Bring on the glam: Designers optimistic about fall

by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com

Fashion designers have glamour in their eyes once again.

That’s what Fashion Snoops, an agency that keeps track of fashion trends, saw during the recent fashion weeks in New York, London, Paris and Milan held in February and March.

In a webinar about the trends coming out of the fashion weeks, Melissa Maylon of Fashion Snoops, said “Return to Glam” was one of the themes seen for the fall winter season.

The COVID-19 pandemic hung over like a dark cloud during the recent fashion weeks. Most designers opted for virtual runway presentations across the globe. There were only a few live events in New York City, and most were socially distanced. The pandemic also has shut down any ability for consumers to go out on the town so there has been no need to buy something to wear for those fancy dinners or elegant parties.

But fashion designers for the February shows were optimistic about the future, said Maylon. They see a rainbow after the COVID storm thanks to the availability of vaccines.

“Designers are looking forward to dressing up again,” said Maylon. “They’re looking forward to parties.”

“It’s something to be excited about,” said Maylon.

So, Maylon explained, Fashion Snoops spied a lot of designs “dripping with embellishments” that alluded to this renewed sense of glamour. Ruffles and sleek tailoring also pointed toward a desire to glam it up and the sense that better times are ahead.

Even for consumers not quite ready to go out, Maylon said designers were offering some half-measures to getting dressed up. For instance, she said, some designers were offering silky pajamas that represented a step beyond the sweats and leggings worn while people work from home.

Some of the accessories seen on the runway also pointed toward this renewed sense of glamour, said Moylan. Opera gloves were trending. Platform pumps paired with tights also made a glamorous statement.

The colors designers put on the runway also reflected a sense of optimism for life when COVID-19 has receded, said Moylan. Designers offered “vibrant” hues that provided a “visual feast for the eyes.” Moylan said colors like crimson, Laguna blue and sunflower were proving to be popular for the fall winter collections. Jewel tones also were trending.

All of the colors seemed to represent the desire to finally emerge out of lockdown, she said.