HM Trend Report | Fall 2010 Trends

It may be a beautifully hot summer, but with rises in clothes prices coming into effect later on this year, now is the most sensible time for every shopping-addicted fashionista to invest in her autumn/winter wardrobe. We have compiled a list of our favourite Fall/Winter 2010 trends to get every head turning.

Appliqués
We are all over appliqués, and appliqués are all over our clothes this coming season, thanks to a beautiful LBD by Oscar de la Renta (oscardelarenta.com). Evocative of stained glass, the skirt is laced in appliqués and beads and is simply gorgeous. Many may say appliqués remind them of curtains, but if curtains were as luxurious as Balmain’s (balmain.com) black and gold dress, or Christopher Kane’s (net-a-porter.com/ChristopherKane) flowery black number, we would go out in curtains any day.

40’s Inspired
Floor-length stunners inspired by the 1940’s are everywhere this A/W, but it’s the shoes we are loving this winter. With a fashionably low heel (yes you heard right, the lower the better), Givency have beautiful leather pink-laced open-toe boots to make your heart, and your wallet, melt. Millionaires have got the rectangular heel down to a tee, while Miu Miu(miumiu.com) blends the heel with platforms to add a show-stopping extra to any evening outfit.

Velvet
Velvet can often be reminiscent of dire men’s suits, but used in the right way, it is bound to become your statement fabric this season. Alexander Wang (alexanderwang.com) mixed velvet with tulle to create draped and rich-coloured dresses, while Giorgio Armani (EmporioArmani.com) embraced the fabric as his underlying motif, showcasing glamorous jackets.

Electric Blue
While black is back, and skies are grey, it’s good to inject a surge of colour into our wardrobe palettes every once in a while. Burberry and Matthew Williamson’s luscious blue winter coats are enough to perk up anyone’s day and Victoria Beckham and Sonia Rykiel’s floor-length frocks will stop you needing UV clothing at night.

Fur Trims
Fur conjures up images of old films and glamour pusses, so it’s no surprise at the dawn of this year’s 1940s trend, that fur is at the forefront of the designers fabric drawer. Thakoon used the trim for dramatic effect on stunning open-toed booties, while Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel (chanel.com) took fur to another level with O.T.T levels of faux fur, showcasing the designer’s sense of humour. Miu Miu created stand-out purple coats and skirts, but the sweetest of the looks goes to Galliano, for his furry earrings and bracelets.

Boudoir
It’s time to get ultra-feminine as corsets and lacy bralettes are on the menu this A/W, making every husband and boyfriend want to reach for his wallet this season (or so we wish). Fendi and Hussein Chalayan brought moulded corsets to the forefront, fighting the midriff and legs for the bust’s place as the fashionable body part this fall.

Digital Prints
In a digital age, it’s not surprising that clothes are taking on the graphic age. Thankfully this doesn’t mean walking around with a computer attached to our skirts, as the designers have conjured up a glamorous alternative. Mixing digital prints with glamour, Matthew Williamson created an ensemble of stunning dresses, with trims of the prints to keep the look minimal. Clements Ribeiro followed suit, using lashes of colour to add a graphic finesse.

Investment Pieces
In a gloomy economic climate, wardrobes often suffer, along with our credit cards. Purchasing statement investment pieces becomes essential as whimsical buys enter a mode of the past, but it isn’t just our shopping habits that are entering the times that were. Classical buys like the signature Burberry trench and Chanel suit raced down the runway, suggesting that a timeless design is the way forward when it comes to creating economical fashion.

Draping
The sun may be shining heavily now, but come winter, we will all want to be wrapped up in front of the fireplace. For the days we do risk the winter dangers of chapped skin and snowy toes, we can be safe in assurance that we won’t be cold this fall with Missoni’s mixed layering that involved up to seven different tiers.

High-waisted trousers
It’s time to cinch in our waists before winter greets us with a stocking full of chocolate, and what better way of stylishly doing so than by investing in high-waisted trousers? Akris created the perfect pair for work, while Gianfranco Ferre took the seventies look a step further by teaming it with a neck-tied blouse, the perfect way to take style to work this A/W. -Isabella Stockwell

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