Curve ~ What I Saw & What I Learned

Ellen Lewis

7 years ago

Silent Arrow

Seasonal trends, as we know them, are over. That is not to say, that there are not design messages. It’s simply that these messages overlap, moving fluidly between key intimate and RTW classifications; blurring boundaries. Leggings become pants, Robes become jackets, Bodysuits and bras become blouses. And Pajamas go everywhere. Concepts Paris calls this Hybrid dressing. It is a perfect definition of the evolution (revolution) occurring in a woman’s wardrobe. Mixing design elements, once a noisy fashion statement, is now “The Trend”. It makes perfect sense. We are living in a culture of Collective Chaos where social media has commandeered the retail space and changed the state of our nation

Envie & Else

Having culled through 700 + photos, certain directional messages emerged, but they merge in many of the styles I saw, making it difficult to assign one particular moniker to any of them. The fusion of lingerie and swim design is prevalent at many of the brands I reviewed. Is it a bodysuit, a bathing suit, a cover-up, loungewear….I could go on. Concepts Paris has aptly named this influence Swimtimates.

Skin Swim

If I have to highlight design intention from this particular show previewing Spring 18 collections, I would cite the following effects: Embroidery, Architectural laces, Blue – all shades, Pinks to Red, Always Black. Desert Pales. Stripes, Retro-graphics, Floral Prints, Asian impact, Pajamas, Pajamas, Pajamas, the Bandeau, Sport influenced lounge, Light fabrics, Sustainable fabrics, Dip Dye, Body Dressing, Casual bras, Casual anything. And a bit of kitsch. Of course, there were other color stories, shapes, fabrics. But these were prevalent.

As usual, I haven’t seen the entire market yet. I guarantee that there are more examples. No favoritism here: Just the images that were the best examples given the poor lighting and my non-professional hand.