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Vol.07  Issue 01/05, 14.01.2007

Looking for Easiness –
Body & Beachwear Trends for Spring/Summer 2007

Introduced at BODY LOOK, 23. till 25. July 2006,
the International Trade Fair for Body, Beach and Legwear

Jolidon

In the run-up to BODY LOOK in Düsseldorf a team of creative minds, stylists and designers developed four trends for body and beachwear : "Fresh & Easy", "Scandinavian Cruise", "Expedition Sun" and "Sunset Souvenirs" form the fashion spectrum for the 2007 Spring/Summer season.

The general fashion picture for the 2007 Spring/Summer season is now more nofrills and concept-based. Looks are calmer and more harmonised, seemingly conflicting elements are reconciled, decorative elements look somehow familiar and modernity means minimisation.
Nevertheless, fashion remains versatile in terms of cut and colour, which are used in a level-headed manner mainly to stress the interaction of textures and patterns in vivid fabric surfaces. Tone-on-tone harmonies are gaining ground and in the wake of this calmness valuable materials and sophisticated surfaces are becoming more important.
The result is a kind of romantic minimalism which has little if nothing to do with that 90s minimalism. Creativity reveals its full potential using volumes and graphic art to come up with new shapes and proportions that exude power and liveliness. Styles "flow" around the body, underlining the wearer's personality rather than just their physical features. All in all, this brings about a young, ladylike chic that ties in with the girlish androgynity of the 60s and creates a new "passion for prettiness".

Maryan Mehlhorn

Fresh & Easy

A calm chic and flowing shapes strike the balance here between clarity and soft femininity. A fresh, powerful departure - setting off into the milky morning light, inspired by airy architecture and modern typography. The colour scheme is bright, light and unobtrusive.
Subtly graduated shades or fine line drawings make for discreet contrasts. Different white nuances from chalk and porcelain to pearl, creamy beige and pebble grey are in evidence here accentuated by anthracite and black. Fresh skin tones create new harmonies alongside milky pastel shades.
Mercerised and starched cotton, voile and crepon fabrics, flowing crepe and jersey perfectly convey this "crisp" fashion message with their silky, at times nearly skintype touch. Fine-line, straight-forward coloured wovens and graphic prints echo architecture and typography. Matt/dull effects and discreet reliefs add life to solids while embossing, coatings and cut-outs serve as modern decorations. The look is enhanced by tone-on-tone prints, irregular textures - either just printed on the fabric or as woven jacquards - fine-line patterns as well as abstract textures that copy nature. White prints and embroideries on blurred grounds or graphic embroidery and lingerie-look lace provide a romantic slant.

Sariana

Scandinavian Cruise

All types of blue shades are naturally indispensable to a summer trip along Nordic coasts exuding an optimistic and relaxed atmosphere. With Scandinavian matter-offactness classics and exquisite leisure wear are reinterpreted here thereby building a bridge between tradition and modernity.
Blue shades are predominant ranging from bluish white to dark navy. These are underlined by clear pastels and a few, radiant accent colours. Mint, crocus, creamic yellow, bright wooden tones and red nuances do away with those typical maritime associations.
Cotton also stands for naturalness here and comes in purist finishes at times and as piqué, micro-seersucker, denim or twill weave at others. Alongside sturdy materials soft terry cloth and jerseys also come into play. Some dyes look faded while the "ice finishes" exude a cool air. Matt/dull contrasts create stripes and checks, some colour blocks are tone-on-tone while others feature in traditional colour blocking. Stripes, naive gingham checks, small-format geometric patterns and ring stripes hone in on the maritime theme whereas florals are reminiscent of simple ceramic and chinaware patterns here. Finally, handkerchief checks and edge finishes are used for large-format foulards patterns.

Speidel

Expedition Sun

This is a masterful mix of rural, folklore reminiscences and a down-to-earth austerity that is reminiscent of burning sun and trips to far away countries. This theme deliberately foregoes decorative opulence depending instead on a well-balanced mix of decorations and details to conjure up a multi-coloured, temperamental yet sensual version of summer holidays spent on the countryside.
Key tones here are dried-up organic brown and beige hues "stirred up" with khaki, grass, bronze, earthy tones, mahogony, spice colours, poppy red, papaya, violet and rich succulent greens.
Nature provided the blueprint here for silk and linen textures. Jersey and woven fabric surfaces imitate little burls and graduated colour shades are stressed even further by elaborate cross-dyeing. Velours and brushed finishes are reminiscent of leather and fishnet and braided textures are just as much part of this theme as cowboy romanticism with sporty jeans, denim and leather. Fine woven patterns or prints "neutralise" the multi-coloured scheme, patterns favour ikat patterns and placed tie-dye effects.
Silk jacquards with patterned warps exude a South American flair, prints mix farmer styling and latino motifs with ethnic elements. Embroidery and lace feature both multi-coloured motifs and grounds enhancing the overall picture as much as gingham checks and flower-stripe combinations. Spanish toreros are the source of inspiration for fringes, braids and decorative trims.

Taubert

Sunset Souvenirs

... present a subtle interplay of colours reminiscent of summery sunsets and faded sepia photographs. The atmosphere is sensual with reserved romanticism, decorative details are noble but discreet. Couture meets lingerie for styles that score on soft, flowing forms and whose attitude exudes from hyper-femininity to restrained androgynity.
The colour scheme includes mystic intermediates and delicate pastels such as faded pale blue, purple, copper and violet, brightened up by white while such metallics as copper, bronze and brass "cast" the last few rays of sunshine onto fabrics. Their key characteristics are the soft drape of silk and the natural appeal of linen and cotton. Subtle colour effects and shadings are produced by the layering of fine and delicate materials. Tie-dye patterns, dégradés, shadow patterns and embroidery on lighter grounds are just as appealing as placed prints and lace with a tattoo-type effect - an effect occasionally also produced by two-tone jacquards.
Accordion pleats, plaits and drapes add texture to surfaces while cross-dying, washes and pigment dyeing are used to create used looks. Graphic motifs draw on inspirations from Impressionism and Art Déco. This portfolio of patterns is rounded off by tone-on-tone florals, cross-dyed Liberty prints, wallpaper and retro stripes, checks on lighter backgrounds as well as soft-focus photo prints and graduated colour shades.

To the general Fashion Fairs Calendar 2007
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