Day one of the India Fashion Forum 10 (IIF ’10) began with a packed house audience attending the WGSN seminar on global trends. WGSN is one of the leading international online portals, has been offering strategies and consultation to the fashion industry from across the world.
Juliet Warkentin, content director, WGSN, UK spoke about the key mood, colour, details, shapes inspiring the trends of fashion from around the world. From her years of experience, Warkentin urged the audience to be ‘a global player in the local market.’ She also dismissed a popular myth at the very outset by claiming, “Trends don’t die, they only evolve.” She emphasised that in the post-recession market, products have to give an added value and ot concentrate only on being beautiful. She suggested, “Play with softness and silhouettes and give the consumers another reason to buy.” Giving examples from each category, Warkentin observed, “As far as sportswear is concerned, keep it simple yet timeless.”
As a final word, Warkentin pointed out that the design of the products should be enhanced by the use of graphics and a ‘cheerful element’. She also harped upon the need to generate an element of global fusion by mixing and matching the traditional with the contemporary.
— Sayanti Banerjee, Mumbai Bureau
