It has always been in toughest times that innovation is born and it won’t be wrong to say that the prevailing pandemic has shaken us up from a lot of things we were complacent about -hygiene, sustainability, identifying priorities to name a few. And ironically, being the adaptable species we are, we have identified new business opportunities in these times for us to keep floating. Fashion as an industry is not only about glamour and glitz, it’s about a large ecosystem that is dependent on each other- karigars, skilled & non-skilled labour, sales staff, marketing, the end consumer and business owners. And thus there is a new outlook towards the current times that have got the fashion industry to step back and rework on how the collections and trends are formed for this year specifically.
As opposed to the regular Spring-Summer/ Autumn-Winter collections that typically each fashion house comes up with every year, a new take on clothing has now come forward which in all its preppiness is termed as COVID trends/collections. To put it simply, these trends move around the Big C- “Comfort”. A couple of things that are surely making way into our closets right now or we are looking at:
1. Flowy comfortable silhouettes – Whatever may be the occasion, everyone is loving the comfortable A-line kurtas, eased out pants or palazzos. Men are equally happy with their shorts with shirts or kurta pyjamas/trousers make a great come back. One of the reason being the season itself, these outfits gives ease and cool us off.
2. Fabrics – Mulmuls, cotton, chiffons are definitely doing the rounds, but what we see is highlighting of fabrics with soft prints/silk thread embroideries inspired from Summer bloom that is both fresh and pleasant to the sight. Weaves & traditional fabrics and crafts are making a great comeback, especially with Vocal for Local movement, our artisans are getting their due attention finally.
3. Colours – As the season also calls for it, the palette is more soft pastels, peaches & ocean blues.
Apart from these, face covers/masks are definitely a necessity which is fast turning into an accessory with a variety of detailings in fabrics, embroideries or specific men or women masks in soft breathable fabrics. Also, everyone is looking at adding style quotient even in their basic clothes that one wear in their houses.
With the large number of webinars and LIVE’s that are happening on social media, there is a growing demand for chic comfort that makes you look stylish on camera but in reality, you are comfortable, for example, the pyjamas with blazer look. Jumpsuits I see are great comfort wear, as the silhouette can be structures or flowy as per your demand, they can be accessorized well and looks great, even if you have to step out in a jiffy.
As far as occasion wear is concerned, yes there are weddings but because of the limited number of people at the ceremony, the way wedding wardrobes were done earlier have seen a sea-change. Now brides are picking up the traditional embellished lehengas for herself and the groom is going for his sherwanis, but the families are now willing to buy things that are lightweight, and not the kinds that does not give them more adaptability to wear at later occasions too. The same goes for the family in attendance, the client is now looking at investing in pieces that are classic and not trend specific, something that can be cherished, worn and passed down to generations. So one looks at picking up the regular saree or a suit that is more wearable at later days also.
For the coming festive season too, we will see people picking up the stylish silhouettes & detailing outfits rather than embroideries or heavy on drapes kind of outfit. The men are most sorted as kurta pyjamas are back in trend which looks great as is or when paired with bright prints or subtle detailing waistcoats.
All in all, we need to work out solutions and garments that have more sustainable and adaptability features in it, which becomes an investment for the client. The times are turbulent and everyone is spending smart, if we give them smart solutions. It’s not only a one-time purchase but lifetime credibility and relationship between the brand and the client.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of HelloPost.)
