The world of fashion is a mélange of colors, fabrics, textures, concepts, brilliant creativity and a million fabric swatches that designers base their ideas from. It’s not about brands, seasons or just runway shows. It’s about mirroring what you are from in life, donning a Creator’s robes to visualize beauty, transform whites into a million shades of multiplicity and detailing it with just about anything the earth can offer such as shells, stones, gems and whatever catches artistic fancy. It’s about telling the world how beautiful it is through a larger vertical through phases of conceptualization, design, visual merchandising and showcasing.

Here are some top global trends to watch out for in 2009:

Pre-collections
Top designers have begun the year by unveiling their brilliant pre-collection displays. Dolce and Gabbana’s signature style showed through gray flannels, tweeds, and dresses in silk and velvet. There’s Miuccia Prada, whose 2009 pre-collection revolves on powerful shades of gray and black. Frida Giannini’s exclusive 2009 pre-collection line up for Gucci includes a vibrant mix of bright plaids, argyles, smart jackets and silk georgette dresses. Another top designer, Karl Lagerfield unveiled an impressive Russian satellite theme collection featuring fur trims and glimmering brocades.

Lace Renaissance

With history that dates back to centuries, it was from the Peruvian ruins and ancient tombs of Egypt that lace became a ‘fashion’ accessory. Think about Queen Victoria who wore bridal dress made from lace centuries ago. Lace, interestingly, didn’t go out of fashion 120 years later when Grace Kelly wore lace for her bridal dress too. Now in 2009, top designers embrace lace. Top Indian designer, Ayesha Depala’s Chivas Collection featured vintage Edwardian lace on exquisitely embroidered gowns.

Tie-n-Dye Fabrics

Predications are on revival of tie-n-dye shades and fabrics ranging from baby peach to baby pink, lemon yellow to royal blue, and greys. Top designers such as Archana kochar and Cherie D are being praised for the ‘sombre’ effect of their collections and heightening the drama surrounding shading and dual tones.

Online Runways

Runway shows began to gain prominence in the 20th century mostly as a campaign by big American retailers who wanted to showcase their fashion wear which was mostly copied on large scale from the top couturiers in Paris but sold off at staggeringly low prices. By 1990, runways became avenues for elite classes in society, partygoers and celebrities to gather and talk about what they like to wear for each seasion. Also, runways marked the dawn of supermodels and super fashion designers.

The year 2008 represented the era of downsizing in fashion with even big-name designers such as Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs opting out from showcasing their designs on the runway.

However, it is the famous Dutch fashion design duo, Viktor & Rolf, who created new history in runways in September 2008. They opted out of a much coveted runway spot during Paris Fashion Week. They decided to create history in fashion design by conducting a brilliant Spring 2009 online runway presentation.

The Dutch duo’s bold move was brilliant economics too. A top British designer, Alice Temperley chose to go the ‘Dutch’ way by hosting a video online installation of her designs spanning four prestigious fashion weeks. Temperley saved around $100,000 for each week. Remember, a typical runway show costs up to $1 million but an online runway presentation costs much less and brings more returns.

The advantages of an online runway presentation are numerous. It generates tremendous and greater demand and sales for the collection than before. True, an online presentation does not get ‘elite’ attendance by fashion buffs, critics and store or brand buyers or magazine editors. However, online runways need not be bland or tasteless. With the right budget, event managers can unveil the online runway collection with a star studded premiere.

Likes ancient tales that are told through pictorial depictions across ages, the epic chronicles of online fashion are sure to grow.

The author, Swapna Sanand, is an industry expert in the content writing services department with the organization.