Fashion Trends

Hi Darlings,

Welcome back, and welcome to another blog from the Future of Fashion, a place where we get to magically impact the future of fashion, beauty, and creativity for all living creatures.

Sustainable Fashion Trends 

As you heard from the previous blog, I have been talking about fashion with Gen Zers and exploring how they dress, shop and consume fashion. I have experienced some learnings that show the completely stark differences from previous generations, especially Gen X.

Firstly, why are people from younger generations so interested in fashion sustainability?  Gen Z consumers demand transparency, ethical practices, and reduced ecological footprints from brands.  

However, NEW is not considered the best (or most aspirational) option.  As I grew through fashion, we aspired for new and designer, as aspirational as possible.  I have worked my way through many designers on a consistent drive for cool, edgy and new.  Yet this group's first choice is always vintage, thrifted or secondhand.  That is considered the most aspirational or coolest.  I do wonder if this generation aspires in the way we have before.  Do they associate cost with value, or is it something else?

So here we are, looking at the popular trends for Summer 2024.

Yet, for me, these are revisited trends from years of shopping fashion. I wish I had kept every trend, as I would have something in my wardrobe for most of the trends listed below.

So, let’s have some fun and take a journey through the trends of Summer 2024 and some of my own reflections.

  • TOTAL DENIM:  I have worked in high-end denim.  I had a time when I worked with many high-end fashion retailers to make products in the denim category.  We loved “Paul & Joe”, “True Religion”, and “7 for all Mankind”.  Especially “Diesel” and “Miss Sixty”, who brought so much excitement and the start of fast fashion in denim.  The jeans explosion probably started with Tom Ford showing extraordinary, decorated low-slung jeans at Gucci.  Followed by the eclectic decorated jeans you could buy in Notting Hill in London.  I really feel this trend is strongly returning.  The silhouette of the Y2K was wide jeans and cargos with a small top.

  • BALLET FLATS:  This was a massive trend from 2006-2007-ish.  Amy Winehouse notoriously wore ballet flats all the time.  So many brands embraced them fully.  “Repetto” was a huge brand in this category.  However, Miu Miu really took the shoe to a new level.  I had a couple of pairs from Miu Miu; they were highly practical for everyday wear.  So why are they making a comeback?  Miu Miu is very popular again; this aesthetic has that cool girl, ingenue, cute vibe.  Ballet flats totally fit there.  Also, trainers have gone off-trend, and we do need a flat replacement.  The ballet flats we see now are either very exaggerated “ballerina show” or a more urban version of Khaite and Alaia.

  • URBAN MINIMAL: It is expected that quiet luxury will evolve into quiet outdoor, and, probably, many pieces will come from the world of vintage.  It is 25 years since the tragic death of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.  Images of her style have been hugely popular recently.  Her minimal style, a wardrobe made of measured volumes, simple, almost austere lines, black tailored trousers, white shirts, leopard print, some Yohji, denim and monochromatic t-shirts, ballet flats, headbands worn with small sunglasses.  That 90s minimal style with a surprising edginess.  

  • A NOD TO THE 80s:  characterised by a return to power dressing and outfits suitable for the working day.  Strong tailoring from designers such as Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Thierry Mugler, Versace and Alaïa during the 1980s & 90s.  The suit feels really new again, as do strong jewel colours.  It was inevitable we would want tailoring after years in leggings and athleisure.  It is so cool to see the essence of Diana, Princess of Wales, being so present in fashion.  Whenever I see the influencer Xenia Adonts posts on IG, her hair is so reminiscent of Diane—a new era of that glamorous, tailored dressing up.  It would be a fantastic investment if you could get your hands on some vintage tailoring from that era.  Hopefully, you have a family member who has pieces in their wardrobe.  I don’t have anything from that era, but I do have a 1999 Armani suit, which is so cool now.

  • KITTEN HEELS & SLING BACKS are back.  They sit so well with all of the above trends—the 90s Minimal sandals or slides.  The kitten heel is an elegant and practical shoe.  Prada launched a kitten heel slingback in the nineties; it was literally “the shoe of the decade”.  It was the fashion shoe that everyone wore.  Manolo Blahnik and many other designers appeared at that time.  The nineties saw the arrival of “Sex and the City”.  Carrie Bradshaw and her shoe obsession.  Prior to that, expensive designer shoes were not a thing.

