To some, the end of September is all about cool breezes, Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Thanksgiving plans. To me, the end of September is all about Fashion Week — the global event that honors hardworking designers and their teams. Unfortunately, not many college students are fashionably aware of this international event.
This year, Fashion Week started on Sept. 5 in New York City. Most major cities, including Los Angeles, have their own Fashion Week events; however, the media direct its attention toward the four major pit stops on the fashion express: New York City, Milan, London and Paris.
If you haven’t seen many fashion shows, then going to YouTube channels like FashionTV and StyleTV might be confusing. The Fashion Week calendar doesn’t even remotely reflect the planner in your backpack. In September, designers showcase their spring collections. In February, designers present their fall collections. This may seem ludicrous, but the strange arrangement helps manufacturers that need time to produce items for the global market. It isn’t easy making more than 10,000 silk Gucci dresses. This punctuality also allows the designers to change or redesign anything that wasn’t well received by the audience.
Ultimately, it is the designer, or a label, that decides the trends. Trends don’t only last a season because styles, cuts and trends cross over from spring to fall and vice versa.
September 2013 Fashion Week, which is currently wrapping up in Paris, is definitely reminiscent of the 1990s, but with some twists. The beloved T-strap tank top, made popular by girl groups like Destiny’s Child and Spice Girls, was all over the NYC runway. Diane Von Furstenberg and Carolina Herrera showcased this high halter trend in their individual shows, too. The London label Topshop took this idea and ran with it, using a thin cross strap in the back of dresses and jumpers to give the same T-strap look in the front.
The shape of the season is triangle. This geometric shape could be seen all over the runway. In either textile or design, the triangle is definitely a statement figure.
While trends like bold geometric prints, hats, chunky jewelry and fluid cut dresses are eye catchers, the number one trend for Spring 2013 is open-toe laced booties. The edgy shoe choice was made by multiple designers including DVF, Carolina Herrera, Christopher Raeburn, Zoe Jordan, Topshop and many others. From NYC to Paris, this ankle-conscious trend was beloved by designers and audience members. Twitter was full of fans raving about how these military-inspired booties were the latest and hottest trend of the season.
So get ready for the bootie invasion that will soon every major shoe store. While not a completely innovative idea, the open-toe laced bootie is a refreshing reminder of our childhood style icons. Be sure to have fun with exchanging laces and even changing the color of your soles. Remember: be classy and fabulous.
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Follow Jacklyn Maza on Twitter: @jbizzmazzz
As published in the Oct. 3, 2013 issue of the Pepperdine Graphic.
