COURSE DESCRIPTION:
An overview and analysis of current color, fiber, and fashion trends, as well as their impact upon sales forecasting. Students will research, analyze, and develop fashion forecasts related to specific seasons in the apparel industry.
Students will learn how to forecast future trends in color, fabric, silhouettes, and textures and how to incorporate their findings into a specific trend forecast and correlating merchandising plan inclusive of mood boards, flat sketches, and spec details. Students will also learn how to develop those ideas into a format that can be understood by pattern makers and other producers at the primary level of fashion.
Final Project:
The Louvre
Bold. Sophisticated. Everlasting.
Asha Ballerd
Dr. Woods
Table of Contents
Abstract ………………………………………………………….…………….. Page 2
About the author …………………………………………………….……..… Page 3
Letter to the Reader …………………………………………………….….… Page 5-6
Consumer Profile/ Target Market……………………………………………… Page 4-6
Five Trends/ Trend Report ….………………………………………….….…. Page 7-11
2 Sketches of Each of the 5 trends for 2021 …………………………………… Page 8-11
Detailed Proposed Color Stories for the Season …………………….….…….. Page 11-13
Detailed Proposed Fabrics for the Season …………………………………….. Page 13
Mood Board ……………………………………………………………….…. Page Cover & 13
Fabric Swatches ……………………………………………………………… Page 13
Detailed Conclusion …………………………………………………..…..…. Page 14
Citations ………………………………………………………………….….. Page 15-16
Abstract
Throughout the length of this paper the trends for 2021 as it pertains to silhouettes and colors will be discussed. We will be focusing on a blazers collection in particular, The Louvre. The history of blazers and how they have emerged will be explored, which gave life to The Louvre’s 2021 collection. A trend report includes five trends for the upcoming two years that will likely be explored. Colors and swatches of the fabrics are included to bring the ten piece collection to life. The target market for the collection explains the specific target person The Louvre aims to please. The mood board for this collection gives an overall feel and look of the aesthetic that The Louvre wants to embody.
ASHA BALLARD
Fashion Forecaster, Stylist & Consultant
Some of my first jobs in the fashion industry were those of luck. Roaming the City streets with friends we caught the eye of a fashion stylist that I would soon find out styled some of the biggest celebrities. He has worked alongside some pretty big names. People such as Chris Brown, Diddy, Faith Evans and so on. Interning with Mike B. got my foot in the door as early as 17. I was able to assist Fonzworth Bentley and the stylist Mike B. with shopping and styling A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, and Consequence for the Dave Chappelle show. Personally shopped for a Complex and Macy’s collaboration. Styled Shaggy for The Late Late Show with James Corden. As well as organized, steamed and maintained clothing for Lauryn Hill’s concert in Australia.
This gave me a better understanding of the fashion world I immersed myself in as a child. Finally it was all coming true. These experiences allowed me to access customer needs and give advice on personal style. How to advise clients on the style and fit of clothing.
After I graduated from New York City College of Technology with my Bachelors of Science in Business and Technology of Fashion the journey of creating a life of true fulfillment began. Becoming the CEO of a Jewelry/ Accessories line called TAB at the age of 20. The company is mainly run by Takiyah Ballard now that personal styling, fashion forecasting, and consulting are the main priority.
Current Work
Currently I’m working full time as a personal Stylist for Asap Rocky. As well as creating my own blazer line TheLouvre.
The Brains Behind It
Working in the Fashion industry since the age of 17 has given perspective and insight when coming to the overall aesthetic of clothing. The wants and needs of people when looking for clothing pertaining to different events should always be met. The fit, cut, and color of the garment are all specific elements that equally matter when clothing is being made and bought. Realizing that there is a shortage of innovation, loud, yet classy business attire pushed the idea of The Louvre; more specifically blazers. The Louvre was born from the everyday fashion forward girl who wants innovative and classy choices when choosing business/ conservative attire with a twist. She isn’t your typical everyday girl.
Target Market
The Louvre is a contemporary brand which specializes in blazers. The cut and feel of the garments are of high quality. The fabrics mostly used are cotton, silk, and wool. But for this particular collection we focus on brocade with our blazers ranging from $250-$700. They are meant to embrace and elevate the business women from her late 20s to mid 50s. Our target person is a woman who is married with children and runs her own business. She makes $80,000-$300,000 annually. She is high middle class, engulfs her entire life in luxury and lives in the City.
