Early Spring Retail
Spring Summer 2009
Colour Splash
Brights continue to be a major fashion story. Bergdorf Goodman’s windows
featured colourful digital artwork made from thousands of ‘postit’ notes, as
a backdrop for the vividly dressed mannequins. Bright multicoloured
footwear makes full use of the rainbow colour palette of fuchsia, orange,
yellow, red, green, turquoise and violet.
New Pales
Delicate pales including white, ivory, nude, blush pink, silver grey, latte,
cappuccino and honey are looking very fresh. They are second only to
the brights in importance. In London, Selfridges windows bedecked with
all white paper cut-outs create a magical backdrop for the pale petal
coloured accessories.
Metallics
Metallics look beyond the basics to new tints and textures. Gold is
refreshed with a rose pink tinge. Pewter updates silver. Mirrored, cracked
and subtle sheen finishes move on shiny foils.
Monochrome
Fluorescent cycles were chained to lamp posts around New York
promoting DKNY’s orange, black and white colour scheme. Monochrome
accessories are a smaller story than the other three, but never the less
look crisp against a backdrop of so much colour.
Island Batiks
Batik prints in vibrant rainforest colours
are less important than the floral trend
this spring, but by next year will be a
huge trend for high summer. Dries Van
Noten leads the way with multi-print
high heels, flat thongs and bags.
The addition of metalwork and semiprecious stones takes the story through
into exotic eveningwear. Splodgy tie-dye
suede and fabrics are also a theme at
Christian Louboutin and Balenciaga.
Indian Raj
Hermes has tapped into the rising interst in
India. The superpower is making waves in
the fashion industry. Home grown Indian
fashion labels are available around the
world in stores such as harrods, London.
Bollywood
films
are
gaining
global
recognition. An Indian edition of Vogue has
been
recently
launched;
and
Western
beauty companies including Clinique and
Estee Lauder are moving into the Indian
market. Hermes wraps silk scarves into
turbans and features paisley motifs in Indian
pink
on
sandals.
At
Dior
brass
Plaiting and Strips
Handcrafted leather sandals are an extension of the interweave story.
Balenciaga’s plaited strap gladiators sport a jaunty fringe at the heel.
Hermes and Giuseppe Zanotti Design go for flats. Bottega Veneta
overlay leather strips in a chevron pattern on chic thongs.
Interweaves
• Interwoven leathers are getting very clever.
There are optical weave totes and Chinese
knot sandals in burnished leathers at Cole
Haan, delicate interlaced and pin-tucked
bags at Dior and fancy interlaced patterns
at Balenciaga or Pollini.
• This is the third spring season interweaves
have been popular and they are no longer
reserved for warm weather, but carry on all
year round. Interweaves are perfect for the
incoming global ethnic trend, ensuring their
longevity for 2009.
Basketweaves
Regular espadrilles were at a low ebb in
Europe last summer, but with a new wave of
ethnic trends surfacing there are signs of a
return already. Hermes’ platform style with
the rope sole stained to match the upper,
has fashionable soft wrap straps. Ras and
Castaner continue with wickerwork and
basketweve covered wedges, which were
around last summer. Raffia is looking fresh,
for instance Alima’s colourful woven raffia
uppers. International designers including
Armani, Stella McCartney and Lanvin are
also fascinated with hula skirt fringing and
Buckle UP
Broad buckled straps are a story for
spring. G-Star Raw’s women’s line has
some of the best examples. Army style
buckles and metal ID tage trims are
applied to multi-stitched strap uppers
and canvas slingbacks. The barreled
cone heels add a feminine touch.
Chunky studs are now low key. For
instance, Zara’s metal discs on a taupe
suede sandals are far more subtle than
alst seasons’s S&M silver spikes on
shiny black leather. Mary janes look new
Clog Chic
Spring clogs are updated with new unit
shapes. Choose from barreled back
banana heels, cylindrical heels or twopart wedges that combine wood with a
leather covered section. Finishes often
go beyond plain wood grains. At Yves
Saint Laurent units are stained with
random brush strokes to give a streaky
two tone effect. Aldo teams wooden
heels
with
beaten
metal
foreparts.
Chunky wooden platforms (along with
Grecian styles) are the focus for Pierre
Tough Boots
Boots of all kinds are a huge trend at
retail. Many are glamorous high heels,
with an emphasis on cropped shoe
boots. However there are also some
tougher looks around, such as buckled
strap slouches at Vivienne Westwood,
slashed leather uppers at Brown Focus
and Freelance’s white bikers. Chukka
boots, currently popular for men, are
worked into a women’s style at Miu
Miu, with a high straight heel and crepe
soles. Chanel opts for raw edged grey
jersey slouches with an elasticated
Boat Shoes and Moccasins
Ballerinas and pumps have stolen the
limelight over the past few seasons, as they
work best for the sixties and eighties
revivals. This has caused moccasins and
their close cousin the boat shoe to fall from
favour. However the time is right for their
comeback. There is already an increased
amount of both at retail. New details are dip
sides and low-fronted cuts. They have a
preppy feel, perfect for the incoming fifties
revival. Boat shoes for women are of the
non-traditional kind. The typical laced eyelet
facings are applied to satin CVOs by Vans.
