Archive for May, 2009

Words by Sophie Penn

Sophie is a freelance brand consultant, fashion journalist and stylist. She is a regular contributor to many of the industry’s top magazines, trend services and fashion blogs.

As retailers across the globe prepare for the high summer season, buyers prepare late summer and autumn ranges and merchandisers assess the best way to push products, Mpdclick highlights the final phase of must-haves for the remainder of spring/summer 09.

Dresses & Skirts

Structure and volume are undoubtedly the most influential silhouettes of the season; and two attributes that look set to last. Peplum, tulip, lantern and puffball skirts were all over the s/s 09 runways and are dominating the British high street already, from Primark and Topshop and through to high-end labels like Reiss; making them an essential for retailers worldwide.

The peplum skirt is undoubtedly a retail champion this season, updating the traditional mini skirt, pencil skirt or fitted dress.  Women’s career collections can be brought right up to date with this flattering feature. (Mainn image – Karl Lagerfeld)

UK consumers are typically trend savvy, constantly on the lookout for something unique. The all round winner for wearability, whilst remaining on trend this season is the tulip skirt. The ‘tulip’ shape can be created simply with angled hemlines, but the very eighties-reminiscent tulip wrap around skirt or dress will make an authentic alternative. The shape can be best achieved with fabrics that create a dough like fold such as suiting with a slight stretch or even a very fine, soft suede (ideally in a neutral or earthy tone or subtle pattern).

Structure

At the more extreme end of this trend,  Grace Jones-esque space age/super hero structure around the hips (as seen at Alexander Mcqueen s/s 09 and Proenza Schouler s/s 09), echoed by the use of shoulder pads (being championed at Balmain s/s 09) and strong structural sleeves (seen at Dolce and Gabbana 09, where incidentally the typically never subtle Italians even managed to work big shoulder pads into silky Noel Coward style pyjamas). As wearable styles become more widespread, high street consumers will have interest in this trend, and with the likes of Lady Gaga and Estelle bringing ‘structure’ into the public eye with a fantastic reception. To achieve this construction very stiff dress fabrics will be needed, such as satins with structural inserts like shoulder pads and boning, while intense jewel tones will complete the stand-out look.

Alexander McQueen

Proenza Schouler

Balmain

Dolce & Gabbana

Outerwear

The shapes and lines in skirts this season are going to be reflected in the new jacket silhouette – making a very popular wardrobe upgrade for consumers. Buyers and merchandisers take note, in the current financial climate, customers will be looking for pieces that will go with everything and bring last season’s outfits up to date.

On the catwalks we’ve seen a lot of extreme structure in outerwear; there seems to be an abundance of severe 80s tailoring with Jerry Hall-esque styling – a trend that looks set to continue through a transition into a softer early 90s style that has been prominent in the a/w 09/10 shows (especially Louis Vuitton)  - another successful theme for high street brands. 

Peachy deconstructed tailoring (as seen at Stella McCartney s/s 09) and jackets with softer and more slouchy volume around the shoulders, a looser more relaxed shape with no nipped in waists and neutral or muted tones will give casual, laid back glamour – a look essential for brands and a key tool to be used in visual merchandising in-store and for window displays. Another feature of this trend, set to make it even more marketable, is the nostalgic feel about it -  the trend uses authentic elements taken from the kind of clothes mothers or the glamorous, inspirational women on TV wore when the lucrative Generation Y were young, which will lend a warm likeability to this trend.

Stella McCartney

Knitwear

Knitwear is another wondrously versatile staple in store; in summer as a replacement for a jacket when the evenings get cooler, and is also obviously fantastic for the transitional period and winter layering (making it an investment buy, and so a top seller in today’s climate). Volume is a key look in knitwear too, and especially effective because the weight and stretch in the fabric creates a draped, fluid effect. The most popular knitwear this season is going to be that made of lighter and smoother fibres so as to create soft lines.

Stradivarius

Trousers

Harem, peg and masculine tailored trousers began as a strong catwalk trend and now it seems high street consumers are ready – use in casual, evening and office collections. Light soft, but not clingy, fabrics are best, especially for relaxed summer elegance (as demonstrated in the silky billowing trousers on the Louis Vuitton s/s 09 catwalks). Neutrals are once again the palette of choice and the one with the most longevity (as seen in the unusually muted safari elements of Emilio Pucci’s s/s 09 show). To provide a little summer escapism to your collection, and for a bolder statement amongst the sea of neutral, we’ve found ourselves looking to Jaeger’s s/s 09 collection for a Miami Vice style splash of colour.

