 All She’ll Want Next Summer Your Customer Will Be Looking for These Hot Trends With the buying window for spring/summer 2011 just around the corner, retailers are wondering what today’s more cautious consumer will be seeking. The good news? She’ll be demanding both updated traditional favorites as well as some fresh looks. “If she likes something, she hangs on to it,” says Ellen Campuzano, president of the Committee for Colour & Trends. “One the one hand, things move very quickly, but at the same time, there’s a stalling effect. Usually you have a three year cycle, but we’ve had the wooden bottom shoe for four years at least, and studs are still here, big time. However, they do need to be freshened up. You can’t rely on last year’s big item, unless you update it.”
Familiar trends are definitely getting a new look for next spring, according to Campuzano. “Colorwise, you have a big switch,” she says. “We’ll start the season with these wonderful, satiny brights, but they’ll be very softly colored with a luxurious feel. Look for pale peach, pale sea foam and lemon chiffon. The other core story is the new whites. We’ll see beige, pale gray and ivory. We’ve seen a lot of whites so it doesn’t scream newness, but these will be delicate shades of white, which reflects the soft, luxurious palette. And that is different than what we’ve seen previously.”
In addition to seeing softer tones in footwear, we’ll also see familiar shoe styles getting a makeover. “There’s going to be a very nautical feeling. Think more of easy, breezy seashore fashions. We’ll see a lot of stripes, and they’ll go beyond the usual red, white and blue. It’s going to look very crisp, very pretty. We’ll also see a lot of updates on the boat shoe. It’s preppy with a little edge, not preppy-playing-golf-in-Atlanta. You won’t be able to dig your classics out of the closet, because it’s going to be preppy with a twist. The classic boat shoe will be reinvented with new materials, new colors and new bottoms. It’s a subtle trend, but very important.”
Another trend that’s sure to get an update is the ankle bootie. “The up front ankle silhouette is big and will continue to be,” says Campuzano. “They can be sandalized, open toed, strappy or slouchy. It’s a look that’s incredibly important, that idea of action around the ankle. We’ll see that in softer colors, too.”
What may be most exciting to customers, especially those with aching feet, is a return to the moderate heel. “The emerging mid-heel category is the newest direction there is, and as an alternative to towering heel heights, it looks very fresh. There’s a shift going on in ready-to-wear, and it’s more ladylike and career driven.”
Ellen Campuzano is the editor and publisher of fashionFACTSfolio. FashionFACTS reports on the designer collections, footwear and accessory trade fairs, street trends, what's new, what's hot, and what to zoom in on. She is also the founder and president of the Committee for Colour & Trends, the only color forecasting, trend tracking and consulting service in the United States for the footwear and accessories industry. Prior to starting the Committee for Colour & Trends, Campuzano held the position of fashion marketing vice president at Intershoe Inc., makers of Via Spiga shoes. She also developed a seasonal leather color forecast for Leather Industries of America, then known as the Tanners' Council of America.
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