WILDERNESS

Followers of runway may recall our Wilderness Luxe theme, which was the major outdoor expression at Bread & Butter. This outerwear-heavy theme (I’ll get to that in a minute) also highlights quilting, heavy sweaters, fur and nature imagery.

PARKAS

So speaking to that outerwear bit, anyone in the outerwear classification has to have a parka for Fall 12. It ties in nicely with outdoor-minded collections and it’s essential everywhere else too.

RED

THE color of the season is red in rich casts.

CROPPED

The cropped silhouette has been lingering for quite some time. New points of difference enter the market with asymmetrical high-low hems and cropped sweaters.

SWEATER DRESS

Speaking of sweaters, the sweater dress is another one of those items that EVERYBODY had (it is a commercial winner after all). Chunky textures and patterns add point-of-difference.

RELAXED BLOUSE

Contemporary womenswear brands took on the relaxed blouse as a key woven item in soft and fluid materials and slightly oversized silhouettes.

MONOCHROMATIC PATTERNS

While the black & white story never quite went away, it made a huge impact at Bread & Butter from artful abstracts to geometrics and dye effects.

METALLICS

At Bread & Butter we see embellishment downtrend to some degree, while metallics come in full-force. The #1 expression here is metallic pants.

PIECED

Pieced construction is still very much alive and well. Common expressions land upon outerwear and leather sleeves are favored.

COLLAR INTEREST

A favorite of many at the Fashion Snoops’ office, collar interest becomes a new must-have detail. Stemming off of classic Peter Pan shapes, contrast color and embellished collars are highlighted.

TWO TONE. Although Nat takes part in this trend after last year’s major win, I think we could all agree that Angelina Jolie ruled the night in her Atelier Versace gown. Both dresses featured a fold-over red contrast detail and draped styling. A coordinating Louboutin red clutch served as the ultimate (and only) accessory on Jolie.

Who says you can’t go LIGHT AT NIGHT? The boldest (and most surprising) trend at the Golden Globes featured a range of white and nude shades. While not typically the most flattering red carpet color choice, lace as well as silhouette variation (a-hem Charlize Theron) made for more memorable neutral dresses.

While an unexpected color choice captivated the night, a more daring silhouette also entered. MERMAID OR TRUMPET gowns provided a new curve-embracing evening direction.

As EMBELLISHMENT continues to be a major detail on the runway, a number of actresses glimmered through the night. Salma Hayek was a highlight in her custom Gucci gown which echoed the Spring 12 collection with flapper decadence. In Gucci Première, Evan Rachel Wood’s dress combined embellishment and feathers.

For those not in favor of the lighter tones on the red carpet, here’s a fashion color statement. MIDNIGHT BLUES appeared on a varying selection of gowns, while Tilda Swinton (a recurring avant-garde favorite) wore PERIWINKLE.

#1 MOVE OVER MAXI, THESE ARE ASYMMETRIC TIMES!

Sure there are still maxis, and columns and midis. But the big news in hemlines this season is asymmetric hems, found upon dresses and skirts. Another alternative is the handkerchief hem.

#2 CROP THIS WAY

Cropped silhouettes aren’t exactly new.. but this time around they come with more variety to suite both the junior and contemporary market. Cropped tops, knits and sweaters are all present, with the most forward interpretation coming from midriff tops.

#3 BOXY LADY

I’ve mentioned boxy or pop over tops early on in the season. In knit or woven styles, boxy shapes provide one of the newest shape directions in tops.

#4 INNER AS OUTER

The junior market has favored bandeau tops as a layering component for the past few seasons. Bandeaus stick around for S12, while the day bra turns up everywhere – set to a number of 50s looks.

#5 PEPLUMS

Pencil skirts continue forward as a must-have for Spring 12. Peplums serve as the ultimate update to the pencil, while peplum tops are also fair game. And if you’re REALLY forward, check out the peplum pants at Dries Van Noten.

#6 FLIRTING WITH THE FIFTIES

As one of the season’s most popular theme expressions, Mid Century Modern aka the 50s, features key items like the fit n flare dress and full skirt. Hot pants, THE short of the season, are commonly factored in to ladylike looks, even if they’re borrowed from another decade.

#7 CUT IT OUT

Cutouts? Again? YES! As one of Spring 12′s leading details, a commercial yet new application comes in the form of shoulder cutouts on tops.

#8 SOMETHING SHEER

If this is starting to sound familiar, you may have followed my blogs during runway season in which NY, London, Milan and Paris all featured sheer garments. Two of the most relevant applications include sheer dresses and skirts, which were first featured in Givenchy’s Spring 11 collection. Fast forward one year, and sheer tops and pants are also considered.

#9 PUMP UP THE VOLUME

I first identified the wide leg pant as a trend for Spring 11, which moved forward for Fall 11/12 and remains important for Spring 12. Other volume silhouettes also take a cue from the wide leg including gaucho pants and culottes.

