Talking Trends
Fashion Group International held its semiannual runway trend report for Spring 2006 and a panel discussion on how the media impact fashion brands and retailers. It was held at The New Mart. The panel included (pictured from left) Kateri Butler, former style director at L.A. Weekly, who moderated with Alisa Loftin, owner of and buyer for the Los Angeles boutique Aero & Co.; Melissa Paiement, fashion and beauty editor for Movieline’s Hollywood Life magazine; and fashion designers David Meister and Rachel Pally. A particularly hot topic was how celebrities as style icons can drive sales for a clothing line.
Cole Porter’s song “Anything Goes” played as the theme for the trend report. Trends taken from the runway shows in New York, London, Paris and Milan, Italy, were across the board. They included minimalism; “maximalism”; little-girl and boy looks; the dress and its varying shapes; rich accents such as pleating, draping and embroidery; prints; key separates for tops and bottoms; and the best bets in accessories, such as the belt. In other FGI news, California Fashion Foundation, the charitable wing of California Fashion Association, donated $1,000 toward the FGI scholarship fund. —Rhea Cortado
