I prefer to live in the future.

 The other night I went to the Spring/Summer 2010 seminar put on by Promostyl, a worldwide trend forecaster. As usual, it was riveting. Promostyl has these super slick presentations that are totally design-y and inspiring. I take a ton of notes, random words that stick like –optimism – cult of water – deluxe trash – Serge Gainsbourg – dirty primaries – tonal plaids. . . Occasionally something really excites me and it’s more like -  CULOTTES!!! CALIFORNIA MORNING!!! When I go back to my notes a few weeks or a month or two later to design the collection- they are always refreshing and new to me. It’s not the trend forecasting dictating what I should design, but my own personal inspiration drawn from a reliable source.

I am lucky to have a pretty accurate innate trend forecaster, or maybe I don’t? Nonetheless, I definitely think there is a collective consciousness with these things. Me and Miucca, we’re totally there together. But, I’ve been going to them for the past 6 seasons or so, because I think it’s a learned skill and a valuable knowledge to have. It gives me confidence in my ideas. I was working for a  Toronto belt designer a couple years ago and I asked her if she used trend forecasting services, and she scoffed at it, saying something like ”where’s the fun in that” and I was like ”*cough*maybe you should” under my breath.  Anyway. I don’t understand why some designers think trend forecasting is beneath them or something.  It’s information founded on the science of human behavior.

The seminars are always one overarching theme, divided into 4 different themes, which are then broken down into inspirations and colours and ultimately actual fabrics, details and silhouettes. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the themes are becoming less and less specific, but the overall look for the entire season is becoming way more narrow. It’s like anything goes as long as it looks like this. Remember when everyone did “ladylike” a bunch of seasons ago? There is no more of that kind of jazz. It’s becoming way more emotional as opposed to costume-ish. Everything is getting all cozy and about feelings. Which is fine by me. I love laziness. For spring 2005, I designed an entire collection based on laziness. My muse was Lazy Susan, and the tagline was “Lazy is as lazy doesn’t. . . ” It involved a lot of recycled doilies and knit inserts. Too bad no one ever saw it.

So, drumroll, for spring 2010, it’s all about . . . . . THE HUMAN!!! Hurray for Humans!!  Good thing too, because that’s exactly the direction I was planning to take.