Trend Report – Spring/Summer 2012

JoshuaDeSilva

J

Fashion Communication and Promotion

1. ‘Living the Crayola Life.’ 2. Mint Green 3. Motivations/Consumer Personality 4. Neon 5. Motivations/Consumer Personality 6. Creamy Neutrals 7. Motivations/Consumer Personality

8. ‘Patterns to Brighten Any Rainy Day’. 9. Floral Fantasy 10. Motivations/Consumer Personality 11. A Lesson In Geometry 12. Motivation/Consumer Personality 13. Gatsby’s Got It! 14. Motivation/Consumer Personality

Contents

‘Living the Crayola life.’

1

Mint Green.

2

Motivation.

Consumer Personality.

The color of coolness, freshness and the sea breeze, the color of your favorite cocktail, the color of vigor and courage… It’s all about the color of mint. The use of this beautifully refreshing colour was motivated by the idea of recreation. The colour connotes the image of a Mediterranean vacation – sipping cocktails on a picturesque beach. The coolness of the colour acts as a pleasant contrast to the warm Mediterranean climate. The motivation of the trend is heavily reflected by the personality of the consumer who would be wearing this beautiful colour.

The consumers wearing this colour trend are fun, flirtatious and out-going. Regardless of how refreshing the colour may be, it a bold choice nonetheless. A woman wearing mint green would be comfortable with her identity, and not afraid to make bold fashion choices. This consumer would be a socialite, with a large group of friends – she is the centre of attention and at the centre of her social world. As previously mentioned when discussing the motivation behind the trend, the consumer will no doubt enjoy vacationing away from her regular social engagements. She enjoys sunbathing on beautiful beaches, sipping cocktails and enjoying minimal responsibility.

3

Neon.

4

Motivations.

Consumer Personality.

Spring and summer’s standout pieces have one common feature: NEON. Whether done in fluorescent yellow, pink, coral, orange, or green, highlighter hues have taken on a fresh and modern role in this season's wardrobe. From shoes to sweet dresses, neon features and accents serve to pop an entire outfit with electric waves of colour. When we think of Neon, the first thing that comes to mind our huge, blinding neon lights – Las Vegas and New York City are at the forefront of our minds. These bold and striking colours motivate this trend, making it the most playful use of colour seen on the catwalks for far too long.

It takes a bold person to not only wear bold colours, but to feel completely comfortable wearing them. These girls are the epitome of playful. They ooze confidence and aren’t afraid to make a statement. Very similar to the demographic for the mint green trend, these consumers require a wide social group to function.

5

Creamy Neutrals.

6

With countless bursts of colour exploding on to the catwalks over the summer, it was somewhat refreshing to see some designers sticking to a motif of creamy, neutral tones. Inspired by a time when women dressed in a more conservative manner, and rarely wore colour, this colour trend really pays homage to the past. This nod to times gone by can be seen further in the construction of the garments. Trouser suits, ‘below the knee’ length dresses and and beautifully embellished accessories all remind us of a time before flesh revealing outfits, and blinding neon inspired highlighter hues.

Consumer’s wearing these garments differ greatly from the consumers who opt for the bright and colourful. These women don’t mind blending into the background, rather than being at the centre of attention. This woman is effortlessly beautiful – a beige dress and a touch of tinted moisturizer is all she needs to look her best. Although she may not want the attention, the fact that she does not need bright clothes, and endless amounts of flesh to draw attention to herself.

Motivations.

Consumer Personality.

7

‘Patterns to Brighten Any Rainy

Day.’

8

Floral Fantasy.

9

It feels as though the floral trend has been around since the dawn of time, It’s been re-done time and time again, and yet again we see it on the catwalks. However, there are some noticeable twists on this long established trend which are doing the job of keeping it fresh. Steering clear of the traditional ‘kitsch’ floral prints seen on your grandma’s sofa, brands started using punches of vivid hues like yellow and aqua to breath life into an old trend. While other brands made a bold new approach to the Hawaiian print, using engineered prints and vivid blue hues.

Motivation.

Consumer Personality.

As you would expect, the consumer for this brand is fun, flirtatious and confident. She is no doubt, a person who is not afraid to make a statement with what she wears. However in an almost coy way, she’s cute and feminine. She relishes the fact that she is a woman, and enjoys the feminine attributes awarded to her. As with most of the trends that revolve heavily around colour, she loves vacationing. She can’t think of anything better than sipping cocktails around the pool with her girlfriends.

10

A Lesson In Geometry.

11

Motivation.

This is another example of a trend that has been seen time and time again on the catwalks at various Fashion Weeks over the years. However, this year fresh and original takes were applied to keep the trend relevant and interesting, Designers created optical illusions using bold stripes, as well as creating a strong, architectural look using only black and white. Other designs created equally strong looks by adding splashes of vivid colour to black and white ensembles. Another strong look that was noticeable, was that of mixing geometric patterns with sport couture – creating a more casual but equally aesthetically pleasing look.

Consumer Personality.

In my opinion, the geometric pattern trend is the boldest that has been discussed in this report. Not only do the garments possess strong patterns, but also vivid colour. Therefore this consumer will be out-going and confident. She’s a trend-setter who is not afraid to take risks with what she wears. She’s a strong woman, in a position of power and authority. Her bold and authoritative persona is conveyed by her bold choice of clothing.

12

Gatsby’s Got It!

13

14

Motivation.

As the name of the trend would suggest, this trend is named after The Great Gatsby. A novel set in the 1920’s, detailing the life of an extravagant, American socialite. Champagne fountains, summer garden soirees, mid-afternoon tennis and anything else associated with an elite socialite is what motivates this trend. A trend filled with ethereal gowns, over the top embellishments and up most sophistication. This trend aims to target the ultimate socialite – someone who knows they look good in these clothes and isn’t afraid to show them off.

Consumer Personality.

As mentioned previously, the consumer for this trend will be the social elite. They’ll be a trend setter, someone that people look up to, and the life of the party. They will no doubt be the epitome of glamour and sophistication, with a wardrobe to die for. The gowns, the shoes… She’s someone to be jealous of, and for good reason too. However, she retains a constant state of modesty.