The Standouts of Fashion Month

With New York, London, and Milan Fashion Weeks long gone and now Paris coming to a close, its time to roundup and reflect on all that we saw over this last month.  With so much visual stimulus, it’s hard to decipher what is relevant and what is not. That’s where we can help. Here are three major trends that hit the runway for FW15 that we believe will stick around for a while. Here we go!

Fur, Fur, and more Fur

On and off the runway, this trend is huge. This is trending already with street style and runway looks. It’s completely wearable and a really easy way to look extra lux. Wear it with a gown or pair it with joggers and a graphic tee – either way, it looks great.

FW15 Looks from Jason Wu, 3.1 Philip Lim, and Gucci
Photos via Style.com

The Perfect Match

Technology is finally getting a major style upgrade. While we've been watching the evolution of wearable technology for a while now, it has yet to really make a fashionable statement. However, now we can not only create the impossible but wear it too. Functionality may be key, but if it can look good in the process then what's there to lose?

photo via NY Post

Imagine 3D printed press on nails, a bag you can never misplace, or a sweater that lights up depending on your mood. Well guess what? It's all possible. There is even a new jewelry line that detects sign language and a ring that brings the gestures of a magic wand to life.

photo via NY Times

We've consistently been seeing the evolution of advanced fabrications and smart clothing grace the runway more and more each season. At the most recent Paris collections, Iris van Herpen was the latest designer to experiment by mixing "the artisanal and the technical." Her collection deemed "biopiracy," explored the theme of "owning something you don't" and blended silks with tiny threads of plastic.

video via NBC News

Francesca Rosella of CuteCircuit took an entirely different approach this Fashion Week by giving her models the power to customize their outfits via an iPod. These garments did everything from shimmer to change color and even play videos through the use of micro-LED lights and camouflaging batteries as buttons or clasps.

photo via NY Times

Trackable wristbands are about to be a thing of the past. Tory Burch has teamed up with Fitbit to create a tracker disguised in well-designed pendants. There's also the Shine, an aluminum disc designed by Misfit Wearables that comes with optional necklace and leather band. Surprisingly enough, the wrist isn't exactly the best place to be collecting data since we tend to move it in unpredictable ways so keep an eye out as a new crop of wearable tracking devices emerge in some unexpected places.

photo via Business Insider

Kenneth Cole is one of the first companies to thoroughly incorporate Google Glass into its marketing campaigns. This new initiative invites men to document gentlemanly deeds they perform each day via an app and Google's cutting edge eyewear. Through an omni-channel approach, the 30 year old label is promoting its new men's fragrance across multiple platforms and appealing to a select group of fashion's most innovative.

3D printing and technical fabrics may be the future of technology infused fashion, but this is just the beginning. With the help of bluetooth developments, new fabric innovations, and of course, style worthy developments, we are about to reach a new era where we won't have one without the other. It's looking like fashion and technology just may be the perfect match.

MBF Profiles: Danielle Meder

We first mentioned Danielle Meder two weeks ago during our Fashion Week Roundup and were so impressed by her visionary illustrations that we had to know more. With fashion week just over yesterday, we thought it'd be the perfect time to catch up with the famed live sketch artist and find out how she got in the business and what medium she plans on working with next.

photo via Danielle Meder

MBF Trend Consulting: Please tell us a bit about your background. How did you become an illustrator and specialist in designing paper dolls?

Danielle Meder: I was homeschooled when I was a kid so I had a lot of time on my hands. We grew up in a log home near a very small town, and my first contact with the idea of fashion was through history books I got at the library. I started drawing paper dolls inspired by the history of costume when I was just a kid. When it came time for me to attend university, I chose an applied program in fashion design so I would be able to learn the technical aspects of pattern drafting and sewing.

MBF: You are calling yourself a Trend Theorist. What are the thoughts behind being a Trend Theorist?

DM: I’ve been fashion blogging for quite a while, writing about ideas and sharing my drawings. However, once fashion blogging became a trendy thing around 2008, I found that the assumptions people made about being a “fashion blogger” no longer accurately reflected what I was doing. So I invented a new title for myself, and that is “trend theorist." It’s not totally clear what a “trend theorist” is, which means I get to define it for myself.

photo via Danielle Meder

MBF: You have covered quite a few amazing designers at the NY RTW Fall 2014 shows – which ones where the most exciting? How did you get invited to the shows? Had you done previous work with the designers or someone on their team?

