Pure London

There was a huge raft of newness on show at Pure London. From the new designer bridge section Pure Premium and the fast fashion Spirit section, to the contemporary main hall, the show provided an accurate appraisal of womenswear looks, all scrutinised by 27% more buyers than the same edition last year.
Based on the orders being put down by buyers at the show UK shoppers still have an appetite for buying dresses and the product on show at this week’s Pure reflected that. Though, as trend pundits have been predicting for some time, the alternatives to one-piece dressing are gaining ground in a big way.
On the Spirit section's young fashion rails, sophisticated jerseys (some with photo-real prints) in voluminous shapes appeared alongside tailored shorts with turned-up cuffs and 1980s inspired printed jersey trousers with elasticated waists and hems. This move towards trend-led separates was interpreted by the main hall’s contemporary exhibitors in the form of hopsack waisted trousers and tailored shorts in a largely military-inspired palette of khakis and olives alongside a large swathe of neutrals. And with J Brand’s skinny military-led Houlihan trouser leaving a horde of salivating punters in its wake as stockists scramble for volume, it was perhaps unsurprising to see cargo pants appearing in various guises from washed-out fatigues to smarter more tailored shapes. Balmain-inspired, this new return to military is a far more form-fitting layered look than the baggy-ass combat and utility shapes made famous in the Nineties by Maharishi and girl band All Saints.
Doubtlessly, autumn 2011 will underline the growing popularity of the slouchy-luxe separates trend first evangelised by the Scandinavian fashion set although for now the dress remains the anchor category for summer womenswear. From throw-on printed dresses with a craft-like personality and prim 1950s Betty Draper looks to crystalised digital prints and draped numbers there was a kaleidoscope of dress options on display.
Maxis remain an important component of the the mix and will certainly remain a key option next summer on the high street, but perhaps more relevant was the continuing relevance of draped details. In liquid-fall jerseys, simple fabrics were bunched and folded to create a series of forgiving shapes with cowl necks and asymmetric hems. For prints, check out the sfumato style appeal of marbled colours in our first trend below. Bear in mind though that most of these abstract looks were far from colourful, just a reminder that so many of these looks are about quick deliveries for autumn 10, rather than ones for spring 11’s forward orders. And, while we're talking colour it's worth remembering that texture remains king for spring 11 with neutrals dominating albeit with pops of vivid brights. Happy hunting.Source URL: http://icip2idayusof.blogspot.com/2010/08/pure-london.html
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