Fashion trends weave a journey from the past to the future. This journey is really an opportunity to understand so much more about ourselves, others, culture, the past, and why we wore things or dressed that way.

Does fashion connect us with the past and the future at the same time?

Is fashion a way to understand more about other generations?

Fashion is a sociological and cultural expression, not purely a driver of consumption.

The history of fashion is a fascinating subject.

Which part of that history is your favourite?

As always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.

Kate xx

Optimistic Nihilism

Hello, Darlings!

Welcome to another blog from the Future of Fashion, a place where we get to impact the future of fashion, beauty, and creativity for all living creatures in a magical way.  This week, we discuss an interesting and philosophical subject.

You may be wondering what OPTIMISTIC NIHILISM is.

“Optimistic nihilism is the ability of a person to create his own meaning after fully accepting that the universe is a large place of meaninglessness."

So that is what it means, but why are we discussing it? I had a very interesting conversation with two Gen Zers about fashion and their approach to it. The above term emerged from it. Their view of fashion was very different from mine.  

Their lives have been filled with stories of doom and impending disaster.  Climate change, war, economic troubles.  Not a lot of hope, growth, and excitement.  As it concerns fashion, they have both lived through an era of everything being available to them all at once, a life filled with social media and an overload of information concerning the fashion they can buy and the damage this fashion has on the environment.  On top of that, just how doomed we are as a species, and that there is generally “NO HOPE”.  

By contrast, my experience of life has been rather one of “capitalist naiveté”.  We thought more was better.  Growth was good.  We experienced the era of iconic designers - Galliano, McQueen, Tom Ford, to name a few.  The supermodels and fashion magazines.  The colossal growth of fast fashion and the luxury goods industry.  Everything was positive, and life was good until we saw the impact.  Now, we feel our own sense of guilt and reason that “we didn’t know any better”.  

I love to bring philosophy to fashion, and this conversation gave me an extraordinary opportunity. I have always been interested in new, better, cool, and exciting things others don’t have. I no longer follow that.  Maturity and an awareness of sustainable fashion have shifted my focus. Yet my Gen Z friends have a different approach, one that I could say is more mature and empowering.

Using fashion as a tool is transformational and empowering.  Crafting a persona or image you want to project to the world.  Through fashion, I still have control over my impact on life and the environment.  So, there may be terrible things happening in the world that we really cannot control, but fashion provides a place for optimism and fun. Precisely aligned with my philosophy, “have fun, love life, and joy fashion”.  To be clear, they are activists in their own way. They are not burying their heads in the sand from the state of the world; instead, they are impacting through their own power and enjoying that.

Whilst this is not a conclusive view of this Generation, it does give some understanding of the behaviours of this group.  The two I spoke with engaged in fashion in the following ways

  • Always secondhand/thrifted first, no cycling through trends 

  • They both buy fast fashion but keep these items for years 

  • They mend and alter clothes rather than buy something new.  

  • They share clothes with their family and friends.  

There is no sense of real ownership, which I found hard to understand. I find myself very attached to my own clothes. What I really liked was their clear sense of personal identity, as opposed to the need to be told what is cool, fashionable, or what they need to wear.

Recently, I have been bewildered by the massive growth of Shein and other recent fast-fashion groups, whose growth has been largely fuelled by social media platforms. I constantly wonder how consumers can mindlessly buy without concern for the impact on the environment.  

“Major environmental issues associated with fast fashion brands like SHEIN, like water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive textile waste and production of tons of carbon dioxide every year, are only a few consequences of SHEIN's unsustainable practices.”

Shein Textile waste, credit photo: Earth.Org

You can’t ignore this. Now I see that consumers must either choose to be blissfully unaware or consider that they cannot impact the state of the world and can just enjoy some cheap fashion while the planet burns.  

I have found Gen Z very different and fascinating as a generation.  As I have been writing this blog, I was reminded of something - my favourite stoic - Marcus Aurelius.

“You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength.” Marcus Aurelius – Self Awareness

What a wonderful reminder of how fascinating the world around us is.  Engage with fellow humans of any age, race and origin; there is so much to learn from each other.  Always be prepared to have your own opinions and actions challenged.  Explore new philosophies and ways of living.

As this relates to fashion, there are many ways we can learn from this conversation.  We don’t need expensive brands to feel or look good.  There are so many beautiful and valuable items in secondhand stores.  We can take something, make it our own and then share it with others.  

