Nolcha’s Creative Team picks the REAL trends for Fall 09. (Left Column: Balenciaga, Tuleh, Dries Van Noten, Vanessa Bruno Right Column: Mark Fast, Gucci, Isaac Mizrahi, Balmain)
Hip Detail: In a season where everyone is calling shoulders, shoulders, shoulders we at Nolcha noticed a new trend sprouting; The Draped Hip Detail.
Seen first at Balenciaga and then again at Louis Vuitton these designers are ahead of the pack. Just as Dolce and Gabbana started the shoulder craze with a never before seen silhouette, the hip draping is a mix of harem pant meets mini skirt. Balenciaga’s Nicholas Ghesquière minimized the styles in his collection this season and the result focused on this new shape which pulled the fashion house out of the space age direction it was going in just as other designers decided to play copy-cat and pulled back to draping, contouring and working with the more classic fabrics. Shaggy Texture: Whether it be wooly knitwear, long haired furs, or flouncy feathers, layers came both horizontally and vertically this fall. Mark Fast stood out to us as the British Designer, known for his knitwear, incorporated fringy gypsy details on mini-dresses fitting for Stevie Nicks back in the 70’s. Haider Ackermann also used the trend to his advantage incorporating it in a sex-infused scarf top amongst cool silk liquid dresses cut on the bias, high-waisted trousers and the perfect amount of leather.
Jacquard, Brocade and Velvet: The fabric of the season rich and luxurious was not forboden on the runways of smart designers who knew that their customer base required a special, beautiful garment to loosen their purse strings. Tuleh’s Bryan Bradley opened his show with a stunning Sessilee Lopez in a wide necked jacquard jacket with winter white trousers (and we know Bradley can cut a pant) that was the perfect mix of masculine and feminine.
The New Pant: Some called it “skinny” and others “skin tight” but just as Z Zegna unveiled a new style at the menswear collections a month before, designers from New York to Paris focused on a relaxed version of the cigarette pant catwalking itself from here to eternity in seasons past. Headstarters from Marc Jacobs to Balenciaga sported the trend as did Philip Lim, Gucci and Marni. The entire trend cannot be referred to as 80’s as the hipsters back then would have pinned or pegged their own pants. No, this style was completely new and refreshingly focused on the modern woman.
Ochre: Critics say Orange, but instead we give you ochre. More earthy than citrus, this color wove itself into prints throughout all of the fashion weeks, but took a strong presence at Dries Van Noten. Citing Francis Bacon’s use of hues the designer used the color wheel to his advantage pairing ochre with azure and buff, blocking ensembles in a non-printed graphic way. This shock of the color palette was in complete contrast to his easy fitting fluid over coats, proper blouses and long evening skirts. Andy and Debb kept the trend casual with a pant that was just as much weekend collegiate as it was Soho Monday morning paired with their gauzy wools and tweed pull overs.
Metallic: Passing over massive statement jewelry on the runway, designers opted for gilding the garments themselves. Isaac Mizrahi is back with a force, one that hit three trends at once with a one shoulder copper python printed concoction that floated down his Fall 09 runway. Bottega Veneta had Tomas Maier concentrating directly on what his client loves… to look pretty and with that came a sexy shoulder-baring horizontal stripe that had an added slink seen only when Maier wants to dazzle his audience with his knowledge of the female form, as the stripes actually created curves instead of widening the body.
The Tough Girl: Overwhelmingly rampant in New York, the women were fierce, determined and coated in black. They had places to go and couldn’t be stopped. Not since Tom Ford made his first suit did women have such purpose. Americans have taken notice. Alexander Wang produced a sporty edge to the woman on a mission in a leather belted jacket with the black biker shorts to match. Doo Ri set aside her architectural draping for a sexy stretched to the gills pencil skirt and metallic cowl neck. Rad Hourani (yes Canadian, but showed in NYC) lightened up his usual black on black motif with a couple of sequins and some navy, but it was his slatted leather pants that caused ooh’s and ahh’s. But Nolcha has to give the Tough Girl Trophy to Vanessa Bruno who paired her “new pant of the moment” with a peep show top and biker gloves.
80’s: Ah, it was such a toss up whether to speak about the Space-aged shoulder, the one shoulder detail or the 80’s. Countless fashion blogs are already posting all three as the must-haves for Fall 09, and yet, the 80’s seems to encompass the entire range of it all, but who did it best? Seen at Gucci, Marc Jacobs and countless others, it was Balmain who rocked it best. The skirts were short. The sequins were plentiful, yet the attitude was fresh and new. Every party girl (Park Avenue or Park Slope) will be lucky to get their hands on one.
Sorry Shoulders… this time you lost out
-Lynn Furge, Creative Director, Nolcha
