Fashion trends are always a thing that is everchanging. They develop in a rather natural way: based on an action-reaction dynamic and as a reflection of society – more precisely said, of the mentalities of society, politics and culture.
At this very moment, our fashion choices are heading into a new direction. What that direction will be more precisely is a big unknown. Western fashion has been more and more unraveling by the decade. As the world enters into a new stage of mentalities dynamics (North meets South), we are going to see a different approach to fashion (and to many other things) in the seasons to come. New rules will be installed, they will often be masked or disguised and this will lead to an almost unnoticeable paradigm shift. This change has already begun, but it will most likely increase in the next years or so.
Thus, being in a time of transition, we will now see a combination of clothes that still cater to the cultural establishment, but also signs of the new paradigm combined. The unrest that is happening politically will also dictate a lot of these directions, which is why we’ll most likely see very rigorous insistencies on certain angles, which will prevail over artistic value or economic gain, as in very many cases, the purpose is to push cultural agendas and not to provide value to the customers.
Of course, we cannot know exactly what will happen, but here is our take on what trends we see sticking around for 2019 fashion trends.
Anti-Fashion
The idea of fashion as non-fashion has been around for a few years now and, like any trend, started out as a niche, but is now overwhelming the runways of the world. In certain aspects, anti-fashion is also tied up to the postmodern nihilism, even though the two are two separate categories. On the one hand, we will see a lot of the anti-fashion movement still prevail through “garments” described by a sheet with two armholes to serve as a jacket, a cloth with a hole as a shirt, and so on.
Psychedelic experiences
In a way connected to the nihilist approach, but not necessarily, is the idea of psychedelic experiences. We believe we will see both sides on the runways: on the one hand, the synthetic version, but on the other hand, we may also see the more natural version: DMT/ayahuasca aesthetic, rainforest shamans, spirits of the trees, etc.
War
This trend was already a bit visible on the runway, but we believe it will take on greatly in 2019, as armed conflict will become a strong fashion and culture theme. Thus, we’re expecting to see camouflage, protection gear, helms and, why not, even throwback to different eras of military gear and attire.
Womenswear
As it was the case over the last few seasons, when we saw a lot of womenswear incorporated into menswear shows, we will also most likely see a lot of feminine clothes in men’s fashion next year as well.
Royal court
Besides all these rather dark trends, we’re also expecting to see a more delicate trend, namely a soft vision of a royal court. In this regard, we’re expecting to see lots of gold, white and pale shades of pink, sorbet colors, antique white and, of course, the mint shade that has been so much talked about.
As usually, themes intertwine: for example the theme of illumination is a bridge between the gold of the royal court and the psychedelic experiences of the Amazon. The idea of battle is reflected both in a battle against the other, as well as in a battle against yourself.
Moreover, it needs to be said that the “athleisure” and “athluxury”, as well as the upcycling trends will continue. We’re also most likely going to continue seeing oversized items and a continuation of the feminine aesthetic trend.
It’s possible that these trends won’t last for long and won’t make a strong cultural and historical impact, as people are quite impatient and want to move more rapidly in a more stable environment.
There is certainly a lot of unclarity in the world of trends, but there one thing that is quite certain. It can be said that we have come at a cultural standstill, and for many people there doesn’t seem to be any direction. Hence the self-deprecating aspect of culture today. Our culture has also been quite exhausted, as the book of references has been used, misused, abused and reused in so many ways that we are getting bored with it. Thus, we probably need (or, even if we don’t need, we will) create a new system of references and we will be forced to create a brand new culture. How that culture will look, is a discussion for another day.
