FASHION TRENDJOURNAL VOL. 2 FASH 503
Smalika Verma 16/04/2017
COLDSHOULDER Currently seen on the streets of most cities, the Cold Shoulder is a popular yet easybreezy style set by the high end fashion world and moved on after the trend filtered down. The "cold shoulder" is an updated take on cut-outs and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The first person to apply the term ‘cold shoulder’ to fashion was the designer Donna Karan, who included a dress she called Cold Shoulder in her 1992 collection. In her 2015 memoir, My Journey, she recalls that she had “two thoughts in mind” when she created the style: “First, a woman never gains weight in her shoulders, so everyone is happy to bare them. Second, it would look conservative under a jacket by day and super sexy at night.”
Source: Image 1 (WGSN), Image 2 (Alexander McQueen), Image 3 (Yohji Yamamoto)
HISTORY The spring 2016 runways were filled with shoulder-baring ensembles but this trend has been on-and-off the scene since the mid 1800s. Couturier Charles Frederick Worth designed elaborate dresses, many of which featured bodices with off-the-shoulder sleeves. Donna Karan dressed former First Lady Hillary Clinton in 1933 with a black jersey, full sleeved gown with cut outs at the shoulder.
Brigitte Bardot put her own sexy spin on this look during the 1960s, wearing off-theshoulder tops with everything from midi skirts to pants. Her signature smouldering-yeteffortless French Riviera style is still emulated today on the runway, the red carpet and even the sidewalk.
Source: Image 1 (Donna Karan, 1933), Image 2 (Norma Kamali), Image 3 (House of Dior), Image 4 (Chanel, 1930)
BRIGITTE BARDOT French actress, singer and fashion model, Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was one of the pioneers who made the off-shoulder look become runway and routine. She singlehandedly made it chic, pairing them with everything from full midi skirts to cropped pants.
The Bardot neckline (a wide open neck that exposes both shoulders) was also named after her. Bardot popularized this style which is especially used for knitted sweaters or jumpers although it is also used for other tops and dresses.
Source: Image 1 (Harper’s Bazaar), Image 2 (Vogue Archives)
CELEBCHECK Trickled down fashion has usually been carried out by celebrities around the fashion industry. From the likes of Kendal Jenner sporting a Donna Karan turtleneck grey dress to Margot Robbie flattering the Elie Saab 2017 collection. Way back in 2013, Cara Delevingne graced the Vogue Australia cover wearing a cold shoulder wedding gown. Dakota Johnson, Taylor Swift, BeyoncĂŠ Knowles, Chrissy Teigen, etc. have been spotted carrying off the cold-shoulder look on a casual basis.
Source: Image 1 (Donna Karan), Image 2 (Vogue Australia) Image 3 (Elie Saab)
DONNA KARAN The woman behind Clinton’s most iconic dresses—the black, coldshoulder jersey number she wore in 1993 was designed and styled by Donna Karan. With her brand in 1988, DKNY, she believes in the power of creativity and collaboration and that trends like off-the-shoulder and cold-shoulder fall in the cycle of fashion continuity. They are Fashion Classics. “Believe in the power of an off-theshoulder silhouette. It flatters every single body type.”
Source: Image 1 (Forbes), Image 2 (WGSN Image Archives)
RUNWAY A variety of fashion designers have picked up the Cold Shoulder trend ever since Donna Karan made it a statement with Clinton. The cold shoulder top — which leaves skin bare between strap and sleeve — has been flying off shelves. The look has been translated into dresses, jumpsuits, and even bridal gowns and swimwear. The first glimmer of the bare-shoulder craze was from an unsurprising place: On the catwalk. Pieces with a ’70s-era vibe have been hot for several seasons, and off-the-shoulder pieces — especially flowy, diaphanous ones — fit into that. Plus, ’90s-style knitwear seems to be mounting something a comeback, and the J.C. Penney team is looking to Cuba for more inspiration on color palettes and silhouettes. Teens and millennials might go for a full-fledged clavicle-baring style, while older, more traditional shoppers might like a split-sleeve iteration that shows just a sliver of triceps.
Source: Image 1 (NYFW Fall 2017), Image 2 (Ffixxed Stuidos, Shanghai Fashion Week, WWD) Image 3 (Derek Lam)
EASYROUTINE Exposed shoulders have made huge waves in 2016, carrying onto 2017. According to The Guardian, “the cold shoulder look originated with the world's obsession with Brigitte Bardot in the 1950s and '60s, as her signature looks involved off-the-shoulder tops and dresses.� As style has evolved over the decades, it has come to involve more shoulder cut-outs than off-the-shoulder tops, and been renamed to reflect the current era. Silhouettes vary from fitted armband-like cuffs, geometric cut-outs, billowing sleeves and stretchy elastic bands to structured shirting and simple drapes. Cold Shoulder has even found its way into athleisure. Fabrics and details: raw edges, woven knits, delicate lace, chiffon, pearl trim, elastic bands, suiting, simple cottons.
Source: Image 1 (Pinterest), Image 2 & 3 (Farfetch), Image 4 (Versus)
RETAIL SPACE
Visual Merchandising has been an important selling practice for the whole string of brands we know today. In terms of cold-shoulder, since it’s on its revival stage, not many window displays have come up in that regard.
But as always, Nordstrom makes it a point to incorporate trends into their window displays subtly and effectively.
Source: Image (Nordstrom)
REFERENCE •
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Halzack, Sarah. "Why the Off-the-shoulder Top Is Suddenly Everywhere." The Washington Post. WP Company, 08 July 2016. "A Brief History of the Off-the-shoulder Trend (and Why You'll Want to Wear It All Summer)."FASHION Magazine. 23 June 2016. Seweverythingblog. "Nothing's New. Tracking the The Cold Shoulder Trend." Sew Everything Blog. 30 June 2016. Paris, Vogue. "Spring/Summer 2017 Trends." Vogue English. Vogue Paris, 10 Oct. 2016.
Source: Image (Versus Versace)