Above is one of my favorite silk velvet scarves, made by my friend and textile artist Toni Nordness.  She has done many wonderful colorations and this just fit my wardrobe perfectly. To talk the latest trend path, I want to give you a silk example to visualize.

So….we are all headed in the direction of the passions that stir us and this includes the love of craft, art and the notion of romantic trends. This goes farther out, beyond the 80’s styles and will begin to really start to infiltrate our world as we move into the “internet of things” and data cloud worlds. Our future is as much a document of code as it is a contribution to its chaos. The survival of it all will be through our embrace of the finer things that have been crafted and perfected through individual care and thought. Not artificial, but deeply sympathetic to our human needs.

I propose we are headed to a time when 3 D printed materials will become the norm, but the association with handmade will be more so bespoke and treasured than ever before. The artists and craftsman who so love their creating processes will be celebrated, and the tech that will infuse will be purely to amuse and juxtapose that which came from the heart.

To start the journey I will re-introduce a crafted elegant fabric that has been popping up on such fall 16 runways as Ellie Saab and Schiaparelli Couture. This textile was developed originally in the Far East and was associated with royal dressage.  It has since been expanded from silk and cashmere to other fiber types such as cotton and rayon. There is much on the history of velvet, but that I will discuss more in the next 2 years as the trend moves from fashion/autos  to home, you can keep touch on this thread.

My focus today is the trend’s emergence, so let me identify one craftsman who knew of velvet’s true potential, Mr. Mariano Fortuny. He was a legendary clothing designer and textile manufacturer of the 20th century and well known throughout the Art Nouveau movement. He would open a publically held joint-stock company called the Societe Anonima Fortuny in 1919 and exhibit at the influential trade fair in Paris, the Exposition des Arts Décoratif. Viewers went into ecstasies over his work- the perfection of silks, their jewel like colors, and sheer splendor of the patterns.¹  I introduce Mr. Fortuny to say this, the craftsmanship and care to develop such exquisite and singular pieces will also become the differentiate for the bespoke of the future. Be watchful of the rebellion of the IOT for those who can afford to go off the grid and choose artesian fare, it is the exclusive make of the heartfelt that luxury will survive by. It will in fact influence the rest of the world’s passion and I hope to see the designer/craftsperson be paid for true handiwork and thoughtful composition of material and color.  Keep looking for the trends that will push aside the IOT and cloud data.  There will be no AI (artificial intelligence) in this trend but all the consciousness of the art it creates. Enjoy your day and look for the things that took heart and soul and a gift of hand.

¹ Anne-Marie Deschodt, Doretta Davanza Poli.  Fortuny (2001) Harry N. Abrams Inc   p.63

Confirming trends:

Vogue-Velvet fall evening wear

Velvet revolution

Shoe trends

Men’s takes on velvet

CHIC velvet

velvet heels on Gabrielle Union

6 pieces every girl needs for PFW