Louis Vuitton

Jaeger

Accessories

In accessories, once again, versatile wearability is a ruling factor. An oversized day bag is an essential right now – all pointing to big slouchy neutrals again (especially as hobo bags are having a bit of a moment this year, that looks set to continue) in the softest leathers to give a luxurious feel in these frugal times.

Ralph Lauren

For evening, the most popular glamour upgrade looks to be the teeny tiny moulded capsule clutch. So far, examples on the high street are quite simple, but some have embellished clasps, long chain shoulder straps and Topshop have even done a heart shaped Union Jack emblazoned version – so adding a trend accent to this style is a very successful move. Adding a feature to such a compact piece is like magnifying it, it is a very useful way of showboating any specific trend features being carried in store such as nautical symbols, florals or embellishment. We can see the capsule clutch being around for quite a while, it is understated and simple but something about carrying it feels very special (and the definite relief at the prospect of carrying something so petite after lugging around a hobo bag all day will appeal to customers).

Stella McCartney

In the eyewear department, Ray-Ban Wayfarers are still the front runners as they have a relaxed cool that is so much more relevant and desirable right now than the dramatic glamour of the 70s style oversized sunnies. Excellent news for high street brands as the Wayfarers are so easy to imitate. The Ray-Ban Clubmaster sunglasses look set to be another staple this summer.

Actress Diane Kruger in Ray-Ban Clubmasters

As a general rule this season, pieces that add an accent or twist to an outfit are going to be very popular, leggings in an on-trend pattern under an outfit will transform it and body suits instead of tees or shirts will bring an outfit up to date, making these simpler and more basic garments an in disposable tool and fantastic sellers. Buyers and merchandisers take note of these seasonal updates. Allow key shapes to provide essential inspiration to range planning and revise high-summer collections.

Last week saw the grand opening of the giant, brand spanking new Forever 21 store on Meiji Dori, Harajuku. Outside, a regimented queuing system separated herds of shoppers from four floors of neon madness womenswear and one floor of checked shirts for men. First impressions were mixed.

The interior theme is black and white, complete with sparkling charcoal granite floor and large acrylic chandeliers, in addition to some rather odd and slightly battered looking oversized white conical lampshades that hovered over the jewellery section. Other than that, it appears typically average compared to every other designer shop and carefully considered boutique in the area. The pea soup green stairway brings added interest and includes strange supposedly inspirational messages written in English (very much the done thing in Japan), including ‘buy your t-shirts ever so slightly too small’ and ‘eat more edamame’. On the whole, the visual merchandising leaves much to be desired, with an obvious lack of continuity, thought or planning. This however, did not seem to perturb the clientele who were busy grabbing XS of anything with a little detail on it, leaving behind rails of untouched plain tees and M, L of everything else.

Focusing on the good clothing, there were some great summer buys, the best being a nautical woven cotton vest top in white with a breast pocket, navy trim and zigzag bronze sequin details on the straps as well as some good tribal printed tops, heavy with metal sequins. With only one floor for menswear, the merchandise was disappointing, with most rails containing standard checked shirts and jeans in few colours. The only saving grace was some rather neat city boy shorts in salmon, pale denim, striped and of course, a blue check.

The Forever 21 building stands next to H&M in physical proximity and certainly competes in architectural stature. Also you cannot help but compare it to its neighbouring retail giant, both selling clothes within a similar price range and sharing a similar customer profile. However, with its recent launch of Matthew Williamson for H&M and its long list of collaborations, H&M is miles ahead of Forever 21’s Shibuya inspired clothing. The store is also dramatically more considered, with its cool opaque glass exterior and calm interior exhibiting a confidence its neighbour can seemingly only aspire to. Forever 21 is somewhat not so cool or indeed prepared for its location on one of the most premier retail strips in Tokyo and of course one of the most cutting edge fashion districts in the world. That said it appears the Japanese youth are prepared, the long patient line that snaked around the block and up to Harajuku Station was evidence enough of this. 

There is nothing like a little escapism to get the party going and fancy dress has long been a celebrated way to adopt a completely alternative look and become a different person for one night only. With the recession fuelling the desire to ‘escape’, 2009 see’s novelty attire becoming a top trend with fairy tale costumes and outlandish outfits taking pride of place in every fashionistas wardrobe.

We all know that Lily Allen is a poster girl for eccentric dress, recently spotted in full-on Queen Victoria garb and she is not alone, socialite Paris Hilton grabbed column inches after stepping out in an Alice in Wonderland outfit recently, while style icon Jaime Winstone opted for an eye catching punk look complete with Union Jack top and Dr Marten boots.  At their wedding vow renewal last week, model Heidi Klum and her partner Seal even chose a ‘white trash’ theme – complete with mullet hair dos!