DM: Thank you! This season I was most excited to sketch Son Jung Wan, Yigal Azrouel and Skingraft. I was given access to these events by sending a request to the designers’ PR contacts a few weeks before.

MBF: When did you start sketching at live events? How has it changed/evolved over the last couple of years?

DM: I’ve been sketching at runway shows since 2006. It used to be very rare to see people sketching at the shows – but in 2013 there was a very identifiable uptick of artists at fashion shows – from young students to more venerable illustrators like Bil Donovan.

MBF: When sketching fast passing models how do you capture the essence of the look in seconds? Also how do you quickly determine whether to use the Ipad Paper app or watercolor?

DM: I decide on what medium I am using before the show starts. Once I am sketching while the show is on, I don’t have time to think too much about anything – live runway sketching at its best is spontaneous and intuitive.

photo via Danielle Meder

MBF: You have worked with a variety of clients – what project enticed you the most?

DM: My two favourite projects were collaborating with FiftyThree on live sketching New York Fashion Week on the iPad for Women’s Wear Daily, and a series of magnetic paper dolls I produced for The Cut.

MBF: In your opinion, why is live sketching becoming an emerging trend? Was it ever this popular before?

DM: I think the current trend for live sketching is a reaction to the ubiquity of photography. People are interested in alternate ways of recording events that have a more human touch.

MBF: What are the biggest challenges you encounter when working with clients and how do you overcome them to take your career forward?

DM: Certainly the challenge that I’m most concerned with is avoiding running with packs of other young people doing the same thing I’m doing. Being independent is both a curse and a blessing; I have absolute freedom within the confines of my circumstances. Transcending my station in life using whatever limited resources I have available is the locked door I am picking at, every single day.

photo via Danielle Meder

MBF: What does the future hold for you? What is your favorite medium now and what do you see as the next medium you might use?

DM: I am more interested in content than medium – so fashion itself interests me far more than illustration as a practice or whatever pencils and paper I happen to be using. I see my future expanding beyond illustration, as I’m becoming more interested in returning to my training as a designer and working with physical materials.

MBF: Who are the people that inspire you most? Do you follow other illustrators or blogs to get ideas?

DM: I avoid following other illustrators as it’s very important for illustrators to be different from one another – I don’t need the existential angst of comparing my career to others, and I don’t want to risk having my style unintentionally influenced by other illustrators. As such, I tend to study the work of dead illustrators more closely (especially Joe Eula and Kenneth Paul Block) and keep glancing sideways to maintain an awareness of the careers of my peers.

I am very inspired by writers, and I have a lot of friends who are writers. I find a certain kinship with the way that they think and work. Whenever I talk with my friends who are writers, I walk away with a million ideas.

photo via Danielle Meder

MBF: Our MBF Profiles ends with a questionnaire that follows in the footsteps of Proust's Questionnaire and American TV show host James Lipton's "10 Questions."

MBF: Your favorite swear word?

DM: “Fuck.”

MBF: Your least favorite word?

DM: “Should.”

MBF: Your favorite word?

DM: “Freedom.”

MBF: What turns you on?

DM: Blue collars.

MBF: And of course, what turns you off?

DM: Academics.

MBF: What sound do you love?

DM: Industrial steam irons.

MBF: If you could pick any profession – what might you be?

DM: My own. But if I had to choose another, I think I’d like to work in a greenhouse. I like tending to plants and I enjoy warm places.

MBF: If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

DM: Paris…missing another PFW at the moment.

