In the second of our monthly rounds ups, we feature our love of romantic print and contemporary craft, discuss trend forecasters Vibe Shift obsession, look at that Miu Miu mini skirt and discuss just how wide is too wide trouser wise.
- RETRO ROMANCE
Two of our favourite brands, Meadows and House of Hackney seem to have both tapped into a similar romantic aesthetic and we are more than here for it. The limited edition Sampler collection from Meadows features delicate embroidery on simple linen shapes. While House of Hackney‘s Emania Collection delves into the archives of renowned silk weaving mill Gainsborough, to create a contemporary take on a classic Art Nouveau print.
Retro inspired, but in a refreshing way, we love the way both brands continue to evolve but stay true to their DNA.
- CONTEMPORARY CRAFT
We just cant get enough craft at the moment and like everyone we know, are considering taking up some kind of craft side hustle/hobby. There are so many inspiring small brands and every week we seem to discover someone new. Our current obsessions include De La Jardin‘s hand made paper mâché pots and the beautiful abstract quilts from House of Quinn – who also do workshops in London and Margate if you fancy fine tuning your crafty side.
- VIBE SHIFT
Us trend forecasters love a made up word – think phygital, gamify, metrosexual etc etc – and the latest expression to enter the zeitgeist this week is Vibe Shift. Termed by US trend forecaster Sean Monahan (who gave a name to the 2010’s normcore phenomenon) in his weekly newsletter 8 Ball Report, a Vibe Shift is the catchy term he uses to describe how a once-dominant trend starts to feel dated. Three vibe shifts Monohan has observed over the years include.
- Hipster/Indie Music (ca. 2003–9), or peak Arcade Fire, Bloc Party, high-waisted Cheap Mondays, Williamsburg, bespoke-cocktail bars.
- Post-Internet/Techno Revival (ca. 2010–16), or the Blood Orange era, normcore, dressing like The Matrix, Kinfolk the club, not Kinfolk the magazine.
- Hypebeast/Woke (ca. 2016–20), or Drake at his Drakest, the Nike SNKRS app, sneaker flipping, virtue signalling, Donald Trump, protests not brunch.
Monahan thinks we are on the cusp of a new vibe shift and this has seen a whole host of trend forecasters wax lyrical on social media with their predictions for the next wave of cultural change.
Will jeans go low rise (hello – this has already happened), is the last of hipsterdom about to die, will the appetite for political division and culture wars fade, and are we about to see a new Jazz age? (not if Russia have anything to do with it) – the list goes on.
It seems to us that the world has turned into one giant vibe shift, as social media sees new ideas, products and ways of living pop into our feed every day. There are so many different lifestyles to discover and it seems limiting to think about just one dominant “vibe”. We prefer to track how cultural change and new aesthetics evolve, moving from niche to normal, appealing to different demographics along the way, with some never going away.
So can everybody just calm down and if avocado on toast and skinny jeans are your vibe, who are we to judge.
- THAT SKIRT
According to Lyst, demand for mini skirts is at a three-year high, with 900 searches a day for the now-infamous (some may say ridiculous, but again who are we to judge), Miu Miu almost-there skirt. This tiny garment is making a huge impact and there is already a whole host of cheaper copies available. The hardest working item of clothing of 2022 has fast become the ultimate status symbol, but reassuringly, this time the belly-baring low rise trend from the 90’s has become more inclusive, with the release of Paloma Elsesser’s i-D cover causing the most significant spike in searches, with a 127% jump in shoppers browsing Miu Miu‘s app.
- THOSE TROUSERS
Also in ID we saw Cruz Beckham come of age, with a controversial shoot very much “inspired” by his dad. Wearing extra wide trousers by Willy Chavarria, he looked either super cool or like a privileged kid trying to look “street” – you decide. But there’s no doubt that super wide legs are back and the more voluminous the better. Our favourite comment on David Beckham’s Instagram post, stating how proud he was of 17 year old Cruz – “for what?”
