ISSUE ONE -
EDITOR & CHIEF JESSICA GREENE
Off.
A Futur e Tr e nd Bri ef i n g
MENS & WOMENS
AUTUMN WINTER 2016-2017
ARTIFICIAL
MENS AND WO MENS
AW16 /17 TREND F ORECAST
WHERE THE BEAUTIFUL AND CORROSIVE COLLIDE
PREFACE 4 INTRODUCTION 5 TREND DRIVERS 6-7 TREND BRIEFING 8 - 34 PANTONES 35 MATERIALS 36 TREND TAKEAWAYS 37 REFERENCES 38 -
PRE FACE Elemental; the Autumn Winter 2016/17 trend forecasted by trend agency WGSN is an appreciation of nature and the elements but unlike Artificial, it fails to acknowledge the rapidly dilapidating state of our elements. Elemental is defined as a free roaming spirit - Moving from the ruggedness of the outdoors to the inner calm that can be found indoors. Whereas Artificial is not so free ‌ Artificial is concerned - taking caution and seeking protection in the clothing choices made. Artificial is a true reflection of what is manifesting around us. It does not ignore the current state of our climate and cloak it in lofty air-spun yarn knits coated in a muted colour palette. No, artificial reflects and highlights the problem by making it centre of this Autumn Winter 2016/17 trend forecast. The toxic, yet beautiful collision of creativity offers an alternative to those who are brave enough to stand out from the crowd.
INTR ODUC T I ON Artificial is unnatural yet beautiful. Scientifically manipulated, de-constructed garments are laced with the toxic sheen of an oil spill. It has intensity and friction as the abnormal and corrosive collide.
TREND DRIVERS —
Chimera by Shai Langen: The liquid latex garment is a malleable body, where plastic parasitic substances emulate the immaterial, intuitively revealing its architect.
Smog Couture by Tino Seubert: German artist Tino Seubert dyes clothing with airborne pollution to make invisible harmful toxins visible.
Masha Ma Spring Summer 2015: featuring high-fashion pollution masks as ‘Airpocalypse’ hits China. Ma’s fashion statement in was a rare moment of Haute Couture meeting social consciousness.
Smog Ring by Daan Roosegaarde: Features compressed smog particles, each high-end ring supports the cleaning of 1000m3 of polluted air.
Brass Ringo: A World of Madness (2014)
Silent Ink by Cai GuoQiang: Featured in the The Ninth Wave exhibition. A 250 square meter lake excavated out of the gallery floor that has been filled with 20,000 litres of black ink in order to resemble a toxic oil spill.
TREND DRIVERS —
Liquified (2013) by Bart Hess: inspired by the Photoshop filter that allows you to “liquify” images. Liquified is a post-digital still life in which the material seems to grow and mutate on the wearers skin.
Iris van Herpen Autumn Winter 2015/16
Air Pollution ‘Causing Deadly Public Health Crisis’. There are an estimated 29,000 deaths annually in the UK from air pollution.
Eyal Gever: Israeli Artist uses 3D printing to recreate natural disasters caused by the current climate crisis and rising pollution levels.
Laura Bowker: Jacket that changes colour due to the amount of heat emitted in the atmosphere.
Chromat Autumn Winter 2015-16
OIL SPILL
OIL SPILL Inspired by the toxic state of our environment, the oil spilt sheen drips from everyday garments to illustrate the disturbing reality of our current climate. Hosiery from German brand URB takes inspiration from the unsettling imagery of natures beautiful wildlife becoming victim to the hazardous oil spills that have taken place over recent years. Exhibitions like the Ninth Wave home to installation Silent Ink also explore the same catastrophic environmental truths. Fearless fashion statements are made when adopting this trend direction, as creativity takes a plunge into an oil infested pool where the innovators prepare to make bold fashion statements.
