Mark Greene
This is an extremely peculiar moment for the entire fashion industry. Like every year, this months are the ones when pundits and specialized magazines try to detect what will be the trends for the upcoming winter, both in terms of design and more particular features. One of the favorite games played by the above mentioned magazines is trying to guess which colors will rule the fashion business by the next weeks, leading the consumers’ taste through a new transition… Or, at least, this is what many fashion industry professionals are praying for, since their job is strictly connected to a relentless shifting of the public’s taste.
And when it comes with colors, the changing consumers tastes happens to be quite inexhaustible. What is regarded as fancy and “fashionable” today may be rejected within a week or even less. Fashion is by nature changeable (as the whole world, after all), skittish, wayward and inconsistent, and – as it may sound like a paradox – this is one of the reasons why people keep on following it: because people like to change, even the way they propose themselves to the world, starting from their public image. And picking a color over another is the easiest way to change their appearance radically and rapidly at the same time.
That’s why detecting in advance which colors are going to be the favorite ones by the next season is such an important move for the majority of the fashion houses, even the biggest ones. Only a few of them can skip this caution, since they’re backed by a hard core of faithful consumers, ready to follow them almost everywhere, even “against” the common taste. But these are mere exceptions: the reality, for a massive part of the companies that work with, on and around the fashion business is: follow the stream and never disregard the buyers’ hints; because if you do that, they’ll make you pay for your hubris.
To make this “detection” easier, it’s a common practice to take an in-depth look at those fashion houses that have proven to be particularly able to identify the upcoming trends with reasonable time in advance. Brands like Moncler, Burberry, Max Mara, Prada and Gucci are notorious for their ability to anticipate what will be in store for the global fashion business, even by many months. So, if we check carefully their catalogue we can have a credible overlook of what’s about to happen. And in terms of colors, this is what their collections seem to suggest.
- Ice-grey. Pundits say that this winter will be ruled by cold colors. Or more accurately, by extremely cold colors. Ice-grey is kind of an epitome of this trend, and it represents at the same time a sort of Copernican revolution if compared to the previous years, when fashion was more prone to create a contrast between the cold temperatures and the hottest hues. One of the major vantage points of ice-grey is that, while being a pretty bright color, if it gets stained the dirt spot shouldn’t be extremely visible (unless it is a big red tomato sauce patch, in this case you just have to blame yourself for your carelessness).
- Pearlescent white. Ice-grey’s big rival is probably the most delicate hue that will be among the protagonists this year. It’s extremely elegant and versatile, it suits perfectly an evening dress as well as a heavy coat, but be careful: unlike the ice-grey, every stain on this background, even the smallest one, is immediately visible.
- Orange. The only big exception on a selection dominated by cold colors. Orange is funny, provocative and even cheeky. At the same time, it’s never coarse, it has its own elegance and can be used almost for every kind of garment. It may not be “the new black”, but it’s quite something anyway. For sure it’s enough to survive while the other warm shades disappear from the world map…
- Blue Navy. A classic that cyclically returns. Dark but not gloomy, elegant and informal at the same time, it’s the perfect shade for coats, jackets and windbreakers. This basically means that it could be your companion through all the cold season, until the early spring heat. With a further added value: it can be matched with almost any other color.
- Olive green. A valid alternative to Blue Navy, for those who refuse to comply with the mass. Basically, we’re speaking of another militaristic hue, so the difference is purely theoretic. But even the slightest difference can become visible when it comes with the troubles related to color matching. In this specific case, you will perceive the discrepancy, since green is way less versatile than blue, and you will not be able to combine it with all the colors. Anyway, it’s the perfect shade for sweaters, turtlenecks and cardigans, just be careful while choosing the right bottom’s shade (blue jeans are banned, to be clearer).
