The Sweater – Trend Report

It is true that forecasting macro-trends could definitely bring successful economic results for designer firms, fashion houses, and to already established brands. But the demands of costumers, and media, are setting the bar way too high for designers and creative directors, and the usual “what we will offer next?” task, its turning into a headache for some of them. For the up-and-coming designers, its a different story. They have found a safe zone for their ideas, building an aesthetic based on avant-garde, technology, and urban aspects from different cultures – which certainly separates these designers from the rest. And the truth is that, nowadays, you have to first convince the youngest generations alongside their urban-lifestyle – and then, keep satisfying the fashion industry. Because, anyway, who else would buy the clothes that you design with that type of spirit? Of course, the young costumers – this was just an easy trivia to guess.

The involvement of technology, social media, and street-style is playing big-part helping to set trends and styles globally. A perfect example its the sweatshirt, an element that has become a commercial trick for designer houses and fashion firms; you might keep on wondering, how something so simple was transformed into a highly produced item that sells with a price-tag between the $500 and $2.000 USD – maybe Helmut Lang and Alexander Wang could offer you some answers related this trend-topic. Or perhaps, this a phenomenon known as the epitome of casual and comfort.

It was just two years ago, when Riccardo Tisci designed sweatshirts with dog faces for Givenchy’s Fall-Winter 2011 collection. But the idea of the “cool” sweatshirt goes back in time when Nicolas Ghesquière started the trend on his 2000 Fall ready-to-wear collection for Balenciaga – then he later revived the motif on a sweater for resort 2011. As previously mentioned, the boom started with Givenchy but then later, Ghesquière’s neoprene bulky-sweaters from Fall 2012 were everywhere in street-style photos. It’s official, the dialogues between menswear and womenswear have found an element that speaks both languages with modern style.

The sweatshirt, with an effortless-dressy aspect, has turned into an item that brands and designers are including on their collections as must-have pieces. Some of them have successfully achieved the concept with impressive graphic designs, like Basso and Brooke. Clockwise, some other designers have collaborated with artists; like Juun.J with his neoprene bomber-sweaters, with futuristic images from photo-artists Alexandfelix. But you can find more, some come in wool or finished in leather, with embroideries, and other different motifs and prints. Here, we have included our top favorite sweaters:

1- Carven: Blue Office Print sweatshirt.

2- Basso Brooke: Mirrored-Multicolored printed sweatshirt

3- Juun.J x G. Simkins: Black Neoprene Octupus & Cockato graphic-sweatshirt

4- Juun.J x Alexandfelix exclusive for SSENSE: Neoprene Queen Minimouse sweatshirt

5- Neil Barrett : Black colorblocked sweater with arrow-cotton inserts in white & red.

6- KENZO: Neoprene & fleece sweatshirt.


By Jhon Jairo Santos
Fashion Director USA

WEB BY:NIVEKSTUDIO
WEB BY:NIVEKSTUDIO