The global recession may have placed many retailers and manufacturers between a rock and a hard place but it has also helped shape the new fashion landscape. As we see the industry slowly edge out of the darkness back into the light, we can see the road ahead more clearly, enabling us to trace the path that the post-recessionary consumer will want to follow. Fast fashion and transient trends are no longer the way forward. Necessity has forced the new consumer to be more discretionary in her spending. She now values a long lasting product that bears the unmistakable hallmarks of heritage and quality over a here-today-gone-tomorrow purchase. Traditional craftsmanship, a sense of quiet understated luxury and played-down elegance are the new buzzwords that are driving the trends for next winter. Words that are colouring everything from silhouette to fabric and even colour, played out here in a feminine palette of warm classic neutrals with soft cosmetic-tinted accents. The underlying influences may be rooted in the heritage of the past but this is not a vintage-inspired trend. There is an overall sense of modernity in the linear styling and the newly elongated silhouettes highlighted with discreet decorative detailing rather than ostentatious bling. Sparse lines are inspired by the Arts & Crafts movement or the timeless sensibilities of an Art Deco aesthetic, creating a clean geometric feel where hard edges are juxtaposed with soft feminine curves in a modern interpretation of the masculine-feminine silhouette. The look may have a subtle androgynous feel to it but it also heralds a return to ladylike dressing with handcrafted accessories, perfect grooming and those all-important details like the hidden luxury of a beautiful lining.

Colour – A pretty and feminine palette of cosmetique-inspired neutrals and skin tones, accented with dusted greys and a soft lilac. Warm wood-toned and amethyst-shaded browns keep the palette anchored along with an accent of parchment white.