Colour & Trend Spring Summer 2014

Hey Gals,

I have had a very inspiring day today. I went along to a free event in the Millenium Centre in Cardiff Bay, which was hosted by Design Wales. They run many different events, but I was particularly interested in today's, which was a Colour & Trend event.

Matthew Jeatt of Promostyl presented the four main trends for Spring Summer 2014. The presentations included an overview of the season and showed how Promostyl's thinking evolves from consideration of the major trends and current trends that impact on the season using examples from many disciplines and markets.

It is important to predict early on which trends will be popular, because fashion designers, buyers and marketers need direction to reel in consumer interest. The ability to forecast fashion trends is necessary because the design, development and production of most garments takes several months. So product concepts are usually initiated anywhere between two weeks and a year prior to going on sale.

Matthew Jeatt outlined the influences of the trends and how they could roll out through colours and fashion shapes.
The Summer 2014 season is defined with four key themes that act in harmony, contradict and complement each other:

"Treasure"

is an opulent and decorative direction enriched by fine detail and workmanship. Treasure is defined with excellence and rarity but is a long way from an ostentatious "bling" style. Colours are bright, deep and antique. The colours are sunset, sunrise, kohl, coffee grounds, pink copper, cactus bloom, amulet and spirulina.

"Less"
shows a minimalist and sensitive direction. Design is uncluttered and based on subtraction. Immaterial and intangible are the keywords to remember. Colours combine extreme pale shades with bright colours to create transparency and diluted effects. The colours are 'nothing', lilac water, fresh air, droplet fennel, and wild hyacinth.

"Manifesto"
is a theme in reaction to the world's excesses and chaos. Resistance, combat and commitment are the watchwords for this alternative proposal. The colour range mixes four impetuous pinks and six anonymous neutrals. Cinder block, infra pink, shocking charm pink, dark grey, navy, Barbour green, olive brown and rose water.

"Modesty"
promotes craftsmanship and the riches of the Earth. Discrete designers are focused on know-how and quality and are concerned with the passing down of traditions. Design is sensitive and sober just like the colour range that mixes natural shades - cereal and agrarian balanced with navy turquoise. Colours include ink, tides, dune grass, oxide, lagoon, silver moon and creamy.

I'm feeling very inspired and after today's seminar, I feel well informed about what to expect next season. I'm really interested in the theme "Less" and also "modesty", so with these trends in mind I'm now off to begin designing my next SS14 collection. Watch this space!