MBF: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

DM: “…”

Thinking Forward to S/S 2015

Spring/Summer 2015 represents the season of forward thinking. So progressive in fact that it has taken many of the tried and true trends from last Fall and reinterpreted them into a lighter, more minimal aesthetic. The industry is finally learning to evolve with the current pace of the world, from technology to globalization to consumer behavior. Now that we know what works, we can really focus on developing design and functionality to make what we wear the best it can be. This by no means suggests a stop to experimentation but instead we've become interested in advancing fabrication standards, fit customizations, and of course, the overall construction and appeal of what we are wearing.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

Liquid fabrics, bare midriffs, tons of transparency, and a renewed 90's minimalism really set the ambience for the latest Fashion Week extravaganza. While florals and tribal references definitely ruled the runway, athletic influences are modernized by cool approach to layering and tennis inspired uniforms. Despite all the cropped tops, things remain modest with classic menswear tailoring in soft feminine fabrications. From an airy elegance to a strong desire for nonconformity, punk rock inspired glamour lives on in fluid fabrics and iridescent tones. grunge and punk continue as does the new age gypsy but both taking casual to eclectic. Pants are wider and looser with even culottes making a comeback. Abstract marble swirls, bold tropical florals, brand logos and sayings, and an artistic movement from the street to the gallery lead print directions. Details like sequins, fringe, feathers, and crystals revamp the ordinary.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

If Orchid is the color of 2014, it is without a doubt that blue will reign next year as purples and greys get watery accents. From cobalts to mint, turquoise, navy, indigo, and sky blue, this the most predominant colour direction for the S/S 2015 season. Not to mention, reds get pinker, candy colours brighter, brights deepen, and pastels neutralize. White stands strong yet again as the prevailing palette cleanser and represents minimalism in its purest form.

So without further ado, here is our Spring/Summer 2015 teaser. For the full report, please email: contact@mbf-trend-consulting.com.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

RTW SS14 Sneak Peek

With Fashion Week finally over, one thing is for sure, there are absolutely no rules. The past couple of seasons in particular have confirmed this by blending what we typically think of as Spring/Summer with Fall/Winter and vice versa. These days anything goes whether it be furs, culottes, shorts, cropped tops, sheers, you name it, and this isn't the first time you've heard us say this.

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

As far as moving forward, we've seen most of the key trends on the catwalk before, they've just been given simple updates like changing hemlines, fresh color combinations, new styling techniques and ultra modern silhouettes.

Overall, we are looking at a super feminine season with lightness and fluidity, key sports influences and cutting edge technology as far as prints and fabrics go. Minimalism was the name of the game this time around with a sleek approach to shapes and details. We see a 90’s take but fresher, softer, and at the same time more minimal. Ethnic influences from all different parts of the world are predominant including the likes of Africa, Asia, India, and even the Middle East. The skirt is the new statement piece with new hemlines from midi to calf lengths to just above the ankle.

Not to mention, the most epic news of the week was the announcement of the last ever Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton show! So from New York to Paris here is our sneak peek of what to keep on your fashion radar for the seasons ahead!

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

photo via MBF Trend Consulting

For the full preview, click here! Stay tuned for the Key Trends SS15 available December 2013...

The Story In Demand

We all want something different these days that not only sets us apart but also tells some sort of story relevant to who we are and what we believe in. Outside of the traditional department store, world of fast fashion chains, ordinary restaurants and everyday products are some new and cool brands pioneering this changing demand.

From interior design to actual product development, these brands are challenging the norm with their fearless and innovative desire to stand out in an oversaturated market by experimenting with what they believe in. Today we’d like to inspire you as these brands have inspired us. We are headed in a new direction that focuses on the meaning behind things and caring about where and how things are made. To make it in any industry, something has to stand out and be “special.”

video via M A I Y E T

Inspired by truth and harmony of the Ancient Egyptians and partnering with the nonprofit organization, Nest, Maiyet works with artisans from around the world to strengthen and promote entrepreneurship in Colombia, India, Italy and Kenya. Not only is the collection described as “rare and unexpected,” but its dedication to timeless quality and soulful design gives it a sense of substance and depth. First launched in Paris for Spring 2012, the label is now exclusively sold at Barney's emulating ladylike simplicity, mindfulness and the idea of a new luxury.

photo via Good Society

For some, a good fitting pair of jeans is ideal love but for the denim line, Good Society, it's so much more than that. Organically grown cotton on environmentally aware farms, manufactured by ethical and safe factories in China, and shared profits that support children's homes in India is just the gist of it. For them, their vision all starts with a simple decision and that's all it takes to have an impact.

