Fashion Trend Forecast SS09 (Pret-a-porter): The Maximalist (+ The Season that Was)

With just a week of new 2009 Spring/Summer Ready-to-wear shows airing in New York, we are already seeing a transition from the more minimalist styles and darker colours of winter to the wonderful erratic plays with textures and tone (haha I think I am three-quarters maximalist/a quarter minimalist myself). This season, it’s probably going to be all about dressing it up – with statement pieces, whether it’d be in your jewellery, heels or bags.

The transition from minimalism to maximalism has not been just a sudden ‘wave’, storming into the fashion industry, but rather, indications from the past season did show that the ‘maximalist’ would inevitably come eventually…So let’s look (at some of my favourite pieces) from the season that was.

The pieces:

Rue Du Mail - Embellished trapeze dress (£1,310.64)

Bill Blass – Flamenco backless blouse (£1,557)

3.1 Philip Lim – Fan Pleat Dress (£455.31)

Marchesa – Beaded Chiffon Gown (£4,312)

Fendi – Petal-trimmed Dress (£1,804)

When I say about playing the maximalist, I’m talking about experimentation. As hard and disastrous as it may sound, it sounds like the runways looks (especially off NY) are finally giving more freedom to us, the consumers, in relaxing the structural and thematic elements of specific shapes and silhouettes that have appeared on runways for years…In other words, they’re finally making some of their clothes more adaptable to a wide range of different styles, cutting them so that average builds would actually be flattered and also so that the clothes remain (what I call) easy to wear.

BUT when I say that we might be going maximalist, it means that you’re going to have to mix & mash it up a little – however crazy it might seem at first. So, the best way to do it (without stuffing it up) would probably have to going with a statement bag and/or statement shoes. For example:

· Grey is totally the new thing at the moment – layer it up with a plain grey tank, drape a large scarf around your neck and wear some worn-out/stone-washed or otherwise pair of black or grey denim skinnies

· For those with a more hour-glass figure (or with extremely wide-hips, like moi) go for layering more structural details like collars/lapels & ruffles around the neck – just make sure you define your waist & don’t turn into a puff-ball.

· Get a textured jacket – maybe not fully patent, but maybe faux leather (layer with more luxurious fabrics like jersey/silk) or even crotcheted

The easiest way to probably work this trend is by simply by mixing up different pieces of jewellery, layering scarves & just chucking in a textured hand bag (my personal fave would probably have to be a black, patent, faux snake-skinned tote).

In contrast to this maximalistic effect with busy textures and tone, the colours on the runway have started to lighten up. Although the colours of SS09 have lightened-up a little, we’re still seeing that metallic trend come through – however, this time, without the patent, but rather, a more muted, softer feel. In particular, pastels and ‘softer’ colours are in – especially in layers with monochromatic colour schemes.

So to sum it up, the outlook for SS09 at the moment seems quite adventurous with the wooing of the maximalist on the runway…

~Louis Tiffon