Although we have an online store our location is mainly in New York City. Our store which houses our limited exclusive pieces and in-house tailor is in SoHo, Manhattan. Our women are opinionated and strong minded, after all she had to fight to get to where she is today. She is educated with at least a bachelor’s degree or higher in her field of work. She is fashion forward and likes to take risks in every aspect of her life. But most of all she demands to be seen. All eyes are always on her and while they are, she gives them a reason to hold their stares. Our blazers enhance confidence throughout everyday life. Whether that be a wedding, a dinner party, birthday, business meetings etc. She is exciting, trendy and goes wherever the wind takes her.
The Louvre embraces the natural curves of the female body, although we are not opposed to seeing our garments on any gender. We invite all into our world of luxury with custom pieces tailored to fit your body and personality perfectly. The Louvre holds the body in all the right places. We are here to make you feel beautiful, elegant and heard. We are a luxury store here to satisfy your fashion fantasies.
Letter to Reader
The Louvre exempts style and class that embraces and elevates women. These blazers are meant to empower the working women. The working women that can’t help but demand attention when walking into the room. The classic, sleek, and innovative blazer are what we explore throughout all aspects of the brand. The sculpt and elegance of each blazer evokes a story and gives power to the feminine figure. The trends in this line will visit significant times in history. Incorporating decades of struggle, pain, and overall grace; the core of The Louvre.
This line encompasses what a young powerful business woman will wear today. The five trends we incorporated explores the journey of women throughout time and space. This line is for the daring, the innovative, the one who is before her time. These blazers are here to reimagine and reinvent the women’s business attire and overall wardrobe.
The History of the Blazer
The blazer started out in the sport of Rowing according to both Sam Dangremond from the article “How the Blazer got Its Name” and Rowing Blazers Blog “The Origins of the Blazer”. The original blazer was worn by the elite, which added to their overall preppy styles. “’The first blazers were meant to be worn in boats by rowers at Oxford and Cambridge,’ Carlson, a coxswain who has raced in the World Rowing Championships and the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Races” (Dangremond). The blazer emerged in the late 1800’s: “By the 1890s, all flannel, loose-fitting casual jackets (which were at the time generally brightly colored) began being known as blazers. At the turn of the century, the blazer crossed the Atlantic. Ivy League universities like Princeton, Cornell, Yale, and Harvard started to adopt blazers themselves” (Dangremond). He even goes on to explain how the blazer actually got its name: “The term ‘blazer’ first appeared in print in 1952, according to Carlson, in an article that referred to the red jacket worn by Cambridge’s Lady Margaret Boat Club as a ‘red guernsey or blazer.’ It was bright, or blazing red, hence the name blazer. The same red jackets are still worn by Lady Margaret Boat Club today” (Dangremond).
“The Origin of the Blazer” article reaches from the days of its origins as well as its present days. Merging the two: “There is no article of clothing that can quite match the blazer in both pedigree and street cred. The now-ubiquitous dark blue blazer is inexorably British but has become a permanent icon of American style. The blazer is both ineffably cool and deeply traditional, equally at ease on a boat or in the board- room, in the classroom or the club. A blazer is almost always the “right” thing to wear” (Rowing Blazers). In this blog it emphasizes the trickle-down theory.
The history of the blazer is one of great prestige with being affiliated with the top colleges in the country. Blazers have had a history of sleekness, cleanliness, and wealth, The Louvre showcases this history while also bringing forth new ideas and ways of evoking the same feelings and more.
Trends
Harper’s Bazaar, The Cut and Glamour have touched on the ideal silhouettes, fits and styles that are fundamental when speaking about a women’s blazer. Among these styles were oversized, cropped, leather, and the classic double-breasted style that we are all used to seeing. The trends mostly focused on in this collection are asymmetrical, belted, cropped, oversized and maxi blazers. These trends have been conceptualized to open and revision the everyday blazer.
Asymmetrical Blazer
The eye is trained to see things that are symmetrical as proper and more beautiful. After all a symmetrical face is the definition of beauty. The choice to design two asymmetrical pieces is to go against the norm. Figure 1.0 “Luxe Queen” is a one sleeve flared blazer that stops right below the butt. It’s made to be worn as a dress or jacket but is styled with a long sleeved white button up. Figure 1.1 “Amore” is asymmetrical at the bottom of the garment. It has an elongated pleated button on the left side of the garment with a convertible neckline that has two visible pockets and buttons along the inside of the garment which are hidden. The sleeves flare out about half an inch and cuts the palm in half. For the daring yet classy women. The Cut wrote a recent article about “The 15 Work Blazers to Wear this Fall” among these blazers was an asymmetrical blazer. Putting my twist on this was very important in creating this line. The Louvre is for the rebellious and innovative. To live up to this there must be some sort of new perspective in fashion, what better place to do it then the conference room or the New York streets?
