Fashion trends & tips for 2010

Pret & fusion designer Archana Kocchar shares what 2010 has in store for the fashion conscious.

Archana Kocchar

Have you wished goodbye to 2009, but not sure in which dress to welcome 2010? Want to be one step ahead in your social circle in this new year? Read on, for the fashion horoscope 2010… Style statement 2010 underlines the beginning of a new decade, giving us a fresh platform to innovate and create new style statements. After an overdose of exaggerated 80’s fashion flashback, its going to be the start of neo-minimalism or rather a modern romantic phase where fluid and constructed lines will happily reside with each other, generating a new look. For men, it’s about sporting high-octane styles in vibrant colours, which are carefree in attitude, but still have a stylish niche which bespoke the emergence of experimental fashion conscious men. For women, it’s about dressing in sophisticated clean style lines. It’s about reworking on the classic staples and reviving them in modern context. Eco-consciousness along with an emphasis on comfort dressing and customization will introduce a new genre of do-it yourself dressing, which gives freedom to the wearer to develop his or her own signature look. Colours The contrasting palettes, which would be strong for 2010 spring, comprises lively sets of vibrant sorbet shades of tomato, canary yellow, strawberry to Laguna blue and soft colour family of dusty rose, flesh, granite, beige and lilac. The new Black for Summer 2010 is the tangy orange. It’s such a powerful hue that a tinge of it saturates the rest of the wardrobe in its flavor of fierce fashionista. Trends In the coming year, the draped and the sculpted look is going to be in vogue in a major way for women with focus on detailing like tucks, pleats and ruffles and using embroideries in form of textures. Innovative materials are replacing the traditional material in embellishments and more fluid fabrics like Viscose blend fabrics, light weight lycras along with eco friendly soya fabric, bamboo fabric, etc. Accessories Accessories are unavoidable in modern-day dressing. This coming season, invest in timeless door knob sized cocktail rings with interesting rock details. Contrasting pairs of patent pumps in sunny yellow, orange or electric blue will brighten your regular little black dress, little white dress and would add panache to your regular jean tee shirt look. Statement neckpieces, in form of heavy beaded multi-stranded necklaces, couture embroidery, bib pieces etc. instantly amplify the simple dress into fashion master piece. Metrosexual man Let me put it in this way, the metro sexual man is now more of urban masculinity. It’s not about muscles neither is it about wearing pink. It’s about the modern man with well manicured, powerful hands. Party style for 2010 Think the Disco way– glittery sparkling party animals coloured in fearless neon palette, shocking and celebrating the free spirit of the retro life. Add shine in your wardrobe this party season in form of patent appliqué jackets for men teamed with leather pants or chunky knits dazzled with crystal brooches. For ladies, dazzle in short sequined minis, bright pop color overcoats and lavishly garnished with crystal jewellery. Worst of 2009 Never loved, never liked the over the top power dressing. Too much of 80’s has been injected in the last year and it’s time for us to wear those flirty dresses and girly skirts and put to rest that double padded jackets and androgynous dressing. Best of 2009 Thank God with the 80’s fashion Tsunami, we also got the lost shine back on our matt fashion shore. I was pleased to see things sparkling sophisticatedly become fashionable once again. (The pret, diffusion and couture fashion designer Archana Kocchar is launching a Pret line and a resort collection for Spring at the Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai in March.)