Spring Summer 2012 Key Catwalk Trends
GERALDINE WHARRY
BIO
Originally from Paris and trained as a designer there, I have an international background and understanding of fashion.
I worked in New York for five years, Los Angeles for six and now operate in London. Over the last 12 years, I
developed my skills as a fashion designer and trend forecaster, creating product for independent and global fashion
companies.
My diverse background as a senior designer includes global lifestyle brands in contemporary casuals, denim and
street wear: 7 For All Mankind, Ripcurl, Chip & Pepper, Triple 5 Soul. I now work with WGSN, the world's leading
trend forecasting company as women's wear designer and trend researcher. I also run my consultancy
in London, TREND ATELIER, which specialises in fashion design and trends.
My strengths lay in my ability to manage a project from concept to production. In addition to having a strong eye for
trends, colours and materials, I'm also seasoned in managing a team of designers, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
I have a keen sensibility for conceptual products as well as volume driven items, whilst understanding market needs
and brand identity.
I strive for design innovation and the spirit of collaboration. In my positions as Senior designer and Design director,
I have been able to produce market leading collections with proven sales results.
SPECIALTIES & SERVICES:
- Trend direction and research: concept, colour, key shapes & materials, mood boards
- Fashion illustrations and flat sketching by hand & Illustrator
- Factory ready technical packages with measurements and specifications
- Fittings, proto and bulk fabric approvals
- Leadership, ability to hire & motivate a talented team of designers
- Emphasis on creativity, organization & streamlining
- Extensive travel worldwide for market research & product development
As a fashion designer and trend forecaster, I look forward to each catwalk season for new trends to draw inspiration for my next women’s wear collections. It’s always extremely exciting to see what designers have created next and fall in love all over again with fashion. I compare it to being a child who’s been taken to the candy store. But all nostalgic and sweet references set aside, it is my job to decipher which key looks, styles, fabrics and colors will be the next big thing so that designers, buyers and retailers know what are their must haves for the next season.
Over the last few years, with the number of designers showing on the runway constantly increasing, so has the number of trends, and I have to say, it’s becoming more and more of a challenge, almost a sport, to define exactly what the main trends will be. Within one designer’s collection, you’ll often see several trends blending into one another, making it a perfect example of how sources of inspiration are limitless these days. The past Spring 2012 catwalks fell nothing short of showcasing how diverse fashion can be, and how today’s looks truly represent the dawn of the 21st century. Women have decades of styles to choose from which, combined with today’s technology, lifestyle needs and hyper-connectivity, make up for a fascinating combination of silhouettes and fabrics.
With that said, the first and foremost evolution for spring summer 2012 is that the boyfriend trend seems to be quickly fading away. The look that dictated girls borrow from the male wardrobe is being replaced by a definite return to femininity and glamour. The references to gothic and grunge are being replaced by an ethereal sense of elegance and modernity. It will be floral-inspired, science inspired, ethnic-inspired, artist-inspired with colors ranging from pale candy pastels, to earthy oranges, to bold neons. On the other side of the spectrum, converging with the feminine silhouettes seen as the big come back of the season, there is a sporting theme running through the spring summer 2012 runways. With the Olympic games around the corner, it’s no surprise that major designers such as New York’s Alexander Wang and Paris’s Vanessa Bruno are using this key trend to elevate their looks, so expect to see buyers and retailers snap up this sporty feminine trend and incorporate it into their collection assortments.
The first trend that is clearly influencing designers I’ve named “Creatures under the sea”. It embodies the return to a romantic sensuality, seductive and innocent at the same time, the way Venus or a mermaid could be imagined. For this theme, we were transported into an underwater world, with designers seeking inspiration from sea life. Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci chose to tap into his romantic side and tell the story of a love affair between a surfer and a mermaid. But he wasn’t the only designer to be inspired by the poetry of the sea, and as fashion shows were unveiled in New York, London, Milan and Paris, other major names such as Chanel and Alexander Mc Queen showed they were inspired by oceanic life, plants, seashells and the iridescent shine of the sea. This major influence can be seen in the use of color, fabric and print. Looks were formed with weightless fabrics such as organzas, iridescent gazars silks, and paillettes. Key silhouettes were flowing, delicate and mermaid like. The emphasis was on curved lines, intelligent layers of transparencies and opaques. Some designers turned to surf inspired clothing like wetsuits and scuba tops to add a sporty element to this otherwise extremely feminine trend. The sporty take on sea life was also represented in fabrics such as shiny lightweight nylons, bonded jerseys and mesh. The key items for this trend are peplum jackets, scuba-inspired dresses and tops, sheer shirts, fin-like butterfly sleeves, halter necks, pleat details and floor length skirts. The color palette for this story is feminine and soft: aquarelle pales and pastels, soft whites, silvers and tinted metallics with varying shades of blue.
