There is a lot of talk surrounding the new acceptability of gender neutral collections and multi-seasonal silhouettes. Many prominent designers such as Gucci, Missoni and Bottega Venetta are upholding the mandate of presenting both men’s and women’s collections on the same catwalk. For colour directions, this means that there is more variety in store than ever and gender associations to any colour spectrum are a thing of the past.
Keeping this unified tone in mind, the overall colour mood for Fall/Winter 2018-19 circles around versatility and comfort. Our team reached out to several production teams and a few buying agents in India to see what the industry is working on for this season but it seems that there isn’t much direction as of yet and their teams are still working on the seasonal mood story.
Our analysis and understanding of the ongoing socio-political zeitgeist suggests that both freedom to flourish individually and upgraded inclusivity will be the main drivers for change in the popular culture. This means that there is a sense of comfort in personal expression and even tonal accents are less saturated this season. Howbeit, there is also space for bright monochromatic styles in unconventional colours dictating an inkling towards a catch-all togetherness at the same time.
As in-house teams wait to wangle the buyer demands before they take any clear route, we have recapitulated some of the major themes that will be dictating the colour directions for the upcoming season and the market segment which will be best suited for the nominated colour stories.
Subdued Romantic Glamour
Reclamation of modern romance and empowered femininity is having a huge moment in the world at large. Both for spring and winter collections, this theme has been a major hit and it will only continue to gain momentum as women’s rights gain political focus once again. As women are no longer simply borrowing from men to appear powerful, there is a newfound appreciation for girlhood and hence colour variations of soft pink and dusty burgundy would be the key winners.
Several other shades in the same gamut of passion like crimson, bright cherry and grenadine will be used as clean base colours and as detailed applications in women’s apparel. However, it is important to note that when we say pink or red, we don’t mean the hottest, or the most saturated shade. This season, the colour is less in your face and more confidently placed in its subdued application.
Menswear is also opening up as a segment and incorporating more trend-driven details than ever, and the same hues will work as beautiful accent shades in menswear garments.
Retro Spacecraft
Futurism may seem like an overused and abused theme when it comes to trend predictions but nevertheless our innate fancy with the unknown and high awareness of how fast technology is moving forward cannot be ignored. We have reached the point in time where a lot of futuristic retro films will be set on the 1970s theme. So there is also an attached nostalgia to the idea of what is the future and the colours associated with space culture which will win big in 2018.
Several luxury labels are relaunching their old archives to cash in on this reminiscence trend which directly creates a hunger for more metallic shimmer in colours like midnight blue, military green and purple. Taking away from the same wistful starry eyed theme, classic metallic shades of gold and silver will get a more muted treatment next year.
This trend is also fuelled by the new popularity of moon gazing, spirituality and healing crystals as is evidently seen on social media and younger generations are increasingly looking at alternative genres of mindfulness. Therefore, it will not take very long for jazzy stone colours to smoothly transition to fashion.
Yeezy’s Neutral Nudes
There is no seasonal colour analysis complete without a big neutral palette. This colour assortment along with the basic blue, black, and white are generally the hottest sellers on shelves. This season’s neutrals are heavily influenced by the widespread acceptance of big ranges of nude tones. It could be driven by Kanye West’s highly popular YEEZY collections that compose of an endless spectrum of nude tones matching a variety of skin tones.
Apart from the nudes with undertones of red or blue, colours like a variety of warm ochres, autumnal shades of brown and burnt oranges are a big part of the neutral palette. Apart from the Kanye rage, there is a sense of relatability in this story which signifies both comfort and a transitional quality that makes it a perfect choice for athleisure assortments.
Along with the skin tone replicating nudes, the theme also keeps up with perhaps the biggest colour for winter, light cool greys that can never be ignored any season, especially in the colder months.
Cold Compressed Greenery
An exact opposite of organic neutrals and even farther away from romantic pinks, sports inspired apparel is only going to get more and more popular for women next year. Urban streetwear and utilitarian detailing have been massively exploited by men’s collections but for women, it is still a relatively unexplored segment and so there is ample of growth to capture in this field.
It is for this reason that hyper-athletic colours like electric blue, neon green and coral orange will also make up a big colour story for women’s collections. Fashion forward highlighter colours like the aforementioned will be the key value addition elements in women’s assortments. The theme also takes a lot of inspiration from getaway sports like skiing and scuba diving which give a sense of an escapist, pipe dream feel and make the theme a more resort/cruise collection worthy colour division.