The A-Z Trend Report

All the trends you need to know for autumn/winter 2011-12

A 

Androgyny: Girls dress like boys and men wear dresses (well, Daniel Craig did on International Women’s Day). 

B

Boozy Colours: Burgundy, claret, cider – at Victoria Beckham,Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, everywhere in London, Fendi,Gucci, Haider Ackermann, Celine, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu. 

C

Colour: If the overall trend is for warm, autumnal colours, it was still sometimes eye-popping. It was the talk of New York: Michael Korswent with amazing block colour, Thakoon with red and blue, black and yellow and print. Also, Gucci, Alberta Ferretti, Burberry Prorsum, Jonathan Saunders, Charles Anastase, Roksanda Ilincic, Osman, Paul & Joe, Lanvin went for headline hues – and Alexandra Shulman told VogueTV that she was particularly impressed with the London colour palette.

D

Domintarix/Fetish: At Giles, Marc Jacobs, Antonio Berardi,Marios Schwab; Boy George had a dominatrix as his date at theWestwood Red Label show; also at Viktor and Rolf and Givenchy,Louis Vuitton, McQueen bondage straps, Versus, Gaultier; Lady Gaga – the ultimate fetish poster girl – took to the catwalk for Mugler.

E

Everything, all together: Mix sequins with fake fur with tweed with leather with wool with rubber with goat hair with mink with fox with plastic. Please refer to T. 

F

Forties elegance: Galliano, Gucci, Miu Miu, Jonathan Saunders. Add a pair of elbow-length gloves, if nothing else. 

G

Gender play: Andrej Pejic modelled for Jean Paul Gaultier, Ann Sofie-Back was inspired by porn and men looking at cars and lots of designers looked to boyswear for girls – Stella, Balenciaga, Balmain,Celine, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel included, plus Emilio Pucciand Jonathan Saunders added menswear for the first time. 

H

Homespun: House of Holland and Christopher Kane’s crochet; handicraft fabrics (think corduroy and blanket-fringed tweed), atRodarte, Erdem, Charles Anastase, John Rocha, Vanessa Bruno, Prada, Mulberry, Margaret Howell, Hermes, Sonia Rykiel, Valentino. 

I

Is She Or Isn’t She? The Kate Middleton wedding dress debate goes on and on. McQueen is currently in the lead. 

J

John Galliano: Fashion Week’s big story - read all about it here. 

K

Kates: Middleton; Moss on the catwalk at Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu bringing proceedings to a close with Kate Bush. 

L

Longer length skirts: Dries, Chloe, Balenciaga, Roland Mouret,Antonio Marras. If you can’t cope with the mid-length, take it all the way to the floor. 

M

Mary Janes: At Topshop Unique, Christopher Kane, Kinder ,Fendi, Prada, Vivienne Westwood and Louis Vuitton. 

N

Nostalgia: The state of the world has us hankering for the good old days. Take your pick from the Sixties or the Forties. 

O

O is for going dotty for spots and circles: Marc Jacobs started it and almost everybody wanted a little of it until Stella who didn’t hold back.

P

Feature Prints: Dots (got that?); baroque (Jonathan Saunders,Versace), Henry Holland’s bird cages; photographic flowers atGiambattist Valli; Stella’s broken glass; Miu Miu’s glittering spring flowers; enlarged feathers at Ungaro, Givenchy’s panthers,Marc by Marc Jacobs’ lions or pen and ink swirls at Balenciaga or Cacharel. 

Q

Questions, questions: What will Kate wear? Who’ll get the job atDior? 

R

Royals and Revolution: Peter Pilotto and Todd Lynn were inspired by revolution, Charles Anastase gave us medieval princesses, Giles was inspired by Lady Jane Grey, PPQ and Vivienne Westwood went royal on us with crowns, Pam Hogg, Yohji Yamamoto and Manish Arora did crinolines, plus neck ruffs at Yves Saint Laurent, crusaders at Viktor & Rolf. Oh yes, and theMcQueen rumours for the royal wedding (did we mention that?). 

S

Skirts over trousers: Everybody’s doing it. 

T

Texture overload: Texture play is what it’s all about. Please refer to E. 

U

Undulating: Spring/summer 2011’s pleats are still going strong. Prettiest at Valentino. Fierce at Viktor & Rolf. 

V

Victoriana: Giles, Westwood Red Label, Temperley, Meadham Kirchhoff, Mulberry, Emilio de la Morena, Marc Jacobs, Fendiand Just Cavalli. 

W

Wixson, Lindsey: She walked for Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan,Rodarte, Viktor & Rolf, Prada and then got sent home for being allergic to make-up. 

X

X Marks the Spot: Checks and spots, everywhere (Marni, Missoni,Burberry, Sportmax, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana,David Koma, Louise Gray, Comme des Garcons; Celine had a jumper with a big X on the front. Even Valentino embroidered lace in to checks on coats). 

Y

Yellow: A touch of it doesn’t hurt - Victoria Beckham; D&G; Anna Della Russo in head-to-toe yellow at Milan Fashion Week; Celine;Givenchy. 

Z

Zoological: Feathers everywhere; a real hawk at Hermes; a cockerel on Coco Rocha’s head at Moschino; Miu Miu and Jonathan Saunders’ swallow prints. Wild animals too – Givenchy’s panthers,Ungaro’s wolves; Marc by Marc Jacobs’ lions – and dogs: Dalmatians at Topshop; real ones on the catwalk at Mulberry and Emporio Armani.