Fall/Winter 2013 'It Looks'

Every season we talk about the trends that we see grace the stages of international fashion weeks and the inspiration behind the looks. It’s almost as though one single person has plucked the idea out of the air, drawn the garments on paper, sent them to production and slapped them on a mannequin. Who would actually consider that sociological inspiration of fashion?

I recently returned from experiencing a once in a lifetime view of the inner workings of the luxury fashion world in no place other than Paris, France. With the help of L’Oreal Professionnel, myself along with 25 colleagues, were taken on a journey of understanding where our seasonal looks come from, how they are interpreted and why we are psychologically drawn to them.

Before the Internet we saw changes in fashion everysix months during seasonal changes. Today we get inspiration constantly with the enormous fascination of celebrity, so much so that we can’t even focus on celebrity looks too much since they change so often. People like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Demi Lavato and Beyonce seem to change styles daily. It’s created an explosion of micro-trends making it difficult to plan your next look.

One thing is very clear though, the connection between hair, fashion and the stock exchange remains forever present. That’s right, I said stock exchange. If we look back over history we can see evidently where recessions have taken place (for example, the 30’s, 80’s and most recently in 2008). As markets dropped so did the hemlines and hairlines. During times of a depressed economy people become more reserved. Clothing becomes more conservative with longer length skirts and dresses and also longer hair.

During the economic upswings however, hemlines get shorter and so does the hair. People are more willing to flaunt what they have and become more frivolous. During the 90’s the most popular cut was the sassy ‘Rachel’ played by Jennifer Anniston from ‘Friends’.

Photo: Contributed

Where does that leave us today? Five years after portfolios plummeted in 2008 we are on the upswing. How can we tell? Beyonce cut off her hair. Have we ever seen Beyonce with a shorter style? Nope! Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha also opted for a shorter crop recently and let's not forget about Miley. Okay, we won’t go there.

Fall/Winter 2013 'It Looks' are inspired by runways, celebrity and street style. Women take inspiration from everywhere! The hottest tones in colour vary from icy cold blondes, rose-gold-strawberry blondes and cool icy browns.

In terms of cuts we see the return of the bob (Beyonce’s latest), retro waves (smooth roots, wavy ends) and the modern chignon, a slight undone updo.

People may think fashion is superficial and frivolous. However it’s really sociological. That’s rarely something you consider when you walk into a store to buy your season’s hottest looks. I’ve learned that we don’t need a crystal ball to predict stocks, just watch the hemlines on the skirts of your favourite celebs!

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.