Trend Alert
With the sweltering heat finally showing some signs of abetment, it is the start of a new season and time to revamp your wardrobe with the latest in fashion apparel. So what is in vogue this season? Experts tell us more.
Do the New
In apparels, whether it is a western or traditional wear, slits, straight cuts, fringes and peplums are some of the trending styles emerging these days and are quite popular among girls. “There is a lot of vibrancy and versatility in colour palette seen this season. Maxi dresses in floral prints, peplum and shirt style tops and kurtis with high slits are some of the trending styles this monsoon,” says Vaibhav Gupta, Sales & Marketing Head, Shakumbhari. Designer Lalit Dalmia opines, “the cold shoulder trend still remains huge; rucksacks are the bag to be seen with and prairie is the new boho. Apparel trends for upcoming season as per the forecast consists of all hues and pastel colours such as lilac grey, hazy taupe, baby pink, rose quartz, pistachio, beige pink, limpet shell and many more colours of the pastel family. Short and light dresses are in trend, such as shirt dresses, shorts and tee, loose tee with denim, skirt and crop tops.” According to Shubhra Chadda, Co-Founder, Chumbak Design Pvt. Ltd., “denim in all silhouettes is extremely popular amongst high street brands this year. We have incorporated denim in a variety of styles – shift dresses, shorts etc. The other trend that is making a comeback this year to high street brands is patch work. Patches will be seen across different fashion categories. Apart from this, bold colours and big motifs are going to be very popular.” The upcoming season is going to have an amalgamation of styles that is easy to incorporate in your daily dressing. “The season sways in the freshness of life, rejuvenating styles with a magical touch. Aquamarine, hues of green, lemon yellow are designer’s favourite choice. Fabric choice can vary from net, chiffon or georgette. Elegant zardozi, glass work, and minimalist embroidery will be the trend for the season,” says Virendra Bardia, CEO, Ethnic Dukaan.com.
Seasonal Thrust
Naturally a new season is triggering trends galore. Ashish Gurnani and Aashray Thatai, Co-Founders, PostFoldopine, say, “the new trend update this season in terms of silhouettes for women are addition of resort shirts with placement prints, elevated shirt dresses, peasant tops (bohemian influence), use of sheer laces, Kimono shapes, wide leg bottoms etc. Apart from this we see a lot of midi lengths, Maxi splits, pinafore silhouettes, across all categories. Skirts have lot of layering, pleating and asymmetrical silhouettes.” Adds Designer Rajdeep Ranawat, “this season we see a lot of Spanish and Italian inspired clothes in terms of bright happy motifs from the ceramic arts or the juicy fruits and vegetables from the regions apart from exotic florals that entwine the artworks. Lovely sundresses to kaftans and tunics paired with palazzos and knee length skirts are a trend this season. From Spanish-influenced flounces to the paperbag waist, this is what was trending on the spring 2016 fashion week runways.”
New Launches
There are varied option in prints and patterns available in women apparel segment and the aim is to try to match the latest prints and styles for customers. For a semi casual the first and best clothing would be colourful one piece dresses, cream, brown and black make normal attire, whilst a pink coat with a belt will look attractive. “You can smartly mix and match the bright pieces from your wardrobe with whites and neutral shades. Add a hint of the neon trend to your outfit by wearing a single super bright piece. Cool casuals for the season would be a jeans fitted with a cotton shirt. Silk and rayon will also make a popular choice during this season. Palazzo pants, culottes teamed with tank tops make good fusion wears whereas, elegant zardosi work on satin fabrics make the mark on ethnic collection. Polka dot tops with boat necks will look great for evening wear. Any clothing ranging from tops, skirts, and dresses will go with the season, while a knee length costume along with a coloured pair of leggings would best sustain the monsoon,” says Komal Patil, HOD, Indian Fashion Academy.
