Fashion Forecast
Talia KornzweigFall/ Winter collections in the fashion industry anticipate cold weather. Though a California winter is hardly fitting of some trends we see in seasonal collections, the moderate cold front that has passed over Los Angeles this Autumn offers an opportunity to wear cool outfits and explore new styles. It’s LAYER SEASON!!
This fall, consider layering muted, solid colors with vibrant patterns and textures. Take ecru, indigo, and camel. These colors are incredibly useful as they are each neutral, capable of being considered either cool or warm. Try them in any medium, paired with colors and clothing pieces that you like: their versatility makes them excellent choices for layering.
Check out these ‘Spy-Dye’ crewnecks designed by Santa Monica brand Camp High a few years ago. (“Camp High” is a tongue-in-cheek play on words of “Kampai!”, a Japanese phrase used to toast or celebrate). Tie-dyed fabric peeking out at the hem of a neutral-toned sweatshirt exemplifies the fun, cozy-casual taste that we gravitate towards during fall. This can totally be replicated at home! No need to drop $170- just layer a tie-dyed tee under a sweatshirt of your choice.
Tie-dye can be daunting, but matching a crazy colorful shirt with something muted layered over it can ease you into embracing this hippie staple. Alternately, graphic t-shirts (tie-dyed or not) worn over a miniskirt is an autumn style that I LOVE <3 ! A miniskirt peeking out from under a t-shirt hem is one of my all-time favorite silhouettes, and its super easy to throw together. I have found that the coolest t-shirts tend to come from small brands that put care into their designs. Combing through ebay and thrift stores is another way to unearth some incredible t-shirts. Check out Fine Southern Gentlemen. This Austin collective supports independent local artists by hand-screenprinting their designs.
Mixing tones and textures appears to be difficult, but it’s not that hard to make an outfit look and feel cohesive. Tights, miniskirts, corduroy, knitwear and jackets seem to be common trends in fashion atm… Kapital’s Fall/Winter 2021 Collection perfectly encapsulates the groovy-cohesize layering technique that is perfect for Autumn. Though wildly expensive (a mark of expert craftsmanship), Kapital generates effortlessly stylish looks that appear comfortable and lived-in. This highly coveted label, founded by Toshikiyo Hirata in the 80s, draws influence from both Japanese and American fashion. Check out some of my favorites from their latest collection below.
Kapital FW21Evident in this collection is the emergence of smaller patterns, niche trends that have permeated culture in the last year or so. The suede boots are somewhat reminiscent of Doc Martens and Blundtstones, which have experienced a resurgence and recently dominated style. More so, the elements of these outfits reference the resurgence of style trends of the 60s and 70s: think boots, tie-dye, corduroy, miniskirts, muted and bright colors- many of which I’ve covered so far.
Lesser known but certainly identifiable is the emergence of a trend described as grandpa-core (???), visible in the popularity of knit pullovers, faded leather, and fisherman sweaters. The name sounds dumb, but according to this Wall Street Journal article, this Refinery29 article, and this GQ editorial, it is fitting of the style: it describes gently-used clothing that looks like it could have been passed down to you from your grandpa, (or someone else’s dead grandparent’s clothes that you picked up from a thrift store, more likely).
Understandably, the unisex appeal of patterned knitwear and sweaters has made this trend pick up. Highly sought-after Japanese brand Visvim captures this aesthetic in their current and previous collections. Earth-toned layers, knit fabrics, and a laid-back-yet-elevated tone emphasizes the relevance of this style. Check out the pieces below.
Visvim: Past and Current FW Collections
New York designer brand NOAH nailed this aesthetic with their FW21 collection:
NOAH FW21
While many of us won’t be wearing exactly what is featured in these collections (because these items are totally out of our budgets), we can draw elements from them that we like, and source similar clothing pieces that are accessible to us. Looks designed by high fashion labels such as these tend to trickle down to smaller labels and fast-fashion retailers. I think we should all avoid consuming fast-fashion as much as we can, but it is interesting to observe how severely designer labels like Kapital, NOAH and Visvim influence fast-fashion brands and consumers. Notice how strongly two fast-fashion brands, low quality Urban Outfitters and mid-tier Stüssy, draw from designer fashion collections.
Urban Outfitters
Stüssy
These items closely mirror (If not outright copy) pieces created by other designers: Are these brands ripping them off? Are they disrespecting the original creations by mass-producing and over-charging? They’re taking trends conceived in designer fashion spaces and repackaging them to make them more accessible to consumers, but it’s difficult to decipher who can claim these trends in the first place. Should fast-fashion retailers be digging their claws into designer trends? I think so. ‘Trends’ are intangible, they belong to the public domain, meaning that these over-priced fast-fashion labels have just as much of a right to appropriate Kapital and Visvim’s designs as us consumers do! This doesn’t mean that we should credit them for starting these trends, because they definitely didn’t. But after all, the watering-down of cutting-edge styles is how the fashion industry functions. (this monologue from The Devil Wears Prada captures this effect pretty well.)
High fashion exposes us to new trends, but it also acts as a mirror, shaped by styles that people are already wearing. As it’s started to feel like Fall, I’ve definitely noticed elements of these looks in-person. Keep an eye out for these styles this Autumn and coming Winter, and be UNAFRAID to try them out yourself!!
xx Taliaxx