#10 WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

Yes this is Spring/Summer but we can’t forget about outerwear options can we? I talked about parkas and ponchos in Fall 11 collections and here they are again as must-haves. Several styles speak to an underlying athletic reference, which makes for a nice interpretation of the Urban Sport theme.

The message from the over 20 exhibitors that I met with was very similar. Everyone’s tired of indigo, so let’s bring in the alternatives. Chinos and Twills, which have been present at the show for the past 2 seasons explode into full-blown assortments.

Kuroki

Another option comes in the form of Gabardine and Herringbone. It should be noted that in many of the non-denim options, treatments and finishes which were previously applied to denim are now used on these alternative fabrics.

ITV

Another denim alternative is chambray. Yes we’ve seen it before on shirting, but this time around chambray expands into bottom weights as well.

Orta Anadolu

Another HUGE do-not-miss trend at the show was COLOR. There wasn’t one tone or shade that stood out from the rest, with the majority of exhibitors featuring a full range of brights. Color applies to both denim and non-denim, with countless ready-to-dye options. Sulfer dyes and pigment two-tone color are featured.

Royo

Tavex

Double faced fabrics also answer the call to color.

Bossa

Royo

Getting back to actual denim there are some new blues to be had. In fact, exhibitors typically featured a range of these blues from 70s tones to crayola blues and even pales. Looks like someone finally got the memo on the 70s trend in sportswear.

UCO Raymond

Tavex

Kuroki

Continuing along the same lines of newness, grey denim is also popular.

Orta Anadolu

Indigo doesn’t entirely disappear, with intense, saturated colors remaining.

Candiani

In terms of treatment and finishings, plasticized coatings are number one. Printed denim and non-denim becomes a new option which is sure to be a winner in the youth market.

Artistic Denim Mills

Dynamo

I should note that the S-T-R-E-T-C-H trend continues, with comfort stretch featured nearly everywhere. And for the jegging crowd, stretch progresses with new advancements for shape retention, i.e. no more sagging in the butt with wear. But perhaps the most interesting advancement above all is the ability to achieve knit-like wovens with new fabric technology. Isko and Bossa both featured these fabrics (along with some actual knit ones).. talk about taking comfort to the next level!

Isko

MID CENTURY MODERN

Remember last month when I talked about Stepford Wives-cum-Hitchcock Heroines? The list of designers inspired by Dior’s New Look goes on and on, from the actual house of Dior (good timing) to Dolce & Gabbana, Rochas and Alexandre Herchcovitch.

Now if you know me, you know I’m a fan of silhouette direction and that happens to be the biggest component of Mid Century Modern. Ladylike fit n flare dresses and full skirts are a natural here, while pencil skirts return with the welcome addition of peplums attached to either tops or skirts.

20s FLAPPER

The second most influential decade of reference was the Roaring 20s.. via flapper and art deco decadence at Gucci and Etro. Connecting back to silhouette.. the dropped waist dress isn’t exactly the easiest (or most commercial) dress this season, however I definitely see this as a place for embellishment and fringe to live on.

TROPICAL PARADISE

Moving right along, one can not even speak about Spring 12 runway without talking about the explosion of color and pattern which took place at Ferragamo and Missoni. Most landed in some sort of tropical locale bursting with floral motifs and Hawaiian reference. For a more youthful take, check out Blumarine’s luau of pop brights and 50s shapes.

URBAN SPORT

Another not-to-be-missed theme this season is anything sport related. Alexander Wang and Rag & Bone started off the conversation in New York on athletics while in Paris, Felipe Oliveira Baptista and Issey Miyake echoed parallel references ranging from moto sport to scuba. In all cases, this theme is a prime for color blocking and pieced construction to continue in a big way.

MODERN GEOMETRY

This season’s Modern Geometry theme stems from Minimalism.. a trend that is still very much alive and well, give or take the boxy shoulders. Modern Geometry combines sharp asymmetrical cuts and folds with a monochromatic color palette. The story doesn’t end there, with the next evolution of this trend being Futurist – a very forward techy vision of drastic architectural shapes.

I’ve identified sheer transparency for Spring 12 in New York, London and Milan. Paris confirms the trend with materials like organza and silk chiffon. What’s even more relevant here is the sheer skirt. Although it’s featured in varying lengths, sheer maxi skirts are most forward.

Lace is more than just a trim in Paris, landing upon items from skirts and dresses to tops. Colored lace for Spring 12 moves beyond the sea of white lace which we saw last Spring.

In contrast to Spring 12′s fuller silhouettes, pencil skirts remain popular. In Paris, peplums inject newness upon skirts as well as tops and jackets.

As a common expression of the 50s trend, full silhouettes are key in Paris for Spring 12. The full skirt is a must-have while pleats are also popular set to below-the-knee and mid-calf styles.

Mugler also gets in on the action with a sci-fi look that features sharp asymmetrical lines.

Architectural geometry is evident at Balenciaga with color blocking. Key items include hot pants and boxy jackets.