The Pre-Fall Season

Pre-fall is the early selling period between June and August when summer pieces start going on sale and fall garments begin to take over stores' inventories. The season is becoming increasingly important for retailers, accounting for about as much sales as the main fall buy, which takes the spot between september and november.

In addition to pre-fall and resort, there are also holiday and pre-spring seasons, an attestation to the steady inflow of new merchanside demanded by department stores. Meeting and exceeding this demand only raises a brand's profile awareness, and as fashion consumption continuous to be on the rise, I would not be surprised if the day comes when there is a collection produced every couple of weeks.

Now back to pre-fall. In few words, it forms the basis of a brand's fall collection. Compared to the main fall collection it is pragmatic, wearable and understated. The fabrics used are lighter. Another major distinction used to be the theatrics. Pre-fall used to be a buyer-only event, an opportunity for department store buyers to place their orders. There was no runway show, just a cataloguous display. Things, however, have changed. And just as the resort season, pre-fall is crawling and will continue moving toward the spotlight. The number of designers who choose to undergo the stress of a runway presentation for their pre-fall collections increases with every year, as does the number of celebrities attending the shows. As mentioned before, it's all about increasing the profile awareness of the brand by continuously offering new things.

And now the highlights of pre-fall 2008.

There was plenty of structure:

Also plenty of volume intepreted through cocoon-coats and bubble-skirts:





The wide trouser came through as a definite must-have:



The layered look was thoroughly explored:



As was the waisted silhouette:




There were a couple of adorable cocktail dresses:



And of course, a few of my favorite things:



P.S. The Lanvin dress in the middle gets the crown.

Photo credit: Style.com

Resort and lifestyle

The resort collection - oddly situated between the spring and fall fashion seasons, usually around the Christmas holidays and into January - is meant to serve the needs of the beautiful people jetting-off to tropical locations during the winter months. It is about light mood and free movement, all adapted to life in the sun.

Originally an american creation, in the past ten years every top european designer has incorporated the resort collection as an integral part of their fashion portfolio. This in a testament to an industry adapting to a reality of global warming. It is yet another transformation the fashion industry foregoes to accomodate globalization and the alteration of the socio-economic classes. There is more wealth today than there has ever been. Not only can more people afford the fashions, more people can afford to travel due to low-cost airline carriers and low-budget resorts heeding to the needs of a middle class with an ever-growing buying power. The merchandising and marketing gurus of the fashion houses, are doing everything in their power to exploit the growing market and maximize their profits.

A resort collection usually consists of a couple of staple items, taking into consideration the general activities and social calendar of those belonging to the partaining lifestyle.

There is the bikini cover-up:

Followed by the sharp little ensemble to be worn at a beach-side cafe:

There is the little breezy party dress, perfect for the sea-side cocktail party:

And of course the evening gown to be worn at a lustrous tropical soiree.

All those bright colorful hues and light materials combine the youthful spirit of the summer with the well-bred sophistication of what the resort season represents. And what fun it would be to partake in such an affair for a few sun-filled winter days, or since I'm dreaming away - weeks :)! Ah Marbella Club, soon enough, here I come.

Men and patterns

I think its time I broadened the range of topics I cover and dive into an entirely different gender. I have been asked to ponder a bit on men's fashion, and hopefully you will now kindly enough entertain my musings.
First thing's first, however. If you have read a couple of my older posts, you would know that I am very much repulsed by words such as "trends", "modern" and so forth. The image is the most important thing one must decide on before setting on establishing his wardrobe. When you know who you are and how you want to be perceived, the last thing you concern yourself with is "what's hot right now". My preoccupation with fashion is very much theoretical, my practical objective is style. When it comes to men's fashion, that's even more so. There is much less room to experiment. Myself am an enthusiast for the classical, elegant, somewhat conservative appeal. A man should project confidence, strength, solidity and that's the kind of man I am writing and will write for.

Now, when I speak of classical, conservative appeal, I speak of classical lines, not a wardrobe restricted to three-piece suits. I also mean a clean line, proper fit, and a considered combination of colors and patterns. I am a very big fan of neutrals, but I always, always appreciate it when someone takes a risk and puts a little more work into their outfit.

The game of colors and patters, as with many others, is mastered with time. Practice makes perfect. Balance and proportion should be kept in mind at all times. If you're not much familiar with how to keep a proportional look, start with adding one bold accent into your look.














Slowly take it from there, and with time you'll develop a pretty good feel for creating a good mix. If you decide to dive a little deeper and combine two or more colors, make sure they compliment each other. You don't want to end up looking like an Easter egg painted by a three-year old.














When it comes to patterns, the main objective is to safeguard against an optical illusion of vibration between the patterns. What you're looking for is a smooth transaction. When mixing two similar patterns (checks or stripes), make sure the scales of the two are different (the distance between the stripes and the size of the checks).














(Notice how the stripes of sweaters and shorts differ in scale and direction)

When mixing two different patterns, the first thing you need to do is decide on which pattern is primary and which secondary. The primary would be the background, the secondary - the accent. Make sure the colors are complimentary, otherwise there will be too much going on. Here the scales of the patterns should be as close as possible. A bigger scale pattern when mixing two different patterns, is always the safer choice.














(Notice how the different patters are of same scale and color hue, creating a harmonious look)

Now, if you're feeling especially adventurous and would like to mix three different patterns, again, make sure the colours compliment each other. Large, consistent scale patterns are again, the safest bet. If two of the patterns are similar and only the third one differs, make the first two the background and the third, the complimentary accent.