LIQUID LATEX
LIQUID LATEX Toxic oil spills are one of the largest contributing factors to the deadly public health and wildlife crisis, with roughly 14,468 tonnes of oil spilt into the worlds oceans from the start of 2013 (ITPOF, 2014). This trend direction is therefore profoundly provocative — seeking to make daring statements in a society that no longer uses fashion as a catalyst for social change and uproar. Chromat’s Autumn Winter 2015-16 sees a black oozing substance act as an impenetrable shroud, an inky black sheen latex engulfing everything it comes in contact with, much like an oil spill.
TOXIC POOL
TOXIC POOL Eerie luminescence and mutating shades of mauve and green blend beautifully to resemble a hazardous oil pool. This trend direction is the perfect example of the collision of toxicity and beauty. The deep colourways remain offbeat to the muted colour palette of Elemental, and inject life into this defiant trend. Gradient colour manipulations update everyday clothing as materials are edited with a waxy coating — giving effect of a toxic pool.
APOCALYPTIC UTILITY
APOCALYPTIC UTILITY Set in a dystopian future, consequential of the soaring climate crisis, survivors turn to a post apocalyptic utility style. This trend direction offers the antithesis to Elementals ‘Soft Utility’ — Apocalyptic Utility understands the dilapidating state of the environment and therefore prepares consumers to combat its profound forces. The dark under lying tone, in this particular trend direction see’s dark colourways, leathers and rigid structures spawned from a survival instinct.
WEATHERED WARRIOR
WEATHERED WARRIOR Weathered Warrior is also a nod to a post apocalyptic style set in a dystopian wasteland. Manipulated materials offer a sense of protection from blistering winds and scorching climates. Unlike Elemental, which is a free wondering soul, Weathered Warrior understands and respects the destructive capabilities of our environmental forces. Therefore garments are manufactured using heavy materials which act as a protective shield. Activewear allows weathered warriors to shift quickly from shelter to shelter, seeking protection from a poisonous environment.
CORROSIVE CLOUD
CORROSIVE CLOUD Corrosive Cloud makes the invisible, visible. Air pollution is estimated to cause 29,000 deaths annually, in the UK alone (BBC, 2015) however, in most cases its lingering toxicity is invisible and we have become blind to the corrosive cloud that hangs over our environment. German artist; Tino Seubert dyes clothing with airborne pollution to make invisible harmful toxins visible. Off tones of grey resemble that of a corrosive cloud. While Elemental reminds blind to dangers of air pollution Artificial aims to make consumers aware of the hazardous elements that we share our living space with.
SMOG COUTURE
SMOG COUTURE Also addressing the issue of air pollution head on, is the trend direction; Smog Couture. Smog Couture resembles an unclear outlook of our surroundings, much like the effect of smog in the environment. Plastic latex based materials distort and restrict vision, to personify being caught in a smog cloud. This almost sheer material rejects conventional autumn winter trends and runs in the opposite direction from Elemental’s cocooning knits.
MASKED
MASKED Masha Ma’s and Chromat’s Spring Summer 2015 collection saw high fashion smog masks parade down the catwalk, in a rare moment where fashion intertwined with social consciousness. Unlike Elemental; who is a free roaming spirit, Artificial is cautious seeking protection in the clothing choices made — this is categorised by trend direction; Masked. Masked sees smog masks become a part of everyday attire. Leather, laced and embellished designs camouflage danger with a calming aesthetic.
CORROSIVE DECONSTRUCTION=+
CORROSIVE DECONSTRUCTION Corrosive Deconstruction brings to life the otherwise invisible toxins in our atmosphere, with clothes falling apart at the seams, a corrosive force takes a toll on winter garments. The deconstructed, weathered clothing brings to life an unnatural acidic threat. With colourways remaining minimal, the material manipulation and deconstruction is central to this trend direction. Elemental is based within a comforted style, whereas Artificial runs from this notion in Corrosive Deconstruction whereby bare skin is exposed through the weathered materials.