photo via The New York Times

If eating is one thing, it's about the experience and the Danish chef Mads Refslund, is all about just that. This time, he's cooked up some of his famous New Nordic cuisine (as he puts it) and re-invented the restaurant Acme in SoHo. While the name has remained unchanged, the menu is entirely spiced up, broken into four sections titled soil, raw, cooked and sea/land. As a former Head Chef/Co-founder of the restaurant Noma with fellow colleague René Redzepi, Mads plans on further pursuing his philosophy of "foraging" and "bonding rawness" by incorporating natural herbs and plants from nature into his cuisine. The idea of raw, fresh flavored ingredients not only challenges his talent but brings the forest to the city in the most innovative concoctions.

video via youtube

IBM recently partnered with the University of Bari to implement a cloud computing system that helps control the demand of the local fishing industry in Italy. Using this new business model fishermen can keep track of how many fish they are catching "in real time" as well as sell the fish before they even reach land through a virtual fish market. By minimizing excess waste and maximizing on efficiency, costs are reduced and demand is better controlled. From bringing the forest to the city to bringing technology to the sea, it's all about learning how to better manage one's business by mixing things up a bit. We predict as cloud computing filters into more industries that it will generate more effective business strategies to the mainstream.

photo via ecouterre.com

Last year we introduced the IOU Project which combines craft, business, social networking and complete traceability into an experimental strategy to produce an updated supply chain or as they call it, "a prosperity chain." Kavita Parmar, IOU's founder and creative director, is dedicated to the notion that the entire supply chain must change "to create a new one that allows goods to be produced and sold and serves everyone involved." Rather than following mainstream fashion trends, the project is a leader in the world of ethical fashion as everyone from the artisan to the designer and final customer are involved in the story to create authentic, responsible and beautiful products. Most recently, IOU has partnered with Source4Style to launch the "DIY with IOU" sustainable design competition as well as been deemed the innovation of the year award for 2012 at the 16th Annual Luxury Briefing Awards! From all of us here at MBF Trend Consulting, congratulations to the IOU Project on all your achievements!

photo via IOU Project

So what is driving this changing landscape that is affecting all these different industries? It's all about having a story behind a brand, awareness, transparency, innovation, design and technology. In addition, the awareness and demand of consumers' behavior is evolving as they look for newness and specialness in how they spend their money and time. Businesses are beginning to catch on as well as they look to restructure business models, marketing tactics and product assortments. Everyone is beginning to realize something needs to change. From the erratic weather changes to the unstable economy, slowly but surely, we are headed into a new mindset as our insight into the future continues to get more and more complicated. 

Happy days are here again!? And other runway news.

Well, from the sound of it, things are looking up: The recession's over, say the experts! Sales are up at Saks and Nordstrom, and expected to be even better for Christmas!

The good cheer was evident at last month's Paris shows, where the colors were bright, the skirts flirty, and we were blown away by this highly unusual trend: the fashion world's famously scowling runway models were smiling — let me repeat that, SMILING! — at, from left, Chanel, Sonia Rykiel, and Stella McCartney.

Of the latter's upbeat show, WWD wrote about Natalia Vodianova's smile,

"it telegraphed Stella McCartney’s optimistic spring message as obviously as Trey Speegle’s huge paint-by-numbers mural of the Arc de Triomphe emblazoned with a giant YES."

Oh, we did spot a few clothing trends, too, including white-on-white outfits; bra tops (an improvement over no bras, we suppose); bloomers; and Rodarte-style wrapping, to name a few. The full round-up from New York, London, Milan, and Paris will be available later this month in our Ready-to-Wear Report — now printed on recycled paper, or even eco-friendlier as a PDF!

Photos via WWD

Wool and the Gang (Paris)

For designers and retailers, the inherent problem with the do-it-yourself trend is, what do you sell? Well, Paris-based Wool and the Gang has come up with an ingenious solution: these ultramodern knit-it-yourself kits, which come with needles, instructions, and luscious Peruvian wool yarns to be made into scarves, hats, or legwarmers in the season's hottest colors: for this fall, that's gray, teal, and purple, if you were wondering. For summer, there are vests, tanks, and boho shoulder bags in Pima cotton. Each kit also comes with a pair of pun-tastic patches so customers can customize their hand-knit pieces — and advertise for Wool and the Gang, of course — in '80s high style.

