The key statement for bag fashion in the forthcoming Spring/Summer season 2008 is: colour is returning to the collections. The general trend is moving away from subdued fashion statements and favouring high-impact materials and colours as well as original designs.
For the 2008 Spring/Summer season GLS defines three trend themes: “Essential”, “Bionic” and “Stimulation”.
Essential:
• Purist statement and straight-forward bag forms featuring graphic solutions
• Stiffer bags with more body, big bags and large pouches, short-handled bags, shoppers, clutch bags
• Plain, clear colours, shimmering surfaces, fine leather, shiny patent and many and varied metallics Bionic
• Novel materials such as elegantly shining nylon, vinyl and transparent plastics
• Natural-look leathers, such as suede or grained surfaces and nature-inspired looks such as reptile
• Contrasting combinations, e.g. leather plus vinyl, at times with a sporty slant
• Soft pouch shapes, XXL-bags, unisex bags and pronounced “portrait” bag formats, sporty shoppers and backpacks Stimulation
• Bags in unobtrusive shades and designs
• Patent in strong tones, graphic elements and pleating
• Eye-catching handle and clasp ideas
• Voluminous shoppers, “pouchettes“, box-like formats as well as small yet expressive bags Colours
After the dark, toned-down colours prevailed this Autumn/Winter season, freshness and colourfulness is heralding a comeback in bag fashion.Appealing new colour themes are in evidence in all collections providing decisive momentum.
These clearly stronger, summery tones telegraph liveliness. They are either fruity and sweet in graduated pink-orange, sunny yellow shades or fresh and acidulous from citrus to mint including aquatic shades. Highlights include highvisibility colours such as bright red, royal blue and sunny yellow.
The many yellow and mustard tones might become the new trend colours for bags. The basis, however, will be formed by pale, light nuances as well as harmonious naturals. These go hand in hand with white, various grey shades and powder pastel tones.
The fashion touch is often added to these tones by finishing in shiny surfaces. Also very much in evidence here are opalescent and metallic tones even with a very futurist slant, but above all matt and non-descript silver and gold tones as well as bluish greys.
Nature with its appealing earthy and sand tones plus harmonious vegetal colours continues to serve as a source of inspiration for bag colours.
The look of these new bags is attained not only by colour but above all by new materials and surface effects. Of paramount importance here is a shiny look – a recurring theme for numerous soft patent and metallic leathers.
Shimmering high-tech synthetics and nylons, coated leather and even films and see-through plastics give some bags a futurist look. At the same time, the trend towards fine, natural leathers that underscore their value through look and touch, is continuing.
Soft, dull materials, buffed surfaces, suede and coarser grains are dominating here. Reptile embossing, above all snake and crocodile, remain an “evergreen” theme for bags but call for innovative surface and/or finishing solutions. In addition to the braiding, the top-stitching, gathers, pleats and accordion pleats so popular this season will also be revisited.
After the uncontested dominance of XXL bags, the formats proposed for the coming S/S feature more versatility again: although big styles are still prominently represented, producers are also presenting smaller and small handbags again.
The customary landscape formats will be joined by more portrait formats and square shapes of particular importance in the ever more important unisex segment. Softer finishes can still be found but in general more constructed bags with “more shape and body” are trendier.
Discreet, down-to-earth shapes feature for shoppers and classically designed styles with half-long shoulder straps. Elegance is signalled by short-handled or clutch bags while basket styles and soft mini-pouches exude romanticism and girlish femininity. The sporty statement comes from casual shoppers and pouches, large-format strap bags and again more backpacks.
Both accessories and carefully selected decorative elements ensure the necessary individualism of the bags. A multitude of different metals are used but always make a high-quality, rather emphasizing statement.
Chains, original fasteners and pendants, which occasionally also toy with initials, decorate the bags. Gathers, accordion an regular pleats are key elements. Short-handled bags always feature handles coated with the face material and zippers rather than clutches.
Designers are once again showing a bolder approach to decoration and even bag pendants are making discreet inroads again.
Alongside bags, belts remain key accessories in order to give outfits the desired fashion statement. They (with the exception of denim belts) sit in the waist, are wide or semi-wide. They can feature extremely minimised designs and only make an impression with colour and shine.
However, more strikingly designed clasps and worked leathers are also on offer again. Gloves are meeting with growing fashion interest and can also set highlights in summer when featuring new materials and decoration details.
Outfits continue to be complemented with long summer shawls in a wide variety of qualities. Very trendy again are leather bracelets in all trend materials and colours wound around the arm once or several times.