(Even though there are three patterns, the scale and colors are well coordinated creating pulled-together looks)

All of those are just guidelines of how to create a harmonious look. They are no rules except one, carry yourself with confidence. When you do that, even if your ensemble is not perfectly coordinated, no one would dare question your choice of apparel. Be brave, have fun and enjoy yourself.

The cultivated beauty of AKRIS

Clear shapes, simple lines, sumptious fabrics and superb execution formulate the understated luxury of the Swiss couture house. Akris produces structured fashion consisting of light garments, suitable for day and evening wear. It is versatile, modern, flattering, descrete and inherently feminine. It is so highly distinct in its uncomplicated silhouette, unobtrusive creativity and reserved elegancy, that the brand does not need to rely on any identifying markers.

The Akris jacket, long considered a brand staple for its superb structure, takes two days to produce. The lapels, sleeve linings, hems, trims, buttons, beading and embroidery are all finished by hand. The jacket could be worn inside-out, a property allowed by a special process and a great deal of craftsmanship.

The double-face distinction is very specific for Akris. It's a material quality with two right sides. The layers are connected by an invisible seam which is opened at the edge and is then hemmed by hand. Lavish interpretations of precious materials such as double-face, cashmere and silk, deliver incomparable luxury to the superb fit and design of all Akris garments.

Akris' sales are driven entirely by ready-to-wear, with no shoes, handbags or fragrances to boost their profits. This is a major feat in an industry where most major players rely almost entirely on their accessory and cosmetic divisions. It is also a testimony to the company's consistancy in sticking to their customer, focusing on each piece of clothing and never failing to deliver.





Akris was created in 1922 by Alice Kriemler-Schoch, who laid the foundation of the house by making aprons. In 1945 her son, Max, took over the family business and successfully transformed it into a prominent name in the fashion industry. In 1980 his two sons stepped in. Peter, who having graduated law, is responsible for management and production and Albert, who until this day serves as the creative force behind the brand, responsible for design and marketing.

Albert Kriemler

Akris has been and to this day remains a family enterprise. It is privately owned and by the looks of it, it will remain so for years to come. The company is still situated at the same place it was founded - St. Gallen, Switzerland.

"His (Albert Kremlier) is clearly in such a quiet place that when he strokes a fabric and falls into silent contemplation, you can hear the tinkle of cowbells from the nearby hills."



It makes me dream of a gentle, peaceful place, a home, surrounded by my family, where I could excercize my life's passion to my heart's contect, having earned a distinction, and yet working and thriving independent of it :).


Photo credits: style.com

Lost in Translation

Few are aware of the crucial role buyers play in the fashion industry. By "buyers", I am referring to those responsible with selecting the clothing/accessory inventory of retail chains.
Retail buyers have the task of translating trends into sellable merchandise, so they muss possess the expertise and ability to distinguish that which is catchy, from that, which is marketable. They go to fashion shows, they go to private viewings, ateliers, take inspiration from the key items of the season. They then take these key items and interpret them into the right fabric, form and price. Because a designer fashion show is not a catalogue, but a tip-off. The only styles that go into manufacture are those retail buyers actually order. Most of the eccentric runway looks do not make it into production. Those that do are modified to where they would successfully be translated from the catwalk to the street. The ultra-mini is lengthened, the see through fabric - lined. So what actually ends up in the store is a very much watered-down version in terms of design, fabric and quality, of that seen on the runway.
The pictures used to illustrate this post are actually the reason behind it. The SS08 Balenciaga collection has finally hit stores worldwide. And there is no correlation between the runway pieces and their retail versions, with the possible exception of the floral print. Not a hint of the captivating superbly structured silhouettes that were introduced last fall. It is reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton runway shows where almost all of the clothes serve as a backdrop for the handbags and never make it into production. What we see on the catwalk has become the stuff dreams are made of, most looks being expressly designed for dramatic magazine photo spreads. Much of what makes it to the retail store is a clever calculation of a generated sale, assigned a design label, and not much else.

On novelty

What allowed me to unionize my thoughts on the subject, was a discussion I partook in a couple of days ago. The subject being, whether everything in fashion in simply a question of reinvention (my stance).
I have never been able to perceive fashion as a flat straight line, progressing in an onward motion. For me, the title of this blog sums it well, in its core fashion is a gentle progression of revisited ideas. It swirls, twists and shifts positions, which may not duplicate each other, but which invariably repeat.

What wearable, versatile clothing there is, has already been conceived and manufactured. Hence novelty in fashion is very much a question of re-invention, same idea in a new context. This is the driving force behind the industry today. Reinvention is reinforcement. It is a pre-requisite for designers/brands/houses aspiring to remain relevant.

"Innovation", however, is a great marketing term. It sells collections and it transforms designers into "visionaires" and "geniuses". All fashion is a question of "the emperor's new clothes", except here, there is no one to yell "naked". Once dubbed "truly innovative", at least in the eyes of some, at least for a season, a collection remains such. In fact however, originality today consits of a revisited look smartly embellished with a styling trick or two.

I know where you think the weak point with this argument lays - fabrics. I do believe that the new frontier lies with textile technology. But this post is not about stain-resistant Dockers, or about impractical, contrived silhouettes that won't make it past a season and would never even be acknoledged on a mass level. It's about the fact that form follows function, that the matters of volume and fit have already been thoroughly explored and exhausted, and primarily, that a house like Chanel conitnues making most of its profit selling the jacket, bag and perfume that were launched half a century ago.