However it’s not just celebrities sporting theatrical and often bizarre attire for  clubs, festivals and gigs, retailers are reporting a rise in fancy dress sales of up to 35%. As escapist costumes increasingly becoming a prerequisite for outlandish party wear, even at private events, we note that fancy dress is becoming an ever more popular fashion choice.

Source: The Observer
Image source: Rex Features

With the current trying and tumultuous climate continuing to dampen consumer spirits, it has never been more tempting to slip away into a fantasy world. Pastimes that allow us to forget our worries without spending a fortune are in high demand and art and music are benefiting from the current mood. With this in mind we note British song bird Carrie Hayden, who has just released her debut album ‘Yuka’ as an ‘up and coming’ star to watch.

Born in Worcestershire in 1985, free spirited Carrie has, like most singer/songwriters, dreamt of a career in music since her childhood singing along to the ballads of the usual divas such as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. At fourteen she stepped it up a gear writing her own songs with the aid of an out of tune piano and later bagged herself a place at Paul McCartney’s prestigious fame school LIPA.  

Her current list of heroes include a mixed bag of indie, folk and pop artists from Ryan Adams to The Flaming Lips, and with her husky and soulful voice it’s no wonder she has been compared to legendary greats like Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman. Her musical narratives instantly capture the imagination, with tracks bestowed with ambient titles from ‘Climbing Tree’s’ to ‘Fairtytales’ transporting the listener to a dreamy fantasia, providing the perfect soundtrack to Mpdclick’s upcoming fairy and folklore infused trends.

Stay tuned to this delightful songstress; her honest lyrics and enchanting melody’s are bound to enthral the ever demanding, music loving ‘Generation Y’.

Listen to Carrie Hayden : www.myspace.com/carriehaydenmusic

Here at Mpdclick our creative team is made up of many experts. This week we chatted to the graphic design team to find out what’s going on in their world. Here they pick their top graphic themes for this season.

This grainy effect (left) used on photographs is definitely an emerging trend, with adverts across many genres starting to use this old school look to create an early camcorder effect.

We really love this earthy ethnic feeling screen print work (below) that has been used to good effect as a magazine overlay. Other adverts have started incorporating this ethnic print feel to their artworks. It’s a nice fresh look in the magazine world…… giving formulaic magazine designs an element of freedom and fun, yet maintaining a slick, contemporary look……. expect more of this to come!! 

Jamaican references are starting to appear everywhere, whether slightly more literally or in colouration. Again we sense this becoming far more apparent, with the bold colours adding a freshness to design however you incorporate them!

The offset halftone screen printed look is becoming very apparent at the moment, being combined with American sign written poster styles and really bright striking colours to create a fresh new look.

Tiki meets graffiti is something that we have started seeing, and the rise of graffiti is starting to re-emerge itself, cropping up in quite a number of places.

This week’s look of the week comes from ‘Brighton Frocks’ an exciting fashion weekend held in Brighton on England’s South Coast. The event showcases the city’s emerging talent, offering local designers a chance to present their collections on the runway as well as offering visitors the chance to bag a bargain at one of the many retail stalls that participate.

Our fashion forward subject has cottoned on to spring/summer 09’s favourite 1950’s Americana trend early adopting a style akin to a vintage Honolulu pin-up. Her harmonious Hawaiian print sundress is expertly belted at the waist to accentuate an über feminine silhouette while a pretty embroidered blouse adds to the decorative look.

Peep toe pumps with flirty bow details along with a slick of siren red lipstick and a pin-curled fringe maximise the 50’s look to full effect. 

For more style inspiration click here

5 Pointz, also known as “The Institute for Higher Burnin”, is a feast for the creative eye. Located in an industrial building in Long Island City, NY it is a well known sight and considered to be one of the world’s premiere “graffiti Mecca’s” for aerosol artists around the globe.

5 Pointz, which represents the five boroughs of NYC, was first established as the Phun Phactory in 1993 by Pat Dilillo, who wanted to discourage graffiti vandalism by encouraging artists to display their work in a formal showcase. This Street Art Gallery is not only known for its mural art on the outside, but is also home to Crane Street Studios where local artists can rent affordable studio space for very reasonable prices.

Over the past decade, the building’s face has constantly changed, “the better the mural the longer it stays up” says its curator (since 2002), artist Jonathan Cohen, tag name “Meres”. Cohen, if not familiar with a particular artist’s work, will ask for a layout or sample and depending on the quality of the work will decide whether it will be displayed for a day or up to two years, since everyone who asks to paint there is allowed to as long as they acquire the building permits.

