Words by Erin, Digital Design Media Manager + Lydnsay, Senior Designer.
High fashion is aspirational, but not always easily translatable for everyone’s wardrobes. Taking the time to think about how to interpret high fashion trends for commercial outcomes will really boost your chances of creating a sought-after design.
Sometimes what makes it onto the catwalk is a concept – an extreme version of an idea that can be filtered to suit a broader range of tastes.
First of all you need to learn to identify trends.
Keep your eyes peeled for recurring themes.
When something pops up time and time again across the catwalks you can bet that commercial retailers will be looking to emulate it. For example the Fall 2020 shows were strewn with new interpretations of checks and plaids, with designers such as Miu Miu, Victoria Beckham, Burberry and Alexander McQueen putting a fresh twist on a classic.
Collating your own moodboards each season will help you to identify themes, or even better – skip this step and subscribe to our trend reports to have all the hard work done for you!
But once you’ve identified something important from the runways, how do you then take it from inspiration to outcome? Time to start analysing!
What is the strongest identifier of the print?
Distill from the trend what the key strength is and look to use this as a starting point. It could be the colour, the style of the drawing or craft technique used, or the scale of the print in the garment.
For example you might see a key colour popping up across multiple collections and be inspired to use this throughout your own work. Or maybe you fall in love with a photographic digital floral trend and apply the same technique to your own original photography images.
Do your own research and put your own twist on it!
Remember you’re looking to emulate not copy. Use your own unique design handwriting and personal interests to capture the essence of the trend without ripping anyone off.
If there’s a resurgence of 60’s prints on the catwalks use this as a springboard to delve into your own research of print and colour in that era, and then come up with your own original designs that fit the overall trend.
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