Most importantly,  create and craft your own image—one that empowers you and one which you love.  You are whole and perfect, just as you are.  Enjoy being the best version of yourself.

As always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.

Kate xx

The Importance Of A Powerful Mindset

When starting any new venture, business, or project in life, our mindset is critical to success. Nowadays, there is so much more awareness of the power of mindset, positive thinking, and intentionality. These states and approaches positively impact our results in life and also our quality of life. So, let’s look a little deeper at the impact of a powerful mindset.

I am a big “action-taker”.  I believe that by taking action, we can impact almost everything and cause results.  I do believe that causing results is a good thing, and being effective is so important.  I also believe that hard work is really important in life.  My father always taught me the profound value of hard work.  My career has been a repeating cycle of tremendous hard work and grind, achieving results and making things happen.   

Recently, I have come across other schools of thought.  These have risen somewhat as a counter to the “hustle culture”.  These philosophies show how we can manifest and create any outcome for ourselves and our lives.  Many originate from “The Secret” by Rhoda Byrne or “The Law of Attraction” by Esther and Jerry Hicks, who were the powerful writers and speakers on these subjects.  Whilst many people may not believe these are effective and find them too “woo-woo”, there is clearly so much value in this work.

So, could we create everything we want in life and business without the hustle, stress and sacrifice?   From my own experience, I conducted a human experiment.  I kind of brain-washed myself for positivity, effectiveness and success.  

I had always had a weak relationship with belief and faith, as in how things would work out “for the best”. You could say, “I did not trust the Universe”.  I honestly believed things would only work out if I did everything I could to impact the result.  Although this was effective, it was exhausting.

Back in 2020, when it felt that the world was falling apart, I was quite anxious (as were many of us).  I realised this was not going to help my life and situation.  There was not much we could do to affect the outside world during lockdowns and limited movement.  I had to create a new approach.  So, I literally brainwashed myself for success and peace of mind.  I started with daily meditations, visualisations and affirmations.  Then to breathwork, singing bowls, constellation work and anything that could clear my mental state to take me somewhere else.  

This is more than just a nice idea; there is actually a “science of positive thinking”.  

“Your thoughts activate neurotransmitters - chemicals responsible for most of your anatomical functions from digestion to hormone regulation.  Positive thoughts can inspire physiological and cognitive benefits such as reduced stress, lower fatigue, and elevated hormone levels that make you happy or sad.”

So, what was the result of my experiment?  I find so much more ease in life.  When I have ease in life, I am present and can focus on what I have to do, but so much more than that, I actually can be present in the beauty of life.  We have to get things done every day, so having a powerful mindset makes for a more successful and more enjoyable life.  

I recently reviewed some goals, dreams and affirmations I created in 2019.  After these years of meditation, visualisation, and the activities that make up my daily routine, most of those goals and dreams have come true.  

In the FASHIONABLE FUTURES SKOOL COMMUNITY, we focus on so much mindset work, exploring what we want and what is important to us when starting or up-levelling a business.  We also do profound work on how to make that happen and to address what gets in the way.

The mindset work in the FASHIONABLE FUTURES Community is so powerful and impactful.

As always, love life, have fun, and enjoy fashion.

Kate xx

The Perfect Item of Clothing

We talk a lot about fashion and clothing in this newsletter.  So, what constitutes the perfect item of clothing?  I am certain opinions will be divided: a tee, jeans, a hoodie, socks.  Let’s define further what criteria we need to fulfil to be considered “perfect”:

  • Timeless 

  • Stylish

  • Versatile - can be used for many purposes and types of occasions

  • Can be repurposed (worn by others, resold, reused)

  • It creates a powerful and impactful image when worn

My perfect clothing item (or items) would be a tailored suit.  It ticks all of those boxes. It may not be perfect for everyone here, but hear me out.  

The history of the suit originates (for men) in the 17th Century Royal Court Dress.  For women in the 1660s as “Costumes” worn for Horse Riding (a jacket and matching skirt).  However, these items have morphed throughout the years, largely due to social, political, and lifestyle influences. The French Revolution had overly decorative styles be unpopular (to say the least).  

