And Plastic Reigns Again!!!

The New York fashion week has seen the rise of two trends. First minimalism à la Narciso Rodriguez and Vera Wang whose asymmetrical sheet attires  made waves in the city that never sleeps. Second plastic took the place of embroidery and furs. For many this is yet another creative gulp of defiant designers who like to make headlines by annoying their peers. But the speed at which copies of these design were placed and bought at low cost retailers such as HM; ZARA and Forever 21 points to a connection between haute couture and main street that had consistently failed to materialize.

Past Attempts to bring together designer clothing and the middle classes had all failed. First attempt was made by Halston followed by Tommy Hilfiger. Both retrenched back into upper income products given the modest welcome they got from the market. They soon found that they were too expensive to compete with GAP; Express and Ann Taylor and too cheap to invite possession from celebrities. But those were the days when the baby comer culture reigned supreme. Individualism; instant gratification differentiation and excess did not go well with clothes produced massively, in series and with uniform patterns.

Except for Hillary Clinton and Carly Fiorina, baby boomers today are discovering the wonders of being grandmothers and traveling the world to use up the retirement time. Hence their clothing has become less complicated and more functional. In the job space millennials are reigning. These individuals prize practicality over exuberance; comfort over snobbery; and matching over uniqueness. For them clothes are simply the wrap people need to wear so as to be able to socialize.

Clothes thus need to be easy to match, easy to wear and easy to carry, Millennials are avid travelers. Clothes also need to be playful and convey character. Frou-frous; laces; long tails à la Rihanna and embroidery not only fail to project personality but are difficult to wear, to carry  and to wash. Oversized t shirts; sweaters and cardigans create an impressive visual impact  that can convey a powerful message about the owner on first glimpse basis. They also allow you to feel at ease after a long day of work  and to look appropriate for any situation.

And for a generation that barely talks preferring to text, that spends over 60% of their time toiling in the virtual reality and that reveres  community building, clothes that convey the message of freedom character and easiness will always reign. Henceforth the inexorable march towards ingenuous cuts, simple lines and attractive designs made from very humble materials has just begun !!