How Clear Is Your Crystal Ball?

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to forecasting fashion trends, my crystal ball is decidedly hazy. Fashion is a moving target; like waves on the ocean, it is constantly shifting and changing shapes. For me, trying to capture a moment in time and making it stick is a fool’s errand.

What is the poor non-designer like me to do? Why, rely on the gurus of forecasting, of course! The best of the bunch seem to be concentrated at WGSN. So, while pondering the introduction of a (mythical) brand extension of athleisure and loungewear for Italy’s premier lingerie brand, La Perla, I turned to those gurus for inspiration.

WGSN’s forecasts warm my heart – they are right in line with my own preferences for what I would like to see La Perla explore for their extended line. Take, for instance, the old standard, tried-and-true jersey. Such a versatile fabric, useful for many things:

The textile designers are relying on the wonderful tactile qualities of jersey and taking it to new levels by doing things like interweaving metallics:

They are doing bold things like mixing floral patterns with stripes:

Using bold contrasting colors in stripes and geometric patterns gives us

non-designers a new tool for making a fashion statement, especially in athleisure wear:

A new generation of fabrics is mixing technology with nature, creating new experiences like a “protective and reflective second skin:”

Biodegradable yarns with superfine twists are in, combined with gauzy metallics – perfect for high-end loungewear. Of course, La Perla owns the high-end space for lingerie in Italy:

Fabrics that mimic the movement of ocean waves (remember that moving target, the one with constantly changing shapes? We can capture that in the construction a new generation of fabrics that are a leading trend perfect for comfy loungewear:

What would loungewear be without a bit of transparency to add excitement? Just plain old chiffon, actually. Rather passé, IMO. Thanks to technology, we can update transparency with biodegradable coatings with shimmering and reflective twists to reduce the in-your-face transparency of regular chiffon. Blending synthetics and silk in this way can offer a new kind of second-skin experience.

All graphics and images seen here are © by the gurus (gnomes) at WGSN.