Diane Chan and Sarah Casselman

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from my first Trend Edit conference which took place Wednesday evening at Design Within Reach on King West. The email invite I received outlined a discussion about the trends and changes within the realms of fashion and interior design. But what do I know from interior design? Short answer: Nothing. I figured I’d stay through the talk about runways and clothing racks and sneak out before it turned to ottomans and wallpaper.

After arriving (and receiving the obligatory champagne flute) I nestled in for the talk which was led by Leesa Butler, regional co-director of the Toronto chapter of Fashion Group International, the hosts of the night. The organization, started in 1928 in New York and joined by Eleanor Roosevelt, is geared towards people who work in the industries of fashion, beauty and design. 

The panel was made up of FASHION Magazine’s senior editor Sarah Casselman, Azure Magazine’s managing editor Diane Chan and one-half of Bustle (a menswear label) Shawn Hewson. 

Whatever I was expecting from this conference, it wasn’t what I got. Instead of breaking up the discussion into separate analysis for fashion and interior design, the two were melded together as Butler would throw out a talking point and allow each panelist to discuss their thoughts on how it applied to either clothing or home decor. 

Kathleen Teixeira (no relation…I think) took to the mic first just to give us a rundown of Fall trends that are prevalent both on the runway and in home decor. Colours like plum, emerald green, and auburn (much like the spectrum of a healing bruise), fabrics like silk, velvet and leather and combinations between them are being noticed both on models and in floor displays.

So how do designers always know which hues or fabrics will be the must haves of the season?

“Designers draw inspiration from each other,” said Hewson. “With the internet, it becomes so much easier and faster to know what everyone else is doing.”

“A lot of designers go to trade and fabric shows,” said Casselman. “Even if everyone is using the same pattern, they’re each interpreting them differently. Take for example florals in the spring. They’re not just a one-note pattern. Marni did florals but made them textured while Mary Katrantzou showed them in her unique digital prints.”

A fluid back and forth discourse kept the topics moving along quickly with panelists hitting upon:

Fast Moving Trends

“The quicker a trend catches on, the quicker it falls. With the internet, trends can be picked up so quickly and dropped just as fast because of boredom. In the past trends used to have a 10-year reoccurence rate but who knows how they’ll be affected now.” -Chan.

“Home decor is the same as fashion when it comes to trends. You’ll want to invest in pieces that will last you forever without looking dated. Have fun with accessories and switch those up with the moving of-the-moment pieces. Develop a signature, that way you’ll look great every season just by tweaking your look a bit.” -Casselman

Street Style

“The boom of street style pictures and blogs is still gaining momentum and designers are starting to incorporate it into their design process. When I interviewed Nicola Formichetti he told me he loves tumblr and thinks street style photos inevitably help designers and editors to work harder when producing. Street style is a trend that won’t die down very quickly.” -Casselman.

“Even home decor is getting into the act. TheSelby.com is almost like a street style blog for interior design. It showcases creative individuals and their amazing interior designs. The trend is actively expanding.” -Chan.

Self-Branding

“Designer collaborations, both in fashion like Versace and H&M and in home decor like Missoni and Artek, are definitely here to stay.” -Casselman.

“Alligning your brand with someone else opens you up to an entirely new audience and says a lot about you as an artist and a person. It becomes an extension of who you are. And to be honest, designing the same thing again and again…it becomes boring.” -Hewson.

“Designers collaborate with interior design because they already have established a brand and have a specific vision. They don’t need to know how to manufacture a sofa, just how to back up their vision practically.” -Chan.

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Bianca Teixeira is Toronto Standard’s style editor. Follow her on Twitter at @BeeIsTheNewBlog.

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