good points there, "escapism" includes retro tott*,
but i dont think of 'safe' retro from what i've seen so far.
70's-'80's was safe retro, now we see a departure
towards a
mix of retro elements with modern cut
(colours from the 20's, graphics from the 30's,
prints from 20's, 30's and 50's) that is quite daring
for the mainstream market.
i'm positive that fashion mood is heading to a new
attitude/direction space*, maybe not as 'huge' as
the 'new look' but still, something new is positively
on its way. i think designers are back on their
design board, a bit of this and a bit of that is not
enough anymore. even big luxury labels seem to
get the message of concentrating more on their
collections than before. consumers are getting seriously
bored of repetitious collections and lack of creativity.
a small 'brand revolution' is already on the works
-at least in europe. More budgets go towards new creative
designers, consumers are in a 'discovery' mood.