STREET TRENDS


ZOOT SUIT

These runway adaptations are both from John Galliano's Spring 2002 collection. Although they are from the same collection, I think the fact that one is a pantsuit and one a dress suit shows the design behind the zoot suit style (specifically that of the jacket). They have large sleeves that come to a smaller size cuff, and similarly, the pants have large flowing fabric around the upper leg and taper at the hem. By simply looking at the shape of the zoot suit, one can see that they are particualrly fit for movement and dancing. This idea is interesting in that the zoot suit has largely been connected to jazz culture of the 30's and 40's.



TEDDY BOYS

The teddy boys look was a somewhat formal way to look rock and roll in Europe. They wore loose and long jackets, lossened shirts underneath, and bright colors underneath their tailored outfit. The second image is from the fall 2008 collection of House of Holland. Their look is an interesting adaptation of the teddy boys look, almost combining it with another street trend: punk. The third image is from the spring 2001 collection from Givenchy. This is quite a feminine version of the teddy boys look, as you can see by the color and the ruffles of the undershirt. However, the overall silhouette is quite reminiscent of the original trend.



BEATNIK

The two images that I chose for the runway adaptations take some key elements from the beatnik culture and have been put directly into these collections. The main looks behind the beatnik culture was to have a goatee, go to poetry readings, black, sunglasses, and have that overall sense of cool. The second image if from BCBG Max Azria's fall 2006 collection, and the hat that the model is wearing is very reminiscent of the beatnik culture. Similarly, in the third image, from Betsey Johnson's fall 2008 collection, the sunglasses paired with the hat are both very straight forward when representing the beatnik culture.



MOD

Mod culture is fairly difficult to point out in designs, because the idea was to be new, cool and modern. Because of this the styles behind the concept kept changing into different sub cultures. The two runway images that are shown are different takes from the spring 2004 collection of Roland Mouret. However, they both show the sleep, modern look behind the mod inspiration.



HIPPIE

The hippie culture is probably the most recognized out of all the street trends. Things like Woodstock and Summer of Love all came from the hippie movement. The idea behind the culture was to embrace sexuality, and drugs. The look that they wore was very free spirited and loving and that feeling is what is uaually transferred over to modern designs. The second image shown is from Chloe's spring 2008 collection. The lightweight fabrics and layers reflect the ideas behind the hippie movement. The third image, however, I think really shows that something from the hippie era can really be structured and still have the free loving spirit of its inspiration.



DISCO

Disco, like so many street trends, originated because of music. Its loud and vibrating sound was reflected in its similarly loud disco style. I assume that this is the reason disco fashion is one of the most popular costumes for Halloween! The two runway images shown are from the spring 2008 collection of Sue Stemp. These are both beautiful and yet obvious in their reflection of disco style.



PUNK

Punk has been influenced by many other looks in the past. Some examples. include mod, greasers, and glam rock. The original idea behind it was to look hard and intimidating. The images I chose for this are from the fall 2009 collection of Luella (the second image) as well as the punk princess herself: Vivienne Westwood's fall 2009 collection (the third image).



HIP HOP

Hip Hop is an extremely recognized culture presently, and particularly in the United States. When it began, it too was one street trend that was intertwined with a music phenomenon and has actually been credited to reducing inner city gang violence by replacing violence with dance or rap competitions. Because hip hop is so recognized today, it can be difficult to use in design. In my opinion, a designer needs to be able to separate themselves far enough from the idea that they can create their own look. The second image is a very obvious interpretation of hip hop fashion from the fall 2006 Lacoste collection, and the third image is a much more discreetly inspired look from Missoni's fall 2009 collection.

TORN LEGGINGS

I think torn leggings are a new trend that have been on the runway but haven't stuck quite yet. They aren't quite like wearing shredded jeans, and they definitely add a different style that you don't see in normal hosiery! The second image is from the fall 2008 collection from Alexander Wang. The third image is a pair of ripped leggings by LNA.



GEEK CHIC

The concept of geek chic is very straight forward- as it embraces the ideas behind simply being a geek! Glasses, t-shirts, and video games are all aspects that are added as embellishments to make a fashion look appear more geek chic. The second image that I have provided is from the spring 2009 Reyes collection. I personally think that the high chested overalls are particularly geeky chic. The third image is from the fall 2008 collection of Sinha-Stantic. This look is a little more edgy geek chic, so the inspiration itself is not as obvious.