There are even ballerina versions.
Platform Sports
High-heeled fashion sports shoes were
launched in autumn 06 and are still
going strong. Most really only work for
the junior market, although Barbara
Bui’s sophisticated military styles in
combat coloured leathers also suit an
older customer. High heels and wedges
come on platform or regular thickness
soles. High-rise vulcanized looks are
popular, such as pin-tucked satin styles
at Ash. Cutaway open toes follow the
current trend seen for general women’s
Futurist Pumps
Pumps are given a modern sporty edge with bright contrast piping.
Perspex trims, large punched holes and streamlined moulded wedges.
Elasticated toplines such as Tod’s are not new, but are seeing a steady
resurgence. There are plenty to be found at the AW08 trade fairs.
Women’s refusal to give up comfortable flats has extended the life of the
ballerina well beyond the usual span of a trend cycle, to over seven
Soft Knots
Knots and twists echo fashion’s new
soft and feminine mood. They are
worked on bagged strap sandals, shoe
vamps and boot legs made from
supple leathers and satins. Knots and
twists are going to really take off nest.
Simple Pumps
Simple pumps in pure white or petal
tinted pales are a popular look at
retail. Heels favour tall blocks, high
and curvy, banana and cone shapes.
There is an even mix of platform and
regular slim soled styles. Key details
include soft pleats and gathered.
Minimal Sandals
Minimal strappy sandals, primarily in
white were also a trend last sping.
New treatments include Bally’s chunky
metal heels inlaid with white leather,
Roger Vivier’s simple metal discs and
Marc Jacobs’s spotty linings. Flat or
block heels are favourities for this kind
Perfed
Pale perfed leather boots update the
slouch boot for spring. Soft collapsible
legs have drawstring tops or are rolled
down and fastened with a buckle. They
range from mid calf lengths such as
Diesel’s to cropped eighties shoe boot
styles. The majority
leather
pump
have a plain
shaped
base
or
extended tab up the vamp to give a
little more substance where needed.
Gucci’s jazz Oxford also taps into the
Comfort Stop
Mary Janes and ankle straps are a top
look for this season’s comfort casuals.
Organic leathers and eco materials
such as used for simple’s hemp
casual, fastened with a coconut shell
button, are strongest for this category
of
footwear.
Clarks
and
EI
Naturalista’s use of bright colour
moves things on from the muesli
coloured tones of times gone by. Soft
patent leathers are also a current
Roman Holiday
Gladiators are back so quickly after the
previous revival, that there has hardly
been a break. These accelerated trend
cycles are a growing phenomenon in
today’s
fashion
industry.
Gladiatrs
come in equal amounts of high heels
or flats. Those that strap all the way up
the
calf,
such
as
Givenchy’s
or
Balenciaga’s are a little too theatrical
to become mainstream. Ankle high
cuts are far more commercial.
Pure Gold
Metallics continue to go from strength
to strength. Although everything points
to more muted finishes and textures at
the leather fairs, in reality there are still
and awful lot of shiny foil finishes at
retail. Gold is more prominent than
silver. Rose gold that has a pink
coppery hue is looking new. Faceted or
filigree metal heels add a modern
touch. At the autumn 08 trade fairs
metallics are often used for details such
as piping and strippy overlays rather
than for total uppers, resulting in a
Pumps
Flats
Elasticated ballerina
Formals
Cutaway toe pumps
Cutaway toe pumps
Peep toe dipside pump
Banana heel pump
Banana heel pump
Open front / closed
50s pump
back flat
50s pump
Casual
sandals
Gladiator
Dressy
Sandals
Natural
Units
Ethnic embellished
Ethnic espadrille
strappy sandal
Clog / wood heels
Ethnic thong
Minimal strap
sandals
Soft knotted sandal
Platform sandal
Cork / wook platform
wedge
Casual
Boots
Sports
Laced ballerina CVO
Moccasin
80’s shoe boot
Pale perfed
slouch boot
High heeled fashion
sport
Boat shoe
Comfort casual
Fringed moccasin
boot
80’s sport
•
Brights and pales
•
Shoe boots and ankle boots
•
Cone and banana heels
•
Peep and cutaway toes
•
Coloured resin chunks
•
Dressy mules
•
Gladiators
•
Ethnic prints and florals
•
High or low heels
•
Leather details (soft knots, interweaves)
•
Chunky cuffs and rings
•
Soft and squashy bags
•
Snake and python
•
Shine (patent, satin, metallic)
•
Flowers, insects and feather trims
Upward Trends
•
Neons
•
Long boots(taking second place)
•
Stilettos and Louis heels
•
Bulky round toes
•
S&M studs
•
Classic clogs
•
Flip-flops
•
Bold geometrics, abstract printgs
•
Mid-height heels (except for pegs)
•
Metal hardware
•
Dangly earrings
•
Hard structured bags
•
Zebra and pony prints
•
Matt (nubuck)
•
60’s futuristic geometrics
Sliding Trends