MUTATION
MUTATION Mutation is unnatural, synthetic and disturbing. With increase in pollution levels species are beginning to mutate to produce unsettling realities, and clothing is following in the same path. This unconventional directional trend is situated far outside of the box, and a complete rejection from the norm. Materials become adaptable as second skin clothing looks as though it is mutating on the wearers skin. Bart Hess’s Liquified and Shai Langen’s Chimera demonstrate a liquid latex garment which is a malleable body, where plastic parasitic substances emulate the immaterial, intuitively revealing its architect.
EXTINCTION
EXTINCTION Wildlife is one of the most sensitive indicators of the current climate crisis, with extinction rates at an all time high (National Geographic, 2015). This trend direction caters for the trend setters, the creative muses and innovators as large headpieces, animalistic styling and netted materials come to the fashion forefront. Gareth Pugh’s Spring Summer 2015 collection along with Barbara Gongini Autumn Winter 2013-14 collection, both show glimpses of this unsettling truth, with designs depicting wildlife caught in nets and animal skulls. This particular direction is all things weird and wonderful, but with a serious message to convey styling remains dark and edgy.
DECAY
DECAY Elemental focuses on the soft, silent beauty of our environment and its inexorable progeny which manifests in the form of flowers, whereas Artificial deals with a more pressing matter at hand — the decay of our elements. Once a beautiful product of nature now sees a dark, decayed end. This unnatural direction is bound by deep colourways and a rustic colour palette. Florals have crept their way into trends of every season for years, this direction is considered the ‘death of florals’ and encourages consumers to be innovative and think outside of the box when considering print.
MARBLED POOL
MARBLED WATER POLLUTION Even though deadly and toxic, Marbled Pollution celebrates the exquisite imagery produced in a toxic pool. Marbled effect print in shades of green, orange and red resemble a pool infested with deadly substances. Marbled Pollution is where beauty and danger collide to produce an unexpected matrimony of fluidity as alluring imagery is composed.
PANTONES — Predominantly comprising of black tones this trend also sees dark colourways and mutating shades of mauve and green, which resemble a toxic infested pool. While electric accents of mustard and orange inject colour into this resilient trend.
ONYX
DEEP GREY
MUSTARD
TEAL
BRICK RED
ACIDIC ORANGE
INK
INDIGO
MATERIALS — Materials range from robust leathers, indicative of a sense of protection, to fragile, deconstructed knits and cottons. Waxy coating and latex resemble the sheen of a toxic oil spill. Whilst mutating malleable materials, such as liquid latex offer an unnatural, unprecedented outlook on materials.
TREND TAKEAWAYS —
• Dark colourways and mutating shades of mauve and green are essential to this trend . Whilst the use of electric accents inject colour into this defiant Autumn Winter 2016-17 trend. • Artificial sees the use of materials, such as a latex resembling the toxic sheen of an oil spill. • Materials range from the robust and protective to the fragile deconstructed materials that have become victim to the corrosive atmosphere. • In Artificial mutating-like materials come to life on the wearers skin, creating a disturbing visual and sensory experience that is unprecedented when discussing future fashion trends. • The dilapidating state of the environment is monitored by the decay and death of its wildlife and elements. Therefore the death of florals sees a reliable print go extinct from the fashion lexicon, as consumers demand innovation and creativity.
REFERENCES —
URB Hosiery
Gosia Baxczynska Spring Summer 2014
Gloria Coelho Spring Summer 2013
Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2010
Minoar Spring Summer 2015
Lily Gatins Street Style 2014
Off. ‘Off’ challenge the views of some of the most powerful trend agencies operating in a crowded marketplace — offering an alternative to those brave enough to stand out. Questioning the views and ideas of those in power. ‘Off’ encourage people to run from what is comfortable and reject what the crowd is doing. ‘Off’ is s an online trend forecasting agency for innovation, consumer, and culture research. -
December 2014 -
www.off.co.uk off_trendagency@outlook.co.uk -
Editor & Chief Jessica Greene