| Top 10 Fashion Trends in 2010 ART DE VIVRE By Ricky Toledo & Chito Vijandre (The Philippine Star) Updated December 09, 2009 12:00 AM |
Year 2009 was all about dealing with the recession, with tough combative looks, and the revival of the aggressive, power dressing ’80s — from exaggerated shoulders to biker jacket tops. And of course, the ubiquitous gladiator footwear, those chunky things that seemed to have a life of their own without having anything to do with the wearer or with what she was wearing. Thank heavens they are on the wane in 2010.
Although a lot of the heels are still sky high, they are sleeker now, and there are more options for lower heels.
But if the heels are going down, the hemlines are definitely going up. Well, if that is an indication of the financial landscape, then there is definitely a lot to be optimistic about for the coming year.
The lightness of ruffles
There is lightness in the air and perhaps nothing spells it quite as clearly as ruffles do.
At Marc Jacobs, ruffles exploded from practically every part of the body, from the shoulders to the hips and legs. “This is the opposite of what we did last season, this was an escape to another place,” according to the designer. And another time, too, the ’70s to be exact, with looks that channeled Radio City showgirls coming home after a show. There was also a hint of Zandra Rhodes. The more feminine silhouettes and subtler color palette was definitely a turn around from the bold shapes and strong colors of the last season which referenced the ’80s.
At Chloe, ruffles made dresses floaty and fluttery, also harking back to that carefree decade.
Nudity
Year 2010 is about going back to nature and being au naturelle, so skin tone colors are a big story. Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi used wispy fabrics like silk organza and tulle with ruching to create subtle patterns on short mini dresses. There were also embroidered tunics in fine, tiered layers with a hint of beige teddies showing underneath.
Roland Mouret’s body-conscious cocktail dresses were nude and fitted with white shrugs.
For Jil Sander, Raf Simons used a more intellectual approach, with layers of fabric peeled back and left hanging in patches, linen and gauze patched together in sheer and opaque zones, and knitwear in complex surface patterns that conceal and reveal skin in many surprising ways.
John Galliano at Dior used the softest leather to make a second skin trench top over the tiniest satin skirt in pink blush.
Shorts story
The perfect alternatives to the short-hemlined dresses are the easier-to-wear shorts. If modesty is an issue, however, beware of some that reveal more than just legs, or the hot pants variety. A lot of the ones that came out in the catwalks are the vintage high-waisted type. Marc Jacobs paired them with lingerie elements like lace and satin appliqués. Miuccia Prada had some billowing on the hips, classifying them as hot pantaloons.
For less revealing shorts, opt for the biker. Louis Vuitton’s comes in brocades and patterned denim. Prada has them deconstructed in silk with frayed edges and comes with a matching jacket that can be dressed up for cocktails.
Jumpsuits
Another easy piece to take you from morning to night is the jumpsuit or playsuit.
The short variety, also known as rompers, can be very casual and strapless such as the distressed denim ones at D&G, or more polished like those by Karl Lagerfeld and Giambattista Valli. The long ones can be ultra glam the way Lanvin made them, one-shouldered with draping or with beading. Definitely a swinging alternative to a long evening gown. Ralph Lauren reinvented the humble overalls in denim-colored satin and made it chic when worn with a blazer in the same color.
High dress split
For a sexy look without resorting to a micro-mini, there’s the long dress with the highest split that goes to the top of the thigh or even almost reaching the waist. These are in light, flowing fabrics and can be a single split on one side or in the center or can have two side splits with a center panel of fabric. Lanvin’s versions are elegantly draped Grecian goddesses while Versace’s creations are knockout red carpet numbers. Dior has innerwear-revealing chiffons with French lace-trim that are cleverly constructed in one garment but give the illusion of being made up of many pieces.
Digital notice-me prints
The wonders of digital technology have brought never-before seen or imagined prints. In Alexander McQueen’s show titled “Plato’s Atlantis,” there were fantastic images of creatures evolving from the sea after an ecological meltdown. The reptilian patterns were on dresses worn by models who came out in the now Lady Gaga-famous crab-claw shoes that looked like armored heads of antediluvian monsters. Up-and-coming London designer Mary Katrantzou’s prints were inspired by hand-blown glass and her asymmetric cocktail dresses were just as curvy and colorful.
Nicolas Ghesquiere’s urban warriors at Balenciaga had pants with a futuristic camouflage pattern accented by bright colored war paint brush strokes. At Givenchy, Ricardo Tisci stuck to black and white digital patterns from the kaffiyeh scarf but tweaked it into cool zigzagging psychedelia for clothes. He added earth tones and burnished metallics when he used the pattern for his covetable Pandora bag.
Crystal therapy
Nothing is quite as optimistic for 2010 as the sparkle of crystals. Alexander McQueen went full on with a crystal-studded futuristic sea fantasy ensemble. They were abundant at Prada where chandelier crystal hangings adorned bags and shoes. There were also crystal mesh dresses worn over white maillots. At Miu Miu, they acted as counterpoint to Lolita dresses with naïve animal prints, beaded on sheer nude mesh insets for a touch of the perverse.
“I was questioning innocence, questioning youth,” Miuccia Prada said of her collection. “What do they mean today in a world that’s the opposite?”
A touch of militaire
If any aggression is present in fashion next year it would probably be military but streamlined to chic and witty incarnations. Andreas Melbostad at Phi keeps it simple with a corseted tank, side-laced cargo pants and army boots. Marc Jacobs plays the hard and soft game by combining his military fatigues with ruffles, of course. The Burberry trench, that perennial classic designed for British army officers during World War I, has become the ultimate in London cool, thanks to designer Christopher Bailey. For 2010, he built up the shoulder to glamorous proportions with a tied reefer’s knot on the upper outside edge of each arm and ruched the lower arms. They even came in pink and were worn with platform sandals and socks, a big trend in footwear for the coming year.
Clogs
Kitten heels and other variations of it appeared in many catwalks but the real shoe news for 2010 is the return of the clogs. Improbable as it may seem, it works with a variety of looks as shown at Chanel where they were embellished with crystals for a rustic Marie Antoinette, with camellias for ladylike dresses, and in tough black leather to go with patched jeans, the new alternative to last season’s frayed jeans.
The necklace
The big story for jewelry next year is the necklace. Naturally, it has to be a statement piece to make the outfit and nowhere was this more evident than at Lanvin. From slithering snakes with enameled heads to geometric Mughal bibs of turquoise and amethyst mixed with chunky industrial chain links, Lanvin’s necklaces were the perfect complement to pretty, feminine clothes.
Dries Van Noten also had amazing pieces in multi-strands of semiprecious stones accented by long rectangular pendants of pearls and crystals, punctuating his ethnic patterns and brocades.
Ilias Lalaounis, who reintroduced ancient Greek gold jewelry to the next century, designed stunning pieces for Sophia Kokosalaki.
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