16
TRENDS
September style With the autumn/winter season approaching, and a plethora of jewellery and fashion events waiting to open their doors this month, Janet Fitch delivers some essential background trend information
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ummer is lovely, but I have to confess to a sense of relief when it’s over – even if there’s a last minute heat wave. Most of all, I enjoy seeing shop windows stocked with the new season’s merchandise after the slipshod summer sales displays. September, too, is crowded with shows to visit – IJL, Top Drawer, Origin, Prêt à Porter Paris, London Fashion Week, and at the end of the month, Goldsmiths’ Fair – with all the excitement of spotting new talent and outstanding collections for 2012. But let’s stick with this season and what’s in store. In fashion nowadays there is no single trend, but this autumn there are several desirable and wearable style statements to be seen. There’s the dominatrix, Miss Whiplash look; the tomboy, sharply tailored look; traditional British tweedy country style; sleek 40s or 50s glamour; or a 70s bohemian look. Add earthy tones of mustard, red and olive, lots of lace, lamé and defined waists, and you get the picture. More importantly, what are the trends in jewellery buying? I asked Nicholas James, a leading fine contemporary jewellery maker and retailer with a fashionable shop in Hatton Garden, for his opinion. I wondered whether his strikingly modern white shop front is daunting to customers in a street that is largely untouched by new design influences. “Not at all – people are tired of seeing the same things, and get a buzz from something different, although classic pieces still sell well. We sell only platinum, gold and also palladium for men’s rings. White gold is currently selling well, as platinum is so expensive. Rose gold and brown diamonds are having a real surge, as are coloured stones in general – blue sapphires in particular – and cocktail rings are popular. Customers making bespoke and wedding purchases like to take their time, and like to personalise a piece, taking part in the design, even if it’s only opting for a tiny diamond on the inside shank of a ring,” he explained. (www.nicholasjames.com) Jaana Jatyri is the founder of trend forecasting agency Trendstop, and predicts key trends for autumn/winter 2011/12 to include multi-cultural ethnic elements, Celine-
inspired new minimalism, and homespun rustic warmth. “The consumer is becoming increasingly savvy and more educated about trends, and, as a result, wants to buy the latest looks as soon as they read about them. In order to stay a step ahead of this accelerating trend cycle, retailers and brands have to become smarter and faster at finding those trends.” Good quality trend information is vital in today’s market, and you can visit the agency’s website on a free Trendstop TrendTracker app for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android phones. (www.trendstop.com) One name to watch out for is Alice Menter, launching at IJL, who transforms materials like nuts, washers and zips with gold or silver plating, multi chains, suede and semi-precious stones and beads to create jewellery that is industrial but looks glamorous and feminine and bang on trend. (www.alicementer.co.uk) Meanwhile, Mahtab Hanna’s spectacular catwalk creations have aroused great interest, and she has now produced a flattering and wearable range that is distinctively but subtly influenced by Middle Eastern politics, culture, architecture and nature. Black and white diamonds, gold and silver make the Sensory collection an elegant fusion of high fashion and detailed craftsmanship. (www.mahtab.co.uk) I plan to discover the world of jewellery in western Australia, at the exhibition at Lesley Craze Gallery in Clerkenwell, London, entitled ‘Cinderella’s Stories: Contemporary Jewellery from Western Australia’ and showing the work of seven contemporary Australian designers. The exhibition, from 9 September to 14 October, coincides with the visit of Dorothy Erickson to launch her book Gold and Silversmithing in Western Australia: A History, in which all seven are featured, as well as the story of jewellerymaking in this remote province, which was known as the Cinderella of the South until the discovery of fabulous quantities of gold in the 1880s. Dorothy Erickson will also be speaking to the Society of Jewellery Historians – an event which non-members are welcome to attend – at the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE at 6pm on 27 September. (www.lesleycrazegallery.co.uk)