Trends around the world

 

JAPAN

 

House of Canon is a popular women's clothing brand in Japan at the moment that sets trend for woman all over the country. Whilst researching the brand, I have noticed that particular shapes of clothes and patterns that are printed on them are forming trends and can be a representation of the Japanese culture. 

For example, this dress is a swing dress and the pattern includes a robot, a busy road and several buildings with bright lights. This links to the Japenese culture as it is a digitally advance country and the cities within it could be represented by this print.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Another example of a print that is inspired by Japan is this swing top with blossom printed onto it. Blossom is something that is often associated with Japan and other oriental countries so this piece of clothing shows a strong influence from the Japanese culture. Also, the shape of the top is similar to the dress which shows that 'swing' cut pieces are on trend in Japan.

 FRANCE

 

 The Little Black Dress is a popular trend that originated in France and has now become popular in the UK and many other countries across the globe. It is a classic style that has become a must have for every women's wardrobe. The trend is most commonly known for the designer who brought it to fame, Coco Chanel. A simple black dress designed by Chanel was published in American Vogue in 1926 which is how it first became popular. The chosen dress was calf-length and had a straight silhouette. it was described as "a sort of uniform for all women of taste".















Costume jewellery is a creation by Chanel that is less well known than others. The designer began to produce jewellery that was made from affordable, durable materials during the First World War. During this time, wearing more expensive gems was considered poor taste. This is a trend that has caught on around France and has become extremely popular to wear. Yet another contribution to fashion from Ms. Chanel was the production of costume jewelry. Coco Chanel introduced the trend during the Art Deco movement, which was defined by an attempt to combine the harshness of mass production with the sensitivity of art and design. The Art Deco movement faded away with the onset of the Great Depression and the outbreak of World War II, but costume jewelry has prevailed, especially within the mass market.

French designer Yves Saint Laurent was the first to adapt a man’s tuxedo for a woman in 1966. This was an iconic runway look called “le smoking.” The suit was used as an eveningwear alternative to the little black dress as it was seen as a controversial style statement for women to wear trousers in public. This suits continues to influence designers in present day, each designer putting their own creative spin on the classic two piece.

WGSN

 
Denim trends
 
Ximon Lee is a new designer that has recently been noticed by the fashion press because of his Spring/Summer 2014 collection that explores the layering of synthetic and organic materials like denim and neoprene. The inspiration for the collection was the styles of street children near suburban Moscow and because of this, he deconstructed and re-made garments from the Salvation army. The collection includes oversized silhouettes with some pieces looking like sandwich boards that cover you below the knee and the main colours are whites contrasted with indigo and blue. Some of the surfaces and textures on the clothing represent rubbish bags and cardboard boxes to convey the theme of homelessness. After the success he received from this collection, he is currently working on his next one.
 
Here are some of the pieces that feature in the collection:

 The Japanese denim craftsman Kapital have released the 8th edition to their 'Indigo' collection that includes a series of purple denims. The brand are known for their use of indigo shades but for Autumn/Winter 2014, they have introduced a new, vibrant shade. This range follows on from the Century Denim collection that was released a few years ago and it is called No.8 Beniimo Denim. The collection features deep purple denims in slim, straight and tapered fits and are available in both raw and pre-wash. The jeans are crafted in the home to Kapital, Kojima, Japans denim sanctuary.

Here are some examples of the pieces that feature in the collection:



Although both Ximon and Kapitals' collections both include and focus around denim, they are very different because Ximons' use of metallic materials and rough surfaces create a strong, powerful look and it gives the collection an edge. Whereas I think that Kapiatls' use of deep and vibrant purples create a soft, gentle look for everyday, casual wear. The two collections are similar though because denim is the main focus and base of them and then the designers have taken this popular material in the way that they have been inspired to do.


Catwalks

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2015

This collection appears more grown up than previous Vuitton collections and has a strong 70's influence showing throughout. The collection is made up of 70's inspired zip front, mini dresses, velvet trousers, trouser suits, lace and crochet dresses, fur lined coats and a split front midi skirt. The prints and patterns used throughout the collection are renaissance florals and household appliances and the main colour palette consist of black, purple, olive, beige, red and white. The accessories and footwear also show a strong influence from the 70's with monogrammed bags and boots, box bags, totes, textured tights and colourful heels featuring on the runway.
 
