This is the article that was published in today's issue of Manic Magazine just in case you missed it. A big thanks to all the design team who did an incredible job with the images. I'll add the article to the press page as soon as the entire issue is made available online.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that every
season brings with it at least one statement trend in the world of fashion.
This winter, most of us were trying to grasp the dynamics and tame the the
season’s ‘bad boys’, namely faux fur and leather. This spring, we are going to
face a blinding new reality, literally! Put your sunglasses on, we are about to
climb on the neon bandwagon!
The catwalk
has spoken. Whereas the pastel colour palette reigned over Paris Fashion Week,
with designers like Louis Vuitton and Chanel sticking to pretty light shades,
neon hues were treated like royalty at New York, London and Milan. One can
hardly forget Sass and Bide’s eye-popping collection, with bright tangerine
details and hot pink flashes. Nor can we ignore Jason Wu’s work who applied the
glowing palette to red carpet frocks. Rag and Bone shone in their eclectic
turquoise numbers and the Mulleavy sisters, from the Rodarte label, relied
quite heavily on a bold, electric green for some of their designs.
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| Neon on the runway |
Worth a
particular mention is Nanette Lepore’s neon-themed collection: a
traffic-stopping mix and match of neon shades that cannot go unnoticed. The
collection, definitely not for the faint-hearted, featured extreme neon
colour-blocking, mixing hot pinks with blinding yellows, toxic greens and
glowing turquoises. My personal favourite were the neon tie –dye dresses and an
interesting turquoise lace number layered over a sleek bright orange bodycon
dress. Who would ever thought ot pairing the two?
Are the
eighties back? Well, not really. The neon palette is strongly associated with
that particular decade, but somehow the neon trend is walking down a slightly
different road this time. That might come as a relief to some since, in terms
of fashion, the eighties seem to be the decade that many would rather shun into
absolute oblivion. So where does the difference lie? Whereas the neon bonanza used
by most designers is extremely reminiscent of the times of George Michael and
Cyndi Lauper, the collections were based on cuts, lines and shapes derived from
other decades, if not centuries. Peter Sam’s bold neon numbers were inspired by
the silhouettes from the sixties. Heidi Middleton and Sarah Jane Clarke, chez
Sass and Bide, opted for Edwardian-inspired details, amongst which the famous
Edwardian collar. This merging of fashion aspects coming from different times
not only created an added dimension, but also brought back a trend without that
‘been there done that’ feel.
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| the neon satchel |
Take a look
at your favourite stores and you will not be able to miss them. Neons are
everywhere already! From bright pink blazers to striped neon block skirts,
these pieces are already on the shelves waiting for us to purchase them. Just
when we thought that the trend has only limited its reach to clothing and
accessories, we saw extreme neon make-up on the runways as well! World famous
make-up lines took the queue from our favourite designers, and released
neon-based collections including bold orange and pink lipsticks and lipglosses,
and a couple of eyeliners and eyeshadows in shocking neon brights. Nail colours
did not fail to catch the neon flu either. Have you noticed an increase in
neon-shaded nail varnishes as of late? I know I have.
Interestingly,
latest street style pictures reveal that the trend has already caught on even
on the streets! The weather may not have warmed up yet, but fashionistas have
already turned their neon switches on. Probably the neon item that pops up in
nearly every recent street style snap is the neon satchel. During the past few
seasons we have seen the satchel return to the limelight, but this season it is
the lime (even orange, pink and yellow!) satchel that is stealing the light!
Its popularity can be attributed to its ease of wear, given that it is a detail
that you can easily add to a plain outfit for that attention-grabbing pop of
colour. Bright coloured trousers are equally as widespread on the streets and
in the stores. In a similar way, neon-coloured trousers are on the wearable
side of the scale. Bold neon dresses or tops might be overpowering especially
with certain complexions. Bottoms, however, tend to be less problematic to tone
down.
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| Neon make-up |
The million
dollar question: how should I wear neons without looking like I am all set for
an eighties costume party?
The most
important decision that needs to be taken on the matter is whether you would
like to restrict yourself to a few neon details or else whether you would
prefer to go for a more statement outfit. If your preferences are closer to the
first option, then you are practically spoilt for choice. Look out for garments
with neon piping, buttons, cuffs or collars. You could also opt for the neon
satchel which, as already mentioned, is quite ‘in’ right now. Last but not
least, consider buying a brighter lipstick than the one you usually go for.
Just make sure you go easy on the rest. You are not Nicki Minaj.
If details do
not tackle your fancy and you would rather try the trend with a bang by, for
instance, wearing a flashy hot pink dress or a bold tangerine orange top, then mix
it with neutral, subdued colours. Neon trousers look exquisite with plain white
tees and black flats. Attention-grabbing neon frocks are way more flattering if
paired with nude or black pumps. Do keep in mind that your favourite neon piece
is a loud number in itself, so the rest should be relatively ‘quieter’.
Are you ready
to down some mind-blowing neon shots? Looks like everyone is.
-B
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