Maxi Blazer
The Maxi blazer is one that emerged from the maxi dress. This idea emerged from those who may want to wear blazers as a light jacket out. Both maxi blazers in this collection hit below the knee with different silhouettes. The maxi blazers in this collection are more avant-garde and dramatic compared to the other four trends. These blazers are reminiscent of the early 19th century with a cinched in waist and floor length hem. These blazers express the importance of elegance and softness in a woman. But can be a little overwhelming for some. These blazers can be worn out for the holidays, intimate celebrations, or in your everyday life if you want to exude such beauty and grace.
Figure 2.0 “Rella” is reminiscent of the classic blue Cinderella dress. Cinderella meets business luxury. This Blazer is ankle length and poofs out when walking. It cinches in mid-stomach to give more emphasized on the added length, with an added pocket on the upper left hand side. It couldn’t be reminiscent of Cinderella if there were no poofy shoulders. The Leg of Mutton’s sleeves give the garment the overall aesthetic of royalty. Figure 2.1 “Hour Glass” is ankle length as well but more fitted to the body, with a built in corset.
Cropped Blazer
The cropped blazer was one of the: “7 Essential Blazers for Every Women’s Closet” according to Harper’s Bazaar. This trend should not be a surprise, there has been a considerable amount of cropped everything in the fashion industry. Why should blazers be excluded from that? The two pieces designed for this collection are modest so women of all ages can wear it if it embodies who they are or who they would like to portray. Times are changing, more and more people are becoming their own bosses, creating their own career paths. The Louvre embodies and encapsulates all that a businesswoman wants and needs.
Both cropped blazers Figure 3.0 and 3.1 are different variations of the same idea. Figure 3.0 “ Crop It Till You Drop” has a ruffled neckline with a 3⁄4 cuffed sleeve. Finished off with two small pockets on either side of the garment. Figure 3.1 “Classic Chic” has a high round neckline with a larger and longer variation of the cuffed sleeve finished with one pocket on the right hand side.
Belted Blazer
Among Glamour’s “The 14 Best Blazers You Can Buy Right Now” the belted blazer was one. They have been among your favorite celebs, designers, influencers, and fashion icons so there is no surprise here. The two pieces designed from this collection are reinventions of this trend, which resembles the classic trench coat. These belted blazers can be worn as an entire outfit by itself, slightly resembling a dress. The belt is a way for consumers to adjust the blazer to their liking. Which can allow the garment to last longer throughout time.
Both pieces in the collection have variations of this trend. Figure 4.0 “Glow” is a pleated blazer with two overlapping belts. There is a pocket on the left side of the blazer. The second piece Figure 4.1 “Icy” is a variation of a maternity dress with a Mandarin neckline. The belt is located right underneath the chest area with two pockets on either side.
Oversized Blazer
Clothing that fits a little larger than average has been an ongoing trend for some time now. The two pieces that was created for this collection shows a variation of this trend. A feeling of wearing your boyfriend’s, brother, or father’s jacket. Giving the overall aesthetic a vintage feel; creating this sense of nostalgia when being worn. It’s very reminiscent of the 90’s and early 2000’s aesthetic. Its importance is shown by how many casually and formally wear it. This trend has stood the test of time.
Both pieces in the collection took this oversized trend into perspective. Instead of making the entire piece oversized we focused on specifics. Figure 5.0 “Devine” just focuses on the sleeves. This garment has a Chelsea neckline with extremely oversized sleeves. A small pocket is on the left side of the blazer to finish it off. Figure 5.1 “Magical Hour” focused just on the collar. The lapel is oversized as well as doubled. With the classic look of an everyday blazer.