Colour me Right
Bright shades of indigo, green and blue work in the monsoons and are finding favour among apparel makers. Various hues of sea to dark shades of green will be the choice of the season. Designer Anaka Narayanan, Brass Tacks says, “I think culottes and cropped wide leg trousers will be seen everywhere. The jumpsuit is shifting towards a more lounge, slouchy look that are closer to overalls.. The colour palette includes teal, electric orange, what brown, mantis green, olive green, rose quartz, pink blossom, peach, buttercup yellow, pink lemon, shades of grey and magenta pink.” Anand Jadhav, President Merchandising and Supply Chain, YEPME avers, “this season, it’s about pinks and pastels, delicate florals, neat ruffles, laces and so much more. From done-up-denim to stand-out graphics, there are tons of fashion trends one can look for. Classic stripes get an update in a spectrum of colours, while cold shoulder trend still remains huge. As for men, fashion is all about sharp and edgy dressing. From sublime hues to distressed denims; from sexy accessories to printed shorts, this season is set to be contemporary for men.”
Contemporary Hues
Spring-Summer 2016 has seen a variety of new trends including reinterpretation of old inspirations. All new apparel of this season has ruffles, puffy sleeves, high collar necklines and loads of flowers. Also new riff on the off-the-shoulder top is considered to be x-factor of new trend. 70’s inspired suede will be popular as we are still not done with the fashion pack of ‘70’s inspiration love affair – it is the decade’s most loved fabric. Sanjeev Mukhija, Founder Goldenseam Industries Pvt. Ltd. and Managing Director, Breakbounce Streetwear adds, “in Streetwear particularly we see hand crafted Indie tribal art overlaid with grungy homemade flyer-art motifs and scrawled typo giving this season’s collection a distinct rough, hewn homemade artisan feel. The knits are indigenous craft-inspired with ethnographical print patterns while rustic washes are worked with polyester and cotton mélange jersey. Shirts are in cotton poplin summer weight fabric and play with tribal prints. The range sees summer holiday iconography and bleached retro vibe across Tee-shirts.” The upcoming autumn/winter 2016-17 season will see exaggerated silhouettes. Generous volume and irregular shapes will be seen across all categories of apparel. Layering plays an important part this season. “In terms of prints, there will be plenty of graphic unfinished floral prints, overdyed effects for girls and for boys, the graphics are inspired by adventure sports. Contrasting, textured fabrics will be all the rage for this season. One will also see shimmering surfaces that showcase informal luxury, mirrored accents, tonal lustre, faceted and prismatic and sequinned,” says Sharad Venkta, MD & CEO, Toonz Retail Pvt. Ltd. Felted wools, open knits, double sided knits will be extensively used this season. Sanjana Bubber, Partner & Head Designer, Bubber Couture, says, “there are several new trends for the upcoming autumn winter season. Capes, cape sleeves and inspired silhouettes are very hot this upcoming season. For a stylish look capes are versatile and can be styled with a modern skirt, palazzo pants or even a sharara. A cape is a silhouette that can be tied into your western, Indian or indo-western wardrobe. Off shoulder crop tops, tunics and kurtas are very much in vogue as well.”
Now Trending
The fashion consumers are more ready to experiment today. This gives more room for designers to come up with new and innovative designs. Meenu Tiwari, Founder, The Plavate explains, “I think in the monsoons, one should try to wear easy and comfortable clothes. Bright colours would definitely help improve the mood. Stay with the flow of nature. Use the best of what it gives to try and make it better. Give back as much to nature as we take from it. This is the philosophy on which The Plavate stands. This is the reason why we believe that sustainable clothing is a fashion trend that is here to stay.” For womenswear, lace-ups are going to be a big trend. The criss cross straps is the hottest trend globally. “Lace-up details on fashion garments and accessories is a major trend to watch for. Cross straps on a plunge V-neckline or Lace-up Gladiator heels,” says Shilpa Bhatia, Founder & Director, The Clothing Rental. Rahul Jashnani, MD, Jashn adds, “apparels for monsoon are designed keeping in mind the fabrics, fabrics that dry faster and prevent stains for becoming permanent. At the same time in ethnics, designs are very important which look attractive, beautiful and weigh less. The new thing will be the designs, as the youth are more open to experiment and indulge more in fusion fashion.”
This story appeared in the July issue of Apparel magazine here: Apparel – July 2016 – Trend Talk – Trending it Right!
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