polar landscapes as rapid prototyping merges the best of natural and artificial worlds).
Ishan Sardouk then went on to breaks down these themes into the top 10 megatrends (trends 1 -3 are presented in this video):
1. Go Tonal
2. Red is the New Black
3. The Importance of Brown
4. Artisanal Craft – Tribal feels, handmaid look, artisan details
5. Super Size Me – Exaggerated proportions. Garments 2-3 sizes bigger; oversized jackets and pockets matched with skinnier pants.
6. Wild Animals – Long hair, faux furs (especially in red and black), predominant in trims and collars.
7. Subtraction Cutting – Designing with patterns as opposed to creating patters for design. Similar to Yohji Yamamoto style. Asymmetrical looks, sheer chiffons, fluid silhouettes.
8. Elevated Sportswear – Formal and casual wear merging –being able to wear the same outfit day to night.
9. Get Transparent – Transparent fabrics and lingerie. Also as a beauty trend.
10. Go Digital – Rapid prototyping, digital materials (aluminum and silver), digital prints (neons and circuits).
MEGATRENDS Spring/Summer 2013
The overarching theme Sardouk keyed in for S/S 2013 is East is the new West, breaking down the season into 4 major trends, ASHEN, NUTOPIA, CLARITY, and SUBNATION.
ASHEN – Decomposition is inherent in every living thing and through collapse and ruin comes rebirth. We find beauty in decay, in smoldering cinders and scorched textures, bringing somber aspect to spring/summer.
NUTOPIA -Romantic, ideal notions infuse natural materials and vistas with a bohemian free spirit. The aesthetics of Vorticism and Futurism renew gypsey styling with a graphic edge.
CLARITY – Exquisitely clean and considered aesthetics are inspired by exacting architecture, purity of line and abstract art. We look to Asian ideals, particularly from Korea, for this season’s cultural cues.
SUBNATION – Fringe communities represent a new generation of dissidents and non-conformists, newly set in the banality of suburbia. Bright and clashing colors juxtapose with rough materials like asphalt, concrete and corrugated iron.
For more on trends visit stylesight.com