According to fashion expert Sami Sykö, the long corona time spent at home caused a longing for glamour. That’s why sequins are no longer saved for party wear alone.
Economic instability is also reflected in clothing, but this does not take away people’s interest in beauty and their desire to express themselves through clothing.
One consequence of this interest is that second-hand clothing and clothing rental services are growing. Many people repair old clothes in sewing workshops or learn how to do it themselves.
– Young fashion designers are responsible and think about recycling in everything they do,” he says.
The change in a more sustainable direction can also be seen in the clothing industry, where new, more responsible materials are being developed. For example, domestic birch is used as the raw material for loncell fiber.
Sami Sykkö and Sofia Järnefelt were guests in Yle’s Kulttuuriykkösen on Monday, February 13.
Despite the world situation, we are now living in the hottest trend season of spring, when New Yorkino presented the latest trends. Here we present a few of them.
Viva Magenta and good hedonism
At the beginning of the year, the topics of discussion among fashion people always include analyzing the color of the year, which is 2023 Viva Magenta, which belongs to the shades of purple. The Pantone standardization system, founded in New York in 1963, defines printing colors with sequence numbers. Since 2000, it has published its choice for the color of the year. The color of the year has also started to determine trends.
Over the years, the choice of color has begun to reflect our own time more and more.
– It’s such a powerful and energetic color and it puts you in such a good mood, says Sykkö and brings up Valentino’s fashion show last fall, where everything was magenta.
For Järnefelt, the shade represents good hedonism, a promise of enjoyment.
– I can imagine myself on the Amalfi coast in a sun lounger sipping a daiquiri in this kind of aniline or fuchsia colored swimsuit, she paints.
The founder and creative director of the fashion brand Hedwig, Järnefelt has also worked at the trend agency Peclers Parisis. There, he has been involved in creating trend analyses. Trends enter the street scene through more affordable and accessible surface fashion inspired by haute couture, such as the creations of Chanel and Christian Dior.
The different shades of the color, also called Barbie pink, convey coziness, an escape from everything heavy and mundane. Pink has a certain anarchism.
Day trips to workplaces
The fascinating history of sequins, i.e. sparkling round decorations, reaches as far back as the European courts of the 17th century. At the end of the 19th century, sequins were popular in French fashion rooms. Sequin dresses are reminiscent of the liberated women of the Charleston era. You could say that sequins are symbols of a light and festive lifestyle.
But these days, sequins don’t just belong in a party, Sykkö knows:
– Sequins are also used during the day and can be combined with other clothes.
He says that he developed the word *day sequins*.
In Sykö’s opinion, the longing for glitz and glamor is related to the pandemic. To a time when we were at home a lot and couldn’t go anywhere. Now we make the most of it by dressing up in glitter.
Järnefelt is on the same lines. He reminds that the difference between casual and party clothes does not have to be huge.
The belly button is visible and clothes can be heard through
Now the navel can be seen again. The last time this was fashionable was in the early 2000s. Pants and skirts are again low and reveal the waist.
Sykkö has noticed that short tops or low bottoms that reveal the navel have already been seen at the galas. He calls the trend Hollywood style. Järnefelt sees body positivity in this trend. That bodies are allowed to be proudly visible, regardless of their size or shape.
Transparency has been featured on the Instagram accounts of many fashion influencers. Underwear is visible under the transparent fabrics. Deep slits in skirts and dresses are also commonplace. Järnefelt herself wore a transparent dress at the Venla gala at the end of February. She feels that transparency brings much-needed carefreeness to often very formal party wear.
– The transparency is lighter and doesn’t feel so bloated. It brings relaxation to the party, says Järnefelt.
According to Järnefelt, transparency emphasizes the possibility of layering clothes, which means that we can talk about seasonless fashion.
– The clothes are not only made for one season, but can be combined with different clothes throughout the year and create more uses for them, the fashion designer states.
Unisex fashion is a megatrend
In 2021, it was reported that London will switch to a gender-neutral and season-free fashion week. According to Sykö and Järnefelt, gender blurring is a huge trend that has been going towards for years. Sykkö reminds that the female and male categories are disappearing from the galas of the film industry. Maybe soon fashionable too?
According to Järnefelt, unisex fashion is fashion that discusses the relationship between binary and non-binary gender.
– I see that we are going in a direction where men’s and women’s fashion are not separated, but the clothes are available to anyone, he says.
An example of unisex fashion is military-style cargo pants, which were originally men’s work pants. According to spring trends, they can be worn by everyone. There is strength in contrast, so cargo pants can be combined with, for example, festive tops.
Like cargo pants, different \”work clothes\” come into fashion every now and then. Järnefelt feels that they are fascinating because some details can be left out due to the rich structures.
Another strong and easy-to-apply spring trend are large XXL bags. Oversize vests almost cover the wearer’s upper body and create a graphic look on the street.
*Which of the trends inspires you the most? You can participate in the conversation.*