Here's an article from www.fashionweekdaily.com
I thought it was good and I agree with a lot that he had to say
what do you think?
I thought it was good and I agree with a lot that he had to say
what do you think?
The World According To (Robert) Burke
The fash insider on fall’s top 11 trends…
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
(NEW YORK) Is denim dead? What do customers want nowadays? When is a trend, well, over? That and more was the topic of discussion last Wednesday when Robert Burke spoke about the upcoming fall season as part of the Friends of the Costume Institute series. Burke’s talk, entitled “Runway to Reality,” focused on the 11 dominating trends he and his team at Robert Burke Associates picked up on for the coming season. He then went on to dissect each one. “Even when you see something that is disastrous, the key is to extract from it something usable,” Burke emphasized. “Remember: old customers want to look young and the young customer wants to look neither old nor young.”
While delivering his commentary, Burke managed to inject doses of humor by way of examples from his career at Bergdorf Goodman. Life expectancy of a trend is a perfect example. Citing the fad of brooches several seasons ago, Burke laughed, “Someone at Bergdorf’s actually sent out an email at 2pm one day saying, ‘don’t buy anymore brooches.’” But it’s not just small trinkets that are susceptible to wear and tear.
Following the Chanel tweed trenchcoat that came down the spring 2004 runway, Bergdorf’s had 63 reservations for the coat in the first week following the show. “It goes to show you how fast that translates,” Burke recalled. “The minute we saw that on the runway, we knew it was over.”
His hour-long discussion, accompanied by a trusty slide projector, focused on the fall 2006 trends: artistic inspirations, 50’s/60’s, skinny pants, wide-leg pants, volume, puffed sleeves, bows, men’s wear fabrics, the waist, goth, and the cape.
Highlights from Burke’s insights on fall’s top 11 trends:
Art
—“There is nothing new anymore,” Burke said, alluding to why so many designers are turning to artistic references. “Simply put, everything’s been done before.” He cited three designers—Proenza Schouler, who channeled art by Rothko & Twombly; Valentino, who took a literal approach from Basquiat; and John Galliano, who paid tribute to Jasper Johns—as three standout collections that did it right.
John Galliano Fall 2006
‘50s/’60s
—Carolina Herrera, Trovata, Proenza Schouler, Marni, and Bottega Veneta were some of the best examples of the Doo Wop era, according to Burke, who cited such moments as the schoolgirl jumper, Courreges, and Dita von Teese with her many jeweled-collar looks.
Skinny Pants
—It all started with the skinny jean. Think Edie Sedgwick from 1965. “It’s all about balance here,” Burke noted. And as Harold Koda puts it, “people take much more risk with something black than in color.”
Wide Leg
—With references to 1977 Annie Hall, modern day Louis Vuitton, Yohji Yamamoto, Calvin Klein, and the Chloé drop-waisted pant are all excellent examples of how to do the wide-leg pant. But it’s not for the faint of heart. Patterns ranged from those with one simple print—Doo.Ri—to those that chose one solid color—Pucci.
Volume
—Liberty designs from 1900-1910 and McCardell from 1942 redefined the concept of volume. Narciso Rodriguez, Missoni, and Vera Wang cinched it perfectly this season.
Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2006 Collection
Puffed Sleeves
—“Certain trends you have no idea why they happen,” Burke said “They just sort of do. Puffed sleeve is an example of this.” He did, however, note Fendi and Zac Posen as two examples of designers who did them right.
Bows
—Bows, bows, and more bows. From the jabot at Lanvin, Nina Ricci, and YSL to the one that was affixed to a black satin Lanvin tuxedo, this is a trend that doesn’t go away.
Menswear
—Herringbone, houndstooth, pinstripe, tweed. Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein’s Pocahontas-channeling herringbone dress, Chanel’s raw edged tweed, and DVF’s mixed houndstooth with buffalo checks were examples of the varied ways the masculine feel can be feminized.
Waist
—Corset to empire, with an emphasis on the waist. Perhaps no one said it more succinctly than Karl Lagerfeld. “Narrow rib cages are the chicest thing,” he declared.
Goth
—“One of my least favorite trends,” Burke admitted. “John Galliano was very severe in his approach at Dior.” It’s a season of the dark and romantic and quite tragic world. Marilyn Manson and Dita von Teese got it right with their “marriage made in hell.” Rick Owens: true rock n’ roll goth guy. “Jean Paul Gaultier was outstanding,” Burke added.
Capes
—Last but not least, Proenza Schouler’s leather cape was one of the best silhouettes of the season, according to Burke. “Too bad the sample was stolen going through customs in Milan,” he quipped.
Proenza Schouler Fall 2006
Both wide leg and skinny pants seem kind of contradicting. I love that capes are big next season, I've been wanting one for a while but could never find the right one. I love the waist clinching and bows too. 
