Good morning fellow Fashionistas, style guru here. For the past week I've been doing some reflecting…call it nostalgia perhaps? If we consider what has defined the trends over the past several decades we can determine a distinct category that dominated all. The sixties were swinging, the seventies went hippie, the eighties spawned punk, the nineties got grunge and today? According to Gity Monsef, Creative Director of Fashion and Textile Museum, "the world is getting smaller – everything cross-integrates. Every trend mentioned is evident on London's streets today. We can adopt any one of these looks and we will be seen as defining our own capacity to create our unique look with a dazzling smile and an air of confidence. London is a place of eccentricity and creativity and possibilities – it's more about expression than anywhere else in the world." Over seven million people in London, and each authentically contributes their own individuality to the human project.
Out on the streets of London, the fabulous, the kitschy, the sophisticates and the slovenly mingle with equal propriety. All of these people pass by one another every day and never say a word. Instead, the casual once-over is employed – usually taking five seconds unless one wants to risk looking lewd or menacing – where someone drinks in a stranger from head to foot, to gather all the information they need to sartorially categorise one another. The streets are the equalizer; they take everyone and throw them in the same melting pot.
This week the spring/summer 2011 trend sees the rise, or rather fall, of hemlines as below-the-knee to floor-skimming skirts enjoy their moment in the sartorial spotlight. Undeniably one of the biggest trends of the season, pleated skirts are the single most desirable item to own with their seemingly endless styling possibilities.? While retro accessories and sepia tones channel a bang on-trend 1970s vibe, luxe leather and sleek layering create a modern, go-anywhere style that oozes elegance. But for an uber-modern look with a twist, swap denim at the weekend and style Converse with a floaty, ballet-inspired number. Cool, understated and on-trend, you simply can’t go wrong. In the words of the chief, style-on fashionistas!