Fashion is the most apparent reflection of the social trends that are popular in many aspects of our life. Everything from music, current news, film and television, environmental factors and even technology play a role in the trends that swift in and out of our closets. In recent years, the influence of social media has become a dominating influence and the trends that arise from it will play a major role in the fashion trends of spring/summer 2014. WGSN, a reliable source of fashion forecasting refers to this trend as New Digital Aesthetics.
NDA observes beauty and aesthetics though a digital lens, relating trends directly to the way the world is changing. This trend will be seen in hair and makeup as well as fashion with an increasing use of pastel highlights in hair and alterative textures used in makeup. This trend is all about creating a dream-like aesthetic that is meant to represent youth, playfulness, and involvement. There is a preppy approach to reflecting synthetic effects in casual contemporary daywear as well as garments worn for a night out and other social events. There are lots of clear lines and textures that are paired with multi-colour arrangements and intricate constructions. The ombré treatment, which shows one colour fading to another, is extremely popular in all aspects of this fashion trends and could be seen in a variety of the ways the style is executed; From nail art to hair and textiles treatment. Overall, an artificial vibe directs this trend and the final result of the look is meant to reflect photo filters in real life.
There is still an emphasis on vintage clothing and thrift store treasures that guides the silhouette and details of the garments popular this season. Natural waistlines are very popular in skirt; pants and shorts designed for women and are often paired with crop tops so that they are revealed and short hems, flairs and draping add to the playfulness of the look. A casual look is enforced by light and drapable textiles are meant to show free spirit mindsets; the garments often fall freely on the body without restraining the wearer. To balance out this casual feel, details are added in increase the sense of luxury. In men’s wear this trend is represented through the same elements with an increased use of faded finishes in textiles, various colours, textures and details.
In my opinion, this trend is one that will be dominant in the fashion industry for a long time due to the increasing value of social media and it will continue to evolve based on popular hashtags, filters and changes in internet culture. Such trends are often executed on a global scale because of the quick rate that they spread and each culture adds their own preferences to the details. Fashion followers will continue to try to achieve a “profile picture” look in their everyday lives and try to reflect their involvement in the digital world in their everyday lives.
