Fall Trend Spotting from the Fashion Front

The best place to pick up the Fall trends in real time is at the fashion industry's mother-of-all trade shows, Fashion Coterie. Although all the designers (including yours truly) were showcasing their Spring 2009 collections, every fashionista walking the aisles at the trade show was working the latest Fall trends. Buyers, manufacturers, and even old-school Garmentos were flaunting their favorite Fall trends like it was a runway show and not aisle 1200 at the Piers. Since my Fall collection is already in stores and I designed it a year ago, I'm usually oblivious to what the trends are and they rarely inspire my designs. But as a consumer, it was a great time "people watching" at Coterie and picking up trends like the pages of WWD.

Trend spot #1 - the shoes. It was a kaleidoscope of shoes galore! Some of the coolest shoes you could imagine were walking the aisles at Coterie. But the biggest, sure-fire trend for shoes had to be the peep-toe boots, preferably shortie style and in black. It was on the runways last February and the trend has finally hit the pavement. It's probably not a trend I'll personally pick up on being that I live in flipflop-land California, but I was definitely drooling over these booties! Not sure how the open toe concept flies in the slushy streets of New York in December, but with fashion there's always sacrifice. Another shoe trend was the neon ballet flat. I must have seen at least a dozen or so Japanese buyers sporting these knock-off Chanel neon patent leather flats. When you're dressed head to toe in chic black, a little neon on the foot can go a long way.

Trend spot #2 - the over-sized leather handbag. And this is actually a practical trend, especially since most buyers are schlepping at the piers with piles of order forms and look books. The slouchier the better. You can load everything in but the kitchen sink. But beware, your bag will become the black hole. I'm ready to upgrade my favorite turquoise leather Coach bag for one of these soft, pliable sacs to tote all my samples, sketches, and even my kid's snacks this Fall.

Trend spot #3 - the fringed scarf. Yep, they're everywhere. It was the official uniform for the fashionable set at Coterie. You know the trend is in high gear when you see $10 versions on the street corner for sale and everybody and his brother is sporting one, even in 88 degree heat. I'm actually one of those morons wearing a scarf in the heat, and I'm lovin' it so back off. Hey, there's nothing chicer than feeling a little Parisian and tying a scarf around your neck with just a skinny tank, matchstick jeans, and ballet flats - oh so chic! Even Stacia is on trend and offering our take with a super-soft bamboo knit version in an array of spacedye colorings. I guess we can all thank US weekly and Love Quotes for jump-starting the trend (and I guess a $$$$ PR firm goes a long way!)

Trend spot #4 - layered gold chains on the wrist or on the neck. Mr.T is back! The more gold chains the merrier baby. Pile 'em on. To me it's a very old school Chanel look, but I'm likin' it. I even used them for my Spring '09 photo shoot piled on over my spacedye knits - très chic. Even Madonna went all out and wore a decadent load around her neck for her 50th bday bash (talk about needing a neck massage!) And the trend is going forward because I saw a lot of gold chains popping up for Spring '09, so hang on to them for one more season.