Bright, bold and feminine for SS12: Holly Fulton gives the girls what they want
Style it light is all about celebrating individual style! This week’s guest columnist, Johanna Payton, author of Fashion Detective and head of fashion at Style Compare, reveals why 2012 will be a fun year for fashionistas.
Johanna writes: 2011 has been fascinating; it was the year real women rebelled against the cult of the ‘trend’ and found their fashion mojo. Looking ahead to 2012, this can only be good news.
After the February Fashion Weeks, we thought neutral tones - and our dads’ clothes - would invade our wardrobes; boyfriend fashion and androgyny were the way forward, according to the fashion elite. But we just weren’t ready. When summer finally gave way to autumn, we refused to give up our floaty maxi dresses and girly prints. The androgynous trend fell flat on its backside as we bathed our bodies in bright colours, layered skirts and printed tea dresses.
Because of this rebellion, the September runways were soaked in colour, print and freedom. By ignoring the trends we were supposed to be wearing in AW11/12, we gave the designers a license to thrill; they (thankfully) forgot the draining influence of a recession which had sent them on the late Eighties/early Nineties path.
Designers including Holly Fulton and Mary Katrantzou captured exactly what we wanted; eye-popping colour, extreme femininity combined with edgy irreverence and mixed-era influences, creating a look that is, finally, 21st Century.
That’s why 2012 is going to be a fun year for fashionistas; we’ve found a fashion identity and we’re sticking to it. A vibrant style has already emerged for Christmas, with sparkling gold sequins and unapologetic animal prints ruling the roost. In the early New Year, expect more bling for your buck with sequin jackets, embellished day dresses and candy-coloured hair (just do me a favour and go to a salon if you’re taking the plunge).
As we head into spring, it’s all about the print. Dresses, trousers, shirts and jackets will be adorned with flowers, ferns, swirls, birds and animals. If you thought Versace’s collection for H&M was colour-blinding, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
As recession part deux takes a bite, customisation will hot up during the summer. From sewing beads onto old bikinis to embellishing your basics, creativity will reign.
On the high street, don’t expect the Olympics to cause a Lycra craze. Any influence the Games have on fashion will be subtle and stylish; think Christopher Kane’s tennis skirt and cricket jumper, or Victoria Beckham’s racer-back necklines and silky sports jackets.
By the time we approach 2013, I expect the “Teenies” twist will come in the form of neon colours, digital-inspired prints and more crafty effects, such as patchwork prints, all seen on glam, full-length dresses and palazzo pants.
The New Year is all about girls really going for it; it’s easier than ever to trash the trends and create your own, individual take on fashion. In 2011, designers realised that we don’t always dance to their tune, and by producing designs that they genuinely believe in – rather than pushing trends - they have given us space to write our own fashion stories. With that kind of freedom bursting out of our wardrobes, 2012 could be the best year for fashion yet.
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