Fashion forward: A look at likely trends for 2015
With new designer debuts and trends reshaping how we buy and what we wear, here are a few predictions for what to expect in the fashion universe in 2015.
1. Wearable technology will continue to gain traction. Judging from the level of social media obsession among the fashion flock, even something as moderately attractive as the Apple Watch (coming in early 2015) is poised to be the season’s must-have accessory, especially if it can count your calories. Also look for garments that charge your phone or help you navigate the streets with a gentle push on the shoulder.
2. The silhouette of men’s and women’s wear will begin to shift. The 1970s trend on the women’s spring 2015 runways signaled an end to the tyranny of skinny jeans and the return of flares and culottes. Men’s suits, no longer shrunken to Christopher Robin proportions, are loosening up too, as double-breasted jackets, not seen since the high-flying 1980s, make a comeback.
3. John Galliano will have a second act. The disgraced designer — who was toppled from his perch as creative director of Christian Dior in 2011 after making anti-Semitic remarks during a couple of drunken bar rants — faces redemption with his new post-rehab gig as creative director of Maison Martin Margiela. The flamboyant designer is considered by many to be an odd match for the understated brand. But he’s slated to show his first collection for Margiela’s higher-end “Artisanal” couture line on Jan. 15 in London. And he already has a vote of confidence from Anna Wintour, Vogue editor in chief and Condé Nast artistic director. She was the first to wear one of Galliano’s designs for Margiela, to the British Fashion Awards earlier this month, where Galliano presented Wintour the British Fashion Council’s outstanding achievement award.
4. Fashion’s revolving door will continue to spin. Other designer debuts to look out for in 2015? Peter Copping for Oscar de la Renta and a yet-to-be-named successor to Frida Giannini, who is leaving Gucci after her next womenswear presentation in February. (My bet is on Joseph Altuzarra.)
5. Tom Ford will have the highest-wattage fashion front row of the year. The red carpet favorite plans to present his fall 2015 collection in Los Angeles two days before the Oscars. If they gave a statuette for runway strategy, he’d win it hands down.
6. People will increasingly become their own designers. The cult of customization is going mainstream, spurred on by new technology. Look for opportunities to make 3-D printer cuff links, earrings, eyeglass frames, shoes, even dresses. The possibilities are endless.
