Gun-metal zips and buckles, military-style buttons, studded panels and – eek! – shoulder pads are the dominant trends in trimmings for this year and the next, as Kate McDonald reports.
It is a very scary thought, particularly for any woman alive and kicking in the 1980s and ‘90s, but the shoulder pad is back. Not the stereotypical aircraft carrier that dominated women’s corporate wear in the late ‘80s, a style inspired by the horrors of Dynasty and despaired of by anyone with a good memory, but a more modern interpretation on the theme.
“Shoulder pads are huge at the moment,” says trimmings specialist M.Recht Accessories’ Laura Mangiavillano, and she means both figuratively and literally.
“They are both popular and big, which is a touch scary. I don’t think it will get to the stage it was in the 1990s when we lost the ability to see the shape of the female figure, but more and more people are wearing them.”
The shoulder pad phenomenon is a throwback to the 1980s, says Premier Centre’s Greg Kyriakopoulos, accompanied by large, fabric-covered buttons that will be popular for next winter. And in an ominous sign, “wide belts will be strong as well”, he says.
Even Glo-mesh seems to be making a comeback, with Glo-mesh-inspired trimmings a popular theme noticed by Polyfield’s sales manager Bruce Bugden.
“For trims, it’s still the bling, still the rhinestone trimmings and buckles – anything that glitters and stands out on a garment. Sometimes you get pieces that want to be a focal point for a garment and that is very popular too.”
Mangiavillano says there are two dominant themes for designer trims: the minimum and the maximum. “For next season, there are two ways that designers are going with trims,” she says.
“There is the really minimalistic approach, where everything is very plain and simple, using very easy trims; or they are going the other way, a 1920s look with really extravagant trims and laces. You are seeing the two sides of fashion there – the minimalist and the extravagant. It really depends on the designer.”
Zip it up
The biggest trend in trimmings, however, is the prominence of the zip. Edward Corera, general manager of zipper wholesaler YKK Oceania, says customers who manufacture locally are asking for something different to that which is being imported from China.
“Although functionally the zipper is the same, they are looking for a different look,” Corera says. “Metal zippers seem to be the flavour of the season over coil or plastic zippers. Even the dressmaking faculties at universities and TAFEs are asking students to use special finish metal zippers in their projects.”
YKK has a range of nickel zippers that are the standard for everyday-use zips, but antique silver and black oxide special finishes are proving increasingly popular, he says.
M. Recht’s Mangiavillano agrees, with zippers going metallic and chunky. “People are making statements with the zips they are using. You will often find a satin jacket with a metal zipper, whether it is a gilt (gold) zip or silver. Again, it depends on the designer.”
M.Recht is one of the suppliers used by Perth designer Ali Cotton, who is using metal zips prominently in her high summer collection.
“This season is all about strong detailing contrasting with pastel summer tones,” Cotton says. “The chunky metallic zips give the chambray blue we used a new attitude.”
Gun-metal colours are big, with both YKK and Polyfield, which distributes the Jet Zipper range, forecasting that this will be a continuing trend. “(Designers) are looking for antique nickel, which we call antique silver, and the gun-metal colours,” YKK’s Corera says.
Jet Zipper has recently launched a range of satin tape zip, which Bugden says are being used as exposed zippers on garments. “The satin range uses the zipper teeth as a trim,” he says. “We have also developed a velvet tape zipper that we think is going to be very popular next winter.”
The company has also introduced a number 4 size invisible zip which uses a heavier fabric than the standard number 3, mainly due to the fact that the, ahem, larger ladies amongst us are putting a bit too much stress on number 3.
Studly
A strong military theme is evident in buttons, Mangiavillano says. M. Recht has allied the military theme of buttons to the gun-metal theme from zippers for its new range of small and large, dome-shaped buttons in antique nickel (silver) and antique brass (gold).
For Premier Centre’s Kyriakopoulos, beaded necklines and beaded motifs are also very popular. “Fancy tapes, braids and cords, together with fancy cord ends ... And we have had many enquiries regarding studding. Studded panels on tops and dresses are going to be huge.
“Trends seem to vary from week to week, and it also depends on the customer. Some are conservative and some like to bling it up.” As to dreaded shoulder pads, Mangiavillano isn’t willing to declare them a one-season wonder just yet.
“It will definitely last through to next winter as they have been so popular in Europe, but I don’t think shoulder pads will dominate the decade as it did before. But the young girls are certainly buying them up.”