Fashion Column by Susan Young--Fashion Week Musings
Fashion Journals:
Thoughts about Style versus
Trends,
and Other Musings from
Fashion Week Fall 2017
Written by Susan Young, co-creator home textile and
wallpaper company, root cellar designs; artist and former fashion designer
Paul Smith Spring 2018
photo, kim weston arnold via Vogue.com
Considering we
are in the throes of fashion weeks across the globe, the words “trend, trendy, and
trending” are top of mind. Who can argue these as relevant topics to fashion,
and even to a lesser degree the home market? On that note, today, I begin by exploring the true meaning
of the word “trend” before we continue on our style journey. Next, we’ll take a
look at three major looks I have seen both on the street and on the runway,
and how they influence our decorating of homes as well.
Marni collection Spring 2018
photo via Vogue.com, Kim Weston Arnold
when it comes to fashion, trend is an adjective describing
the word vogue, vogue being
something that is a prevailing fashion or style at a particular time. ~dictionary.com
Part of my job as co-creator of a home textile brand is to look at what is trending in fashion
on the street, and compare that to the direction designers are headed for the future. Since fashion and home dovetail on many fronts, I look directly
to the fashion world for many cues for root cellar designs. I have noted three “trends” prevailing for
spring, yet many of these are not new, and have been popular over again in prior seasons. This recurrence transcends the concept of trends, and is better
suited in my mind to be lauded as styles
with stamina- in other words, they got them some legs! Staying power is a
joy to witness, and speaks volumes for the creativity, insight and intuition of
the designer, as well as credit the consumer with intelligent purchasing to
boot since these are pieces we want to wear repeatedly and hence saves us from
becoming “slaves to fashion” and making our closet irrelevant. In other words, fashion is not as trendy as
the industry leads us to believe. I
still own two floral dresses from the pre-grunge era from marc jacobs' wildly
successful first solo collection for Perry Ellis, and I wear them with great
pleasure!
We already know
this about our homes, and although we may want to bring the latest trending
looks into our home, we also long for staying power. At root cellar designs we
work hard to meld classic design with what is new and forward thinking, and
hence we help our clients to keep things fresh. Now, let’s look at what I see trending in fashion this
season…
The resurgence of floral: staying power and constantly being reinvented.
florals have been blooming for the last several seasons, were heavy in the Fashion Week 2017 back in February, and are blossoming down the runway for the Spring 2018 as well with Marc Jacobs leading the pack showing his own floral interpretation in various shapes, sizes and vibes. Being a pioneer in fashion and home makes for success—and here I turn back to Jacobs, and if it was not for his dismissal from Perry Ellis in 1993, he may never had created the Seattle street-smart, heroin-chic floral dresses and flannels everyone still loves today. Jacobs faced wrath from many after sending out this first solo collection, yet it was the collection that launched his provocative and brilliant career and was most likely the catalyst of one of the many prolific looks this fall season—florals. These new florals are “granny couch” florals with a funky look to them.
florals for the home as well...
interior designer/blogger
using root cellar designs' Gardenia Swirl, Noir
We debuted our Gardenia Swirl pattern last spring, and it is a funky floating pattern offered on three different color backgrounds-- indigo, noir and white. Recently, interior design blogger, Kim Macumber utilized this wallpaper to transform her country-style dining room and give it a fresh, new modern appeal. 
FUR is back!
From varying
versions of faux to the genuine article, fur has stamina and is shown season
after season. It showed heavily in Spring 2018 despite the
obvious temperature differences between fall and spring. Fur is here to stay
and even with its controversial ideology, many cannot stay away from fur both
in fashion and in the home market.
Faux ideas For the Home:
root cellar designs' wallpaper, Marge has a faux-animal appeal
Flannels are super casual, cozy and still going strong
Credit here must be given to Jacobs as well, and also shown for several seasons prior, we see these hustling down the runway for next spring/summer, and showing up in the classic oversized button down version to frocks. I agree with vogue.com’s official fall ‘trend” report, in that there are so many interesting looks for this season from high victorian collars, button up styles, the “russian doll”, heavy with ruffles and embroidery, and of course velvet which is showing literally from head to toe. All of these will add a savvy hippness to your personal style. Flannels show our desire to create "cozy" a place where we can meld casual with fashionable, and of course, we all long for that sentiment in our home. Who doesn't love to snuggle on the sofa with wrapped in a luxurious throw, maybe a flannel print?
Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2018
These three tends speak to our collective tactile desire of combining style and comfort--the cozy feel of flannel, the luxury of fur, and the happy place floral brings us! As we head into a busy Fall 2017, keep these recurring trending items at the front of your closet, and remember they look fabulous in your home to boot!
Happy Fashion
Happy Home
xo Susan
(right) sporting a flannel-ish pattern from my own fashion private label at Design On A Dime eventshowing root cellar designs with my Tamara (left)