Here are some examples of the pieces that feature in the collection:




 Miuccia Prada Spring/Summer 2015
 
 This collection has been inspired by the 1974 film, Female Trouble by John Waters. This shows the story of Dawn Davenport who was a waitress, go-go dancer, prostitute and thief and has inspired this collection to have a rebellious edge. Made up of silk, cropped trousers, structured house coats, ruffle neck blouses, printed pencil skirts and plunge neck tops, the inspiration is clearly shown throughout the range. The use of leopard print, leather, floral jacquard and tartan all closely link to the rebellious 70's influence of the range as well and it is also carried through to the footwear which includes patent boots and platform sandals.

Here are some examples of the pieces that feature in the collection:



The Spring/Summer 2014 collections for Louis Vuitton and Miuccia Prada have both been influenced by the 1970's but I think that they are very different from each other. This is because Louis Vuitton's' collection includes more classic styles from the 70's and some pieces appear to be quite cute and girly. However, Miuccia Prada's' collection has been inspired by the rebellious side to the 70's so the use of leather, dark colours and revealing neck lines makes the collection appear a lot more strong and daring. The similarities between the two collections are that they both include bold patterns that were popular in the 70's like florals and stripes and the collections seem to have similar colour palettes.

1990's BRIT POP

 

'Brit Pop' was a style of British rock music from the 1990s that was created to contrast with the American grunge scene at the time. The music featured catchy melodies and lyrics with distinctive references to British culture and bands like The Kinks, The Beatles, Blur, Oasis and Pulp were all influenced by this genre.  

 

Mcalmont and Butler was the British Pop band that released the most successful single from this genre in November 1995. 'Yes' was their first and only single to be released before they split and it reached number 8 in the 1995 charts. The song is about picking yourself up and moving on after an ex lover has left or hurt you and it was a track that got everyone dancing and singing along. The vocals of David Mcalmont and arrangements from Bernard Butler made the song epic and iconic.  

 

 

 
 
The British rock group, Pulp, originally released their single 'Babies' for Gift Records in 1992 but the track didn't become popular until their new label 'Island' wanted to re-release the single for their 'His 'n' Hers' album. although the song failed to reach the charts in 1992, it became a top 20 hit in 1994, peaking at number 19.
 

 

 

'Da Funk' is a single by the band Daft Punk that was released in May 1995 and was a house pop track. Daft Punk revealed that the song was written as they were attempting to make a hard core hip-hop record but failed at their attempts. Instead they recreated their favourite song from the time, Regulate by Warren G's G-Funk, and put their own spin on the track. The music video for the track, directed by Spike Jonze, is considered a classic of 1990's house music and the song later appeared on the bands album, 'Homework'.

 

 

 

BRIT ART

The Young British Artists, or YBAs are a group of artists that are led by Damien Hirst and were founded in London during the 1980s. After being founded by Damien in the late 80's, they were then supported by Charles Saatchi who collected the work of YBA's and showcased it in various shows including the Sensation exhibition in 1997. Here is an example of the artwork that was showcased by Charles. This particular piece is called Destroy:  

    

The YBA’s were known for their use of shock tactics, throwaway materials, wild-living, and they gained a huge amount of media attention in the 1990’s. The main artists that participated with the YBA movement all graduated from Goldsmiths Collage London and it is known that Michael Craig Martin, one of the tutors there at the time, had adapted to the new way of working. The YBA label was a powerful brand and marketing tool, but it concealed huge diversity between the artists involved. Ironically, many of the artists such as Damien Hirst and Tracy Emin are now part of the art establishments that they were protesting again when they started out.

