During two decades in fashion, Parisian footwear designer Christian Louboutin’s sky-high stilettos have earned him the love and closet space of countless women.Ken Downing says the forecast calls for pantsuits, capes, fur, lace and, oh yes, feathers.
If women are skeptical that they’ll be wearing a frothy shirt of lace beneath a tailored pantsuit or shoes trimmed with feathers this fall, they shouldn’t be. Downing, luxury retailer Neiman Marcus’ fashion director, has been digesting designer offerings from New York to London to Paris to Milan to come up with a list of trends sure to get people running to the mall.
“I really create the attitude and the message and the mood of the season that the company will be following,” Downing said.
His fashion forecast is then integrated into everything from the Dallas-based company’s marketing message to what buyers look for to how mannequins are dressed.
Green
This fall green will be everywhere, he says, especially in the military-influenced olive.
Boots and bags
Boots of all heights are also in the fall forecast, he said. And a structured handbag is a must, not to mention pearls, “ropes and ropes” of them. Also, he says, keep an eye out for capes, ponchos and vests.
Pantsuits
The absolutely new item this fall will be the pantsuit, which should be juxtaposed with something super-feminine, like lace.
“The pantsuit is probably the most important item,” Downing said.
Its return will be a change after the proliferation of dresses in past seasons. “I had not said pantsuit in so long,” said Downing, who said this fall’s pantsuits take inspiration from a chic 1970s look – think Lauren Hutton.
Tuxedoes
His tip for what’s on the fashion horizon? Think tuxedo. He expects tuxedo elements to make their way into closets for daytime outfits, like pants with a tuxedo strip running down the leg.