Color Forecast
The colors based around this line are more neutral soft colors. The soft tans, beiges, blues,pinks and golds chosen to work with gives each garment a more romanticized look and feel. Many have been talking about the change that the Spring/ Summer 2021 will have. One of those are Pantone, a trusted color forecasting company. Pantone goes into depth about the upcoming color changes: “After all the drama of color in recent seasons, for Spring/Summer 2021 we step forward into a season of quieter, more natural colors that hint at the influence of raw dyestuffs and recycling. Just as the natural world has bursts and blooms of brilliant and stunning hues, some sparks of bright color do appear as well as an array of dry and woodland greens, mushroom hues and sparkly blues across the spectrum. In line with this new feeling for color comes an equally important respect for texture and variation, because just as in nature, there are no flat colors; luminosity, texture and tonality say it all” (Pantone). In addition to Pantone: “Archroma, a global leader in color and specialty chemicals towards sustainable solutions, and Carlin, the trend office who pioneered trend forecasting back in 1947, will be at Premiere Vision Paris, where they will share a booth fully dedicated to color creativity, inspiration and performance” (Achroma). They both go into detail about the same color forecast: “The longing for nature is one of the strong undercurrents in the macro social changes that Carlin uncovered and translated into color trends: From the emerging taste for distinct food flavors, to the growing use of natural ingredients to replace synthetic ones, to the research aimed at bringing nature back into cities and into our lives” (Achroma). Now Better Sun kissed, a blog by MILLA CAMARGO gives visuals on the upcoming Spring/ Summer 2021 color forecast.
The Louvre incorporates these projected color trends by incorporating soft hues and earth tone colors. Throughout the collection you will see beiges, icy whites, soft blues, delicate pinks, and a sun kissed gold.
Fabric
The fabric chosen for the entirety of the collection is Brocade: a rich fabric woven with a raised pattern, typically with gold or silver thread. This fabric was chosen due to its richness in color and pattern. The fabric alone brings each garment to another level. Not to mention that there aren’t many designers who have chosen to do this previously. Doing this ensures a diverse and cohesive collection. As you saw when the collection was revealed. All five of the fabrics that are chosen blend well together creating an entire color story. Some pieces even include different colors, or shades of the same fabric.
Mood Board
The mood board opens up and introduces the entire collection. It was inspired by the color forecast of Spring/ Summer 2021. Focusing on the warm earth tones spoken about throughout Pantone, Achroma, and Carmargo. The overall aesthetic and feel of it embodies a woman of class and elegance while using tones that will add and compliment most if not all skin tones. The mood board is one of present and past beauties. It’s more of an overall feel and mood of the brand than depicting the actual line. The Louvre is a mixture of past and present, although it was very important to create something entirely new. In order to do this, gaining information and visuals from all walks of life was fundamental.
Conclusion
The colors, silhouette, fabric, overall look, feel of the garments spoke to the overall mood and aesthetic that The Louvre wanted to evoke. It was important to include these designs in the collection to show that anything is possible in fashion but most importantly that there is a place that anyone can go to to express themselves in every kind of way. Business spaces shouldn’t be
limited based on what everyone is used to seeing, especially when we are talking about people who work in the fashion industry or aspire to. This collection was a step forward in innovation, having a voice, and constantly reinventing who you are; after all nothing is constant especially not in New York City.
Citations
Carmargo, Milla. 2019 Oct. 2. Nouw. “TREND REPORT – COLOR SS/21 CINNAMON DONUTS” Retrieved from: https://nouw.com/bettersunkissed/springsummer-2021-trend-color-forecast—36448469
Dangremond, Sam “How the Blazer Got Its Name” Retrieved from: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a3314/the-history-of-the-blazer/
Pantone(n.d). “PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner Spring/Summer 2021
Botanica: A beautiful world full of inspiration” Retrieved From: https://www.pantone.com/products/trend-forecasting/pantoneview-colour-planner-spring-summer-2021-botanica
Pieri, Kerry “Shop 7 Essential Blazers for Every Woman’s Closet” Retrieved from: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/g28139965/best-blazers-for-women/
Gonzalez, Tara, Shippee E., “The 14 Best Blazers You Can Buy Right Now” Retrieved from: https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-blazers-to-buy
Reinach, Switzerland. 2019 Aug. 19. “Brighten up your autumn mood with ‘ready-to-launch’ Spring-Summer 2021 color trends and systems by Carlin x Archroma” Retrieved From: https://www.archroma.com/press/releases/brighten-up-your-autumn-mood-with-ready-to-launch-spring-summer-2021-color-trends-and-systems-by-carlin-x-archroma
Rowing Blazers “THE ORIGIN OF THE BLAZER” Retrieved from: https://rowingblazers.com/blogs/dispatches/origin-of-the-blazer-how-the-sport-of-rowing-shaped-the-jacket-worn-by-nearly-everyone-today
Ruane, Emily “The Most Popular NYC Street Style Trend Is Refreshingly Easy To Wear For Fall” Retrieved from: https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/womens-suit-blazer-menswear-trend