 
“In an artwork you’re always looking for artistic decisions, so an ashtray is perfect. An ashtray has got life and death.”- Damien Hirst

 
This piece is by Damien Hirst and is called ‘The Inescapable Truth’. It is displayed at The Tate Modern, London, UK.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“I’ve been slagged off completely by the art world.”- Tracey Emin
 
 This piece is by Tracey Emin and is called My Bed’. The messy double bed surrounded by waste gained a large amount of international media attention at this time.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fashion Designers from the 80's

The preppy style of clothing evolved in the 1980s and the designer Ralph Lauren played a big part in this. Conservative teens that wanted to stay on trend and purchase classic items of clothing went to his clothing brand Polo Ralph Lauren as their first choice. Polo shirts, chinos and jackets with large logos to promote the brand were the most popular and the clothing from his brand was all fairly expensive. In 1981, Ralph Lauren became the first American designer that had a European boutique and this caused the brand to go global. The business had expanded to selling home accessories as well as fashion like pillows, bedding and throws by 1983.

I found this quote whilst researching the designer online and found it inspiring because he is saying that people were curious as to how someone from his hometown could design the worldwide trend that he took part in. He is telling people that his work has nothing to do with the family that he is from or how wealthy he is, he succeeded because he had a dream and believed that he could make it come true.



Christian Lacroix is a French designer that created a wave of new haute couture designs in the 1980s. In the late 80's he started his own brand where he combined bold colours of magenta, orange, yellow, green and bright pink. His designs were embellished with big bows, intricate beading and prominent jewellery pieces. His inspiration were artists who used modernistic colours in the 1980's and he was also inspired by the opera and the theatre which was reflected in many of his collections.

This quote is one that I found whilst I was researching the designer online and I think it reflects his attitude towards the haute couture designs that he made in the 1980's. It shows how he wanted the clothes to be modern and different from anything else that people were wearing at the time. Saying that it should be 'fun' and 'foolish' could mean that he didn't follow any current trends but just created the deigns through what he was inspired by.

This is the runway video that showcases the 1988 Christian Lacroix Haute Couture Spring-Summer Fashion collection.

     

 

Calvin Klein was one of the most successful fashion designers of the 1980s. He launched his career in the late 60s, and by the early 1980s he was a global brand-maker. His sportswear ranged from high-end prices to more affordable lines. He then expanded the business to make household furniture and kitchenware. Klein designed for men and women, and his most popular clothing were jeans and underwear in this era. High-profile celebrities, like Brooke Shields, were used for his jeans advertising campaign and Michael J. Fox popularised CK lilac briefs when he wore them in the film "Back to the Future."

Here are some Calvin Klein advertisements from 1980:

I think this quote describes the Calvin Klein brand in the 80's well because underwear was one of his best sellers. The image that he is describing in the quote has been used for advertisements to promote the brand with women modelling oversized shirts or tops over their underwear.

1970's

Suzi Quatro is the woman that gave all women a place in the rock and roll society. At Christmas 1973, she received a huge crowd reaction when she performed in a rock and roll style and showcased her rock chick look. Her look consisted of a lot leather that clung to her body to portray a strong and sexy image when performing. She became a style icon and inspired women to be more adventurous with their style and experiment with the glam rock look.

Suzi Quatro's album cover from 1973

Another style icon from the 70's is Farrah Fawcett who inspired women to channel the 70's disco look. She showcased the popular winged, wavy hairstyle which became extremely popular and inspired women from all over the world to copy this. The style of make up that women wore in the 70's was very different to the thick and heavy make up from the 60's. Instead of false eyelashes and matte foundation, women in the 70's wore shimmering eye shadows, rosy blusher and a creative use of eyeliner. Farrah showed women her healthy, tanned look and the use of  bronzing gels and powders grew.


Farrah Fawcett in the 1970's

1970's Maybelline advertisement

When disco fever was introduced into the 1970's, people became interested in ethnic styles and Afros were popular hairstyles for anyone with curly hair. The style of make up people wore changed again from the natural look that was popular in the early 70's as disco became more popular. Dark pink lips and brightly coloured eye shadow was the new trend. There was lots of cobalt blue, green, pink, gold and any other flamboyant colours. Glitter was also were popular at his time and was seen everywhere in peoples fashions and styles. Lots of young people embraced the disco era through the clothes that they wore with of 3-piece-suits, jumpsuits and mini dresses becoming popular.