Since its inception the building has been tagged by some of the worlds most famous graffiti artists like Stay High 149, Cope 2, and Part along with some of Hip Hop’s legend’s Doug E Fresh, Kurtis Blow and Mobb Deep, not to mention that the first mural was of the legendary DJ, Jam Master J of the rap group Run DMC. Other notables on the walls include Jean Michael Basquiat and late rapper Biggie Smalls.

The building is situated on an entire city block and has a flare for all forms of graffiti art and murals, all in the style of each individual artist. There are political themes, social commentary and television icons all on display, and its definitely worth the trip. Don’t forget your camera because you can see something today that you may not see tomorrow.

Visiting

Address: 45-46 Davis Street, Jackson Ave at Crane St and Davis St – the whole block

Go by Subway: 7 train to 45th Road / Court House – you can see the building from the train platform as it arrives in the station.

Opening hours: 12 p.m – 7 p.m. but if you just want to see the building you can go anytime

(Note: at the time of publishing the building was closed to visitors due to an incident that happened in early April 09, but there are still artists painting there)

Imagine the fashion brand that could ‘thought-vertize’, where promotional junk emails really end up where your company wants it- right inside the consumers head!

Last month, with the help of a miniaturized brain scanner the first email was sent by thought alone. ‘Thought-vertising’ is already being marketed by scientific entrepreneurs to large corporations such as Unilever, Procter and Gamble and McDonald’s who can visualize a time when this technology can be used to make people subliminally want to buy their brands.  Research suggests that most purchasing decisions are subconscious, based on processes that the consumer is not even aware of, meaning that the brand could ‘suggest’ a product to the subconscious making the consumer want to buy it.

Such profound advances in science could have more worthwhile benefits giving a means of communication to those unable to speak, or perhaps even act as a reminder to do certain tasks. It remains to be seen whether ‘thought-vertising’  (or ‘brain-jacking’ as some are calling it) could have a worthy cognitive benefit rather than a questionable consumer one

Source: The Sunday Times

Image source: rockycha.files.wordpress.com

Ever growing in popularity – and height – the killer heel is the feel good accessory of the moment. Shapes are sexy, colours are brighter and decoration goes ultra luxurious with studs, sequins, and feathers and fringing! The big designers are making fabulous footwear at not such fabulous prices. For example, Louis Vuitton’s new ‘Spicy’ shoe is selling from between £1040 to £2040 – affordable for recent customers Madonna and Victoria Beckham, but we can’t all compare bank balances with these two towering amazons.

Thankfully the lust after these altitudinous heels has erupted into the high street – with stores in the UK like Office, Dune, River Island and Kurt Geiger – who are now offering their very own versions of the tribal shoe and are dominating the market. Retailers like New Look are accomplishing their very own endless skyscrapers with a 14cm heel in beaded, fluoro-violet, faux python and leopard print at £55 – which sold out.

Sales have exploded at both designer level and high street. Neil Clifford for Kurt Geiger justifies his 30 percent profit by saying that “shoes are like lipstick in the Great Depression; one of the few ways to cheer yourself up, and a cheap way of making an outfit look new.” Quite an achievement with the current economic crisis, and while the recessionistas are playing it safe and opting for more utilitarian and safe silhouettes with the clothes that they wear– they can afford to be more ostentatious with the fun and daring accessory that is the ‘Killer Heel’.

Main image source: Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2009

Office

Carvela at Kurt Geiger

New Look

The novelty sweatshirt is making a come back as designers go graphic mad for AW 09/10.  Designer looks are roaring down the runway with jumpers all shapes and sizes brandishing oversized images and patterns reminiscent of the 80s and 90s glamour.

Standing out as usual is the ever eccentric Jean Charles de Castelbajac who takes novelty to a new level with leopard spots and horse tails decorating his collection with a special appearance from Kermit the Frog.

Also to follow the animal fashion is Vivienne Westwood with her own knitted version of a ‘catsuit’, and not to forget Manish Arora, injecting elegance with a selection of spectacular dresses which sparkle into fierce looking felines!

Taking a different novelty lane is Topshop Unique who chose to go down the sci-fi route with shoulder pads and spaceships that Star Trek would be proud of. The boxy shapes and silhouettes on their catwalk at London Fashion Week show a darker side to the style that contrast with the cuteness of zebra appliqués at Ashish and almost pyjama looking Mickey Mouse patterns from Jeremy Scott.

The fashion forward way of the novelty sweatshirt is not only an embellished work of art but it’s a wearable piece which is already showing promise and big things for next season.

Main image source: J C de Castelbajac

J C de Castelbajac

J C de Castelbajac

J C de Castelbajac

Ashish

Ashish

Topshop Unique