On Friday night I attended a fashion show in downtown Minneapolis that featured looks by a dozen local designers and boutiques. The event was high-energy, fun and glamorous, as it is every season, but I noticed something that bummed me out about the fashion on the runway: Many of these designers and retailers don't seem to be paying attention to current trends. Or if they are, I find their source material highly suspect. Or perhaps they tried, but couldn't successfully execute the trends.
Either way, I thought I'd take a moment to call out some trends that will hopefully inspire independent designers in Minneapolis and beyond. Many of them are so talented; they just aren't keeping up with the ever-changing fashion world.
Here are some trends on real people, as snapped by a few of my favorite street fashion photographers:
LEATHER - it's not just for outerwear and accessories anymore.
(chunky knit ski sweaters like the one above are also big for this winter — think Aspen.)
NEON - this works best as an accent, but can also work as the main color, when balanced with other colors, like black.
PRINT-MIXING - keep it in a similar color family and/or similar pattern size. This trend is more about styling than garment construction, but it's still good to keep in mind when picking out prints that will appear in the same collection.
LONG SKIRTS - I'm a big fan of pleated long skirts and styles that button up the front.
PRINTED PANTS - The more graphic and vibrant, the better. This trend works with both tailored and loose-fitting wide-leg pants.
(above is also an excellent example of print-mixing. both prints are small and in a similar palette)
TUXEDO JACKETS - menswear-inspired everything is huge right now, and tuxedo jackets in all sorts of colors and prints are taking center stage. Layer them over just about anything.
(above is also a good example of the aforementioned long skirts trend and the soon-to-be mentioned sheer trend)
SEQUINS - use Dynasty as your guide for this one. Seriously!
SHEERS - Anything can be sheer — a top, skirt, dress. Wear a slip underneath (or don't) and you're good to go.
(above is also a good example of the leather trend)
COLOR-BLOCKING - this works with clothes, shoes, accessories — pretty much everything. Make it subtle or make it loud. Just don't wear color-blocked shoes and clothes at the same time.
(she's also rocking the soon-to-be mentioned oversized shirt trend)
(her shoes, specifically)
HIGH-WAIST, WIDE-LEG JEANS - I wrote about them here, and they're still on-trend for fall.
OVERSIZED TOPS - you'll never look skinnier than when you're wearing a big, roomy men's button-up or t-shirt. Pair it with jeans or a long skirt. Always roll up the sleeves at least a little, and if it's a button-up considering leaving it unbuttoned for a '90s, grunge vibe.
PHOTO CREDITS: facehunter // hel-looks // street style aesthetic // streetfsn // citizen couture // facehunter // citizen couture // street style aesthetic // the sartorialist // facehunter // street style aesthetic // the sartorialist // vanessa jackman // vanessa jackman // streetfsn // vanessa jackman // citizen couture // the sartorialist
