Hot to trot

Designers across Australia are busy preparing their spring/summer 2009/10 collections. Leading trend forecasting agency Scout offers a snapshot of what fabrics will be most in demand.

Sheen

A strong theme for spring/summer 2009/10 is sheen - lustrous satins, silks and polished cottons. Lightness and textures are important so sanded and sueded finishes on silks and satins will feature heavily in this season. Because touch is also key, along with drape and movement, jersey fabrics will also make a comeback with slinky viscose silk, along with modal and acetate. It's a very soft, luxurious mood, even in casual shapes.

Creased & Crumpled

The other major trend is a slightly careworn, vintage look - creased and crumpled washes and finishes on cottons and silk. Think of costumes in the movie

Embellishment

Across both of these trends, there's also a return to fanciful fabrics like tulle, lace and chiffon. Beads, sequins and crystal buttons add to that romantic, dress-up box feel. So embellishment is a key buzz word.

Menswear

Polished

The sheen trend is also strong in menswear with polished cottons, cire and lightweight nylons - from sheen suiting to a smart, sporty look with lightweight nylon anoraks and Harrington jackets. Shirting fabrics are breezy and translucent in voile and lawn with subtle prints.

Distressed

The more casual fabric trend is that crumpled, laundered, gently distressed look. Cottons and denims are beaten up, sanded and stonewashed for an authentic workwear feel. Denim is always key for men's casual looks and it's becoming more faded - we're moving away from dark denims to lighter washes, frayed and distressed finishes and even the return of chambray. We'll also see cotton jersey used in unconventional ways - moving on from T-shirts to feature in other shapes like vests and dhoti shorts. Stiffness and tightness is giving way to softer, gently rumpled shapes, achieved through soft jersey and knit fabrics.

Checks

For men's print and pattern, there's a big return to checks, from country checks and gingham to bold madras.