Lauren Deatherage.
Lauren Deatherage of Cotton Incorporated tours 5 major fashion cities around the globe each year to witness and conduct market surveys for world fashion forecasts. Lately, the product trend analyst took her journeys from glamorous runways in Paris to street scenes in the peaceful town of Wellington. She came up with foreseeable pictures for Fall/Winter 2012-13 fashion. Earlier this June, Deatherage flew to meet Thai textile/garment manufacturers in Bangkok to share her latest findings that may help Thai businesses get best answers to market demands.
“We saw trend for the next Fall/Winter fashion in five major lifestyles. Those outstanding styles include Anticipation Nation, Social Club, Absurd, Role Play and Decadent Decline,” Deatherage said, concerning her latest market survey.
The idea behind Anticipation Nation is that modern day people live with sense of urgency while their anticipations drives them from the very beginning to the last minute every day, according to the analyst.
“Look at how emails influence people’s lives. People are always available to response. They are obsessed with anticipation. It needs a lot of energy and causes brain drain,” she said, adding that very bright blue, lime green and orange are top in this style color pallet. Charcoal gray, white and black shades are to tone down striking brightness through color blocking designs, speckled textures or color wash in denim work.
Another style called Social Club is driven by a sense of nostalgia to the good old days especially during 1940-60s. This style brings back a memory of social gathering from gentlemen’s sport or dance clubs to housewives’ hair salons gossiping or tea meetings.
“We saw a return of the vintage styles reflecting on fashions including hairstyles, clothes, from streets to runways. It gives the idea of reconnection,” she said, pointing out that vintage styles dominate the line, like feminine floral prints in women wears. All give wearers retro-look, from muslin to high shine shiny cotton and from blister knit to stripe knit.
Next is Absurd. This style reflects the idea of living with fun, illusion, silliness and face values. Such idea seems non-sensible, but it is actually an expression that a lot of people especially youngsters borrow to escape serious reality, like nuclear and natural disasters as well as economic difficulties.
“Reality TV shows are a big influence of Absurd. Audiences simply follow celebrities. It makes no sense, pointless and silly. But for some reason, it is very popular especially in the US and Europe,” she said.
Animal skin prints are seen as trademarks for this trend’s pants and skirts. Very bright turquoise, grass green and pink hues will be paired with indigo and black colors or the similar but dull shades.
“Absurd style has happened for a long time in Japan fashion but a little in the US. Now we see more since it gives people a sense of fantasy from scary reality happening around us,” she added.
The first three styles reflect consumers’ desire to soothe their souls by seeking sense of sweet yesteryears or jumping in fantasy to escape current reality. Role Play fashion style, however, mirrors the forward movement of social changes particularly in gender roles. The clarity between men and women roles is fade, and even disappeared in some circles. Women are seen more independent and self-supporting while more men take a role of housewife due to job loss caused by economic decline.
“Men and women borrow fashion from each other. More tomboy look appears in women fashion and more feminine look in men fashion,” she said and noted that sheer cotton or light weight fabric in pastel or soft shades is seen more in men wears. Meanwhile, heavy weight fabric and stripes patterns appear in women wears.
The last outstanding style is Decadent Decline. The deterioration of the backdrop or surroundings inspires fashion designers and becomes a key for their collections.
“This idea is celebrating the aging process and the beauty of decomposing things like old buildings and ruined architecture. In fashion world, peeling paints, oxidation of metal structures, cracks of statues and abandoned buildings can inspire fashion creators,” Deatherage said, and adding that she had seen such idea put on display in several fashion shows in Europe and the U.S. during her latest trips.
She said that decomposed-like shades are in, such as sandy, moss green, pewter blue and wine red. Haphazard-look appears in fabric texture, like irregular notched yarns causing unsmooth surface of fabric, loosen knitwears and color tainted -like fabric.
Deatherage loves visiting trendy fashion malls and street fashion scenes around Siam Square whenever she travels to Thailand.
“I just arrived for two days this time and spent a lot of time at Siam Square and Siam Paragon. There’re small table set-ups on the street and young men and women looking at western fashion. There was a lot of western influence, like Chanel,” the analyst said.
She said that Thai consumers are sophisticated and smart for they well adopt fashion tones suitable to them.
“Thai consumers are strongly aware of fashion trends meanwhile they well maintain their identity. Their fashion doesn’t look like Japanese or Chinese fashion. They look like Thai fashion. So, they don’t look weird with fashion,” she pointed out.
Although Bangkok was not amid the list of her latest five major cities of fashion market survey, she said, the capital of Thailand is enlisted in her near future survey.
“When I looked around on the streets, I saw Bangkok as a very fashionable city. We really hope to do some market research next year,” she said.
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