Tillmann Lauterbach (Paris)

Born in Germany, raised in Spain, schooled in Switzerland, the former bank trainee-cum-model Tillmann Lauterbach is another of the multifaceted, international generation of young designers coming out of the legendary ESMOD in Paris. Draped loosely around the body, his women's collection brings to mind a sportier Rick Owens, with more color and less leather, while his boxy menswear harks to Raf Simons gone grunge. With their asymmetry, colorblocking, and surprising fabric mixes, Lauterbach's clothes make imperfection an art. 

Rad Hourani (Paris)

Think Iceberg meets Akris with a touch of Gareth Pugh, and you'll have a picture of Jordan-born designer Rad Hourani's Fall 2008 collection. With its head-to-toe monochrome looks in a dramatic black-and-red palette, its severe construction, high hemlines, lavish use of leather, and tough future-Kabuki attitude, his androgynous women's line places the doe-eyed 25-year-old among the vanguard of current designers. Flitting constantly back and forth between Europe and North America, Hourani declares, "Paris inspires me with its art and New York gives me the drive." Make it so.

Dice Kayek (Paris)

With a surfeit of confidence, designer Ece Ege celebrated her 1994 graduation from ESMOD by immediately launching her own line, Dice Kayek. Her boldness shows equally in her clothes, sharply constructed evening pieces in a largely black-and-white palate that evoke past, present and future in their vintage references and streamlined construction. Designed for a strong woman, the pieces fuse feminine silks and embroideries with severe tailoring and structure.

Burfitt (Paris)

Swedish-born fashion illustrator Lovisa Burfitt was in a Paris nightclub, wearing a shirt from her defunct Stockholm-based line, when a buyer demanded to know where she, too, could pick up the illustrated tee. From there, Burfitt grew into a cult-fave line of illustrated tees and formalwear, its dark mood and almost-awkward silhouettes screaming Scandinavian, yet with a showy quality that fits perfectly into the current cabaret/circus craze. For the current collection, Burfitt started with a Victorian inspiration, featuring murky colors, corsets, and dark-washed denim.

Via WWD.com

Es Orchestres (Paris)

With its tuxedo-inspired pieces complemented by draped silk skirts and cocktail dresses, Sadaharu Hoshino's Spring 2008 collection looks like a downtown version of a gala party. Slim cutaway jackets and vests give an Edwardian feel to the menswear-inspired pieces, while silk bubble skirts add flashes of jewel-tone color. A graduate of Japan's prestigious Bunka Fashion College, Hoshino studied under Alexander McQueen and studied at Institut Francais de la Mode before launching a guerrilla collection in 2003.

Kris van Assche (Paris)

Already renowned for his tailored menswear, Hedi Slimane protegé van Assche was named to replace his mentor at Dior Homme. In his spare time, he's also launched a womenswear line, now in its third season of loose, comfortable separates, which for Spring 2008 come in black and white paired with searingly bright red and yellow. The simplicity of his white peasant skirts, crisp blouses, drop-waist T-shirt dresses belie the exacting attention to detail.

Requiem (Paris)

Designers Raffaele Borriello and Julien Desselle blend space-age materials with couture techniques for their vintage-meets-future womenswear line, Requiem, which presented quietly for three seasons before launching its first Paris runway show for SS08. With their soft draping alternating with precision pleating techniques, the collection's day-into-evening looks have provoked a frenzy of rave reviews.

American Vintage (Paris)

Refined, feminine basics are the mainstay of Michael Azoulay's three-year-old womenswear line, inspired by the designer's travels to the US and other exotic realms. American Vintage produces ultra-simple, casual woven and knit pieces in natural fibers -- oversized tees, long boyish shorts, button-down jersey dresses in soft colors seem to be mainstays of their customer's suitcase-ready wardrobe.

Maje (Paris)

Started by designer Judith Milgrom, this 10-year-old line has already spread its reach from France to Spain, China, and the United States, and from womenswear into coordinating girls' clothes, and will launch an accessories line for F/W 2008. Beloved of French actresses, with Brigitte Bardot as the label's muse, Maje makes feminine garments that are easy, chic, and very French, in natural fabrics with eyelet and ruffle details.