Images for creatures under the sea trend
Evolving into our next trend and as mentioned previously, all things sporty are making an impact for spring summer 2012 so I’ve named this next fashion story “Peek performance”. 2012 is the year of the Olympics, and designers tapped into their inner athlete to create bold and modern silhouettes with a casual and commercial appeal. These looks seen on the runway take their cue from performance and active wear, blending them with feminine casuals and sleek tailoring. We picture a woman in the big city who is always on the go. This trend is more edgy and speaks to a global girl who is hyper connected. Designers such as Alexander Wang found inspiration in a stadium-seating chart to create bold perforated patterns and looks that are defined and controlled, far from the relaxed ease of sweat pants. The key idea is about incorporating sports and utility references commonly used on anoraks, track jackets, even diving, climbing and racing gear onto feminine and sexy dresses, tops and sleek jackets. Cagoule necks and zipper fronts are incorporated into jackets and dresses. Oversized lightweight parkas and rompers are designed in watery nylons and lightweight silks. Double zipped-through dresses and jackets are cut in jerseys, mesh and bonded fabrics. Sporty blazers and peplum-waisted vests add a tailoring appeal to the trend. In all its variations, the most common details for these looks are sporty cagoules, racer front necklines, cargo pockets, snap details, adjusters, buckle straps, colorful bindings and bungee cords. The key colors run a wide spectrum in this trend with a definite penchant towards neon pops, postmodern color blocking with black and white contrasts, yellows, blues and pinks.
Images for peek performance trend
As we continue into our third key trend, which I’ve called “Mid-century dream”, we can see how much diversity was displayed on the catwalks this season. From athletic inspired looks we jump into the cinematic appeal of the 60s and 50s, which is a trend that has beenpresent for several seasons and seems to still be going strong. For spring summer 2012, designers took a couture and lady like approach to these two fabulous decades, which gave a dream like quality to this fashion story. This can be seen as a social comment on the need for streamlined purity and serenity within the chaos of today’s world. Designers felt the need to bring in the tenderness and playfulness of the 50s and 60s, as seen in the Louis Vuitton show. The looks are youthful, sweet yet sexy. Retro daisy prints are updated with embellishments such as soft plastic appliqués. Guipure lace and embroideries are layered with organza and gazar, creating cloud-like formations. Designers like Christopher Kane took a futuristic and tailored approach to the trend, combining 60s iconic styles like the shift dress and collarless jackets with shiny cloques and brocades. The classic pinafore dress is modernized and cut into bonded fabrics and metallic leathers. Skirts are full and waisted. Looks are completed with capri pants, pencil skirts and printed blouses. Collarless jackets and A-line coats are designed using feminine and bellowing cocoon sleeves. Cigarette pants are given a couture appeal with shiny jacquards. The looks are sugary sweet and seductive at once, lending themselves to classy daywear and into the night outfits. The key colors are minty and candied, with white and silvery tones, enhanced with shimmery cellophane like shades of lilac and turquoise.
Images for mid century cinematic trend
Moving away from the frothy and romantic vision of the Mid-century, we can now dive into our last key trend seen on the runway shows, which displays a blend of tribal artifact combined with futurism. I’ve called this next trend “Tribal nostalgia” as designers seek bold graphic looks and travel through cultures and decades to explore new possibilities. Artisanal decorative crafts are used in combination with silhouettes from the twenties and pre-war eras. Egyptology, primitive influences from Africa, the Native American southwest and Hawaii are blended into a new decorative vocabulary. High-end designers like New York’s Proenza Schouler expressed a futuristic nostalgia for the jungle in a retro way. Hermes showed paired down rustic silhouettes combined with ethnic references. Throughout the collections, dropped-waist dresses, floor length Hawaiian Mumu dresses, sarongs and wrap skirts were used to express a down to earth sensuality. Materials are natural, pieced together and remanipulated: dry hand cottons and linen blends, leather, suede, crochet and raffia. Tops and dresses are collaged together in matte and mid shine materials. Patterns are made of bold chevrons and color blocking with deco inspired geometrics and native border artwork. The key colors are earthy with burnt oranges, browns, emeralds, dark golds and can be paired with linen like whites.
Images for tribal nostalgia trend
There is no doubt in my mind that spring summer 2012 was an amazingly diverse catwalk season. Surprisingly as a trend forecaster, one of my main take-aways is that progressively, I’m prone to think that collections are about great pieces on the runway rather than trends. Especially at a time when buyers and retailers are playing it safe, faced with an unstable economy. Regardless of uncertain times, what stays a constant is that designers are relentless and provoke passion one catwalk season after another. There are endless “Wow” moments and the possibilities seem limitless, almost as much as Google’s search tool. Whatever different handwritings there may be on the runways, one constant remains: all designers share the need to convey a story and challenge us to rethink our stylistic boundaries.