Fabric Focus: Texture
05-04-2007
Trend 1: leather, leather and more leather
Leather was absolutely everywhere and will be hands-down one of the hottest trends of the forth coming season. Forget boring leather jackets and think soft, feminine cocktail dresses, mini-skirts and voluminous coats in quilting, rubberised coatings, pleating and shirring.
Burberry Prorsum produced a fabulous ode to leather in the form of sensuously soft jackets and patent accessories. Colour took a back seat and let the fabrics do the talking…
Simultaneously, Christopher Kane also transformed his worked mini-dresses in softest black leather creating more of an urban warrior princess feel than dominatrix.
Look to McQueen for sculpted shifts, Dolce and Gabbana for puffed jackets and rubberised at Giles, Alberta Ferretti and Prada.
Trend 2: she wore (whatever colour) velvet
Try and shake off any hideous associations you have with the fabric- naff seat coverings, early 90’s blouses e.t.c and take an open-minded peek at a sumptuous winter fabric.
Yet again, Kane created Tudor-esque creations in intriguing burnt orange, midnight blue and emerald green (sleeves)…
Trend 3: more metallics
Metallics will not go away but they are re-worked in wearable but interesting formats whether it’s crunchy-foil texture at Dolce Gabbana to sequinned sheets at Alexander McQueen and everything in between.
Silver, gold, pewter and gunmetal are key whilst flame red and forest green are alternatives.
Trend 4: future/organic
There were fabrics on the catwalk that quite frankly, didn’t know what they were themselves. They were definitely contemporary creations, something fresh and forward thinking- almost futuristic fabrics afflicted with natural processes.
Prada was a protagonist for this-rubberised bobbled knits, dip-dyed frayed wool and crinkled panels created something intriguing.
Trend 5: quilting
Wrap yourself up for winter in snug-but-chic quilted coats. Part futuristic, part medieval war kit, waffle-embossed or jiffy-bag metallic, it’s an interesting way to invigorate your winter wardrobe staple.
Look to Giles, Burberry and Alexander McQueen for inspiration.
Trend 6: animal inspiration
Animal hides are after all the original in textured fabrics. Caveman certainly had winter dressing down to a T.
Giles presented a rustic shearling dress whilst Prada (again) presented a challenging shag-pile-cum-bathmat skirt. At the same time, queen of elegance Alberta Ferretti presented a wispy feathered number.