1940s Demob Suit - Photo: Pinterest

Wars influenced the amount of fabrics available.  Post-WW2, there was the “Demob” suit, a suit of clothing issued to ex-servicemen from the British Military Services when they were demobilised from active duty.  This democratised the suit, shifting it from higher class status to everyone (remember, the class system was very much in place in England at this time).  The streets were said to be filled with grey, “men in grey suits”. 

Since then, the suit has taken so many forms and occupied a variety of status.  The “Zoot suit”, the “Rock-a-Billy” suit, the “Mod suit.  Each era reacted against what the previous era wore—replacing the silhouette with something slimmer, wider, with bigger or smaller lapels.  Some of the most iconic suits were those worn by Elvis, The Beatles, and John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.  This also saw the introduction of Polyester for easy care.  The ‘80s saw the arrival of the fabulous “Armani” suit.  Then, the Tom Ford for Gucci suit.  Later, we had the legendary Hedi Slimane “Dior Homme” and later “Saint Laurent” skinny suit.  

For women, we have seen a similar trajectory in styles and silhouettes—yet even more extreme. The end of WW2 required the liberated woman to return to the home. Many men needed jobs, and women were “encouraged to return to domesticity”.  By 1951, in England, “the number of working women had returned to the pre-war level”.  

The suit to herald this was “The New Look” by Christian Dior.  The “Bar Suit” used 5 metres of fabric for the skirt and required a tiny waist.  There was a huge reaction to this due to the constraints of post-war austerity; this luxurious fashion statement was seen as inappropriate and excessive.

Dior's New Look 1947 - Photo: Mediakron

Dior's New Look 1947 - Photo: Mediakron

Each decade brought a silhouette and style as an indicator of the movement of women from the home to the workplace.  The ‘50s suit was very grown-up and structured.  The ‘60s decade brought a complete liberation for women (or it seemed), with the arrival of the mini skirt and the movement towards freedom and sexual liberation.  For decades to follow, the women’s suit really was part of the journey of women becoming members of the workforce. Any Google search will show endless suits and formalwear from numerous stores and retailers.  

By the ‘80s, women’s suits paralleled men’s suits. Armani, Hedi Slimane, and Tom Ford did their versions, as did the Japanese designers.  Where we are now is pretty much a democratised version, with blazers being a vital item of any professional or executive women’s wardrobe.

Naomi Campbell for BOSS's Spring 2023

On a personal note, I love the suit.  I do find it a perfect item of clothing.  I’ve researched its iterations and generations, history and expressions.  I have worn many suits: skirt suits, pants suits and short suits from a number of designers.  I also have my own vintage Tom Ford Gucci suit.

For me, the perfect suit is a personally tailored one.  I have two, which I had semi-handmade “made to measure” by amazing tailors in Hong Kong (Magnus & Novus).  Both suits are in light wool, both in colours which I would always wear.  I studied the silhouette that I considered the most flattering to my body and the most versatile to my lifestyle.  

The first suit I made was this red suit, which I have worn almost on a weekly basis (or more frequently) as a suit or separately during the past 2+ years.  Last year, I added the light coral version and updated my red suit by adding a mini skirt.  The light coral suit has pants, a jacket (like the red one), a waistcoat, and shorts, which are perfect.  They go from day to evening: sneakers/loafers/heels, dressed up, dressed down.  Add a T-shirt, add a shirt, or just wear the blazer with jeans or pants with a shirt. 

I personally prefer this silhouette. I based it on my Tom Ford suit and removed some of its extreme nature to better suit my body. The internal details are true men's tailoring techniques. This, along with the attention to fit and beautiful fabric, is what differentiates mine from a store-bought suit.

Time for the weekly homework:

  • Which is your favourite suit? 

  • How do you wear it? 

  • Do you consider it timeless?

  • If you could have any suit, what would it be? 

As always, love life, have fun, and enjoy fashion.

Kate xx

All About The First Monday In May

Last week was the first Monday in May, which we all know means the Met Gala.  It is probably one of (if not) the most talked about, created about, famous fashion events of the year. 

The Met Gala is essentially “a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and its benefit to the museum overall”.  The Gala was started in 1948 by fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert as a fundraiser for the newly founded Costume Institute to mark the opening of its annual exhibition.  The early galas were mainly a dinner, with tickets costing 50 USD.  The early attendees were mainly New York high society and New York’s fashion industry.  In 1972, the incredible Diana Vreeland became a consultant to the Costume Institute.  From then, the Gala became more international and glamorous, with high-profile attendees of celebrities and New York elite attendees.  Guests included Cher, Diana Ross, Andy Warhol, Barbara Streisand, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna, and Elton John.  At this time, themes were introduced, and the Gala found a home at the Met.    

House of Swarovski

The Met Gala, as it is known today, can be safely attributed to Anna Wintour taking up the reins in 1995 as the lead chairperson of the event.  It has a theme, dress code and a very curated guest list, which Wintour oversees with her Vogue staff.  The tickets have risen far beyond the 50 USD starting cost to an incredible 70 thousand USD per seat.  Previous themes have included “Savage Beauty” (Alexander McQueen), “Punk: Chaos to Couture”, “Charles James”, “America: An Anthology of Fashion” (2022), “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” (2021), and “About Time: Fashion and Duration” (2020).

 If you are a fashion lover, you will have seen endless content on Instagram, YouTube, other social media channels, and traditional media channels.  I have referenced some of my favourites at the bottom of this blog.  It is safe to say that we all talked about, looked at, thought about, and maybe criticised or even laughed at certain celebrities and their sartorial choices.  In this blog, I want to talk a bit about my takeaways from this year‘s event, so let’s get to it. 

Zendaya, Maison Margiela John galliano - Photo: Getty Images

Firstly, there were big names and the most impactful people; you can see the photos of those here.  Of course, Zendaya, with her genius Stylist Luxury Law, serves up not one but two phenomenal looks.  How the unbelievable house of Swarovski’s Creative Director Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert created extraordinary crystal outfits for herself, Kylie Koss, Karlie Kloss, Irina Shayk, Imaan Hammam, and Anok Yai.  All of the big houses, Chanel, Dior, and of course Balenciaga (although I can’t say there was my favourite).  Loewe and Jonathan Anderson co-chaired the event, so we saw a lot of the Loewe magic, including the beautiful Charles Worth-inspired coat worn by Ms Wintour, as well as many other brand ambassadors.

Kim Kardashian: Maison Margiela by John Galliano - Image: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

My takeaways came from some refreshing elements.  Firstly, following the recent Margiela Couture show, Mr John Galliano was more than referenced.  In many ways, he was associated with many looks, including one of the most controversial characters, Kim Kardashian.  I, personally, found this one really inspiring; go and watch the Vogue video of this.  It’s amazing.  The one designer I always look forward to seeing is Harris Reid, who completely astounded everyone with his own fluid look and adding the dimension of Ms Demi Moore, no age, no gender bias - I absolutely love it.  It is really those unexpected elements that make this so exciting and inspiring, and this was definitely one of those.

Harris Reed with Demi Moore

My most beloved creation was Mona Patel, styled by Law Roach.  I didn’t even see her until later in the week, dressed in an Iris von Herpen couture butterfly gown with this extraordinary kinetic butterfly jewellery by Casey Curran. It was a true transformation; it was stunning, beautiful, somewhat magical, and subtle.  What I found a very important aspect of this event is how much we can glean from event dressing and how some of these pieces are timeless.  They will be catalogued, stored away and kept forever, and that’s a vision of fashion.  Some of these pieces are like art, which will be kept and potentially featured in an exhibition years later.  There were some amazing sustainable efforts, including Demi Moore’s Harris Reed dress, which was made from vintage wallpaper; Penelope Cruz wore a dress made from 3 other Chanel pieces; Charli XCX wore a Marni dress made from old T-shirts.

Mona Patel in Iris von Herpen - John Shearer/Getty Images

The other takeaway I had is that some of these pieces can also be reworked, reused, upcycled, re-created, or given a new life either through who else styles and wears them or actually through physical recreation.  The Met Gala may seem like something completely unnecessary in the world with wars, but it’s given us something else to think about and discuss.  Even my Chinese teacher was fully prepared with her best-dressed list when we met on Wednesday this week. It’s always a joy to talk about fashion.

HOMEWORK: which were your favourite outfits?
Which outfits would you have worn yourself if you had been invited to the Met Gala

Some of my favourite creator's work is @Ideservecouture, who had an almost running commentary.

And on Youtube:
@HauteleMode
“Inside Kim Kardashian’s Dream Met Gala Look”  @vogue
“the entire history of the Met Gala” @understitch

As always, have fun, love life, and enjoy fashion.

Love, Kate xx