Autumn ice-creams

When considering commercial winners for the Autumn season, ice-cream shades don't necessarily spring to mind. But this is one trend we see carrying over from Spring/Summer in a big way.

This season, pastels are everywhere from denim to eveningwear and it looks incredibly fresh and contemporary if you keep the silhouette modern with bracelet sleeves and cropped legs.

Pale rose denim (J Brand and Rag & Bone have some great examples this Spring) already looks set to be a big hit for this season (alongside stronger shades such as bright blue and brick red) for example. But will they still work come autumn? We say, yes, though you may want a heavier weight fabric.

It was a surprise to see head to toe pastels on a number of catwalks, particularly in Paris and Milan (see Nina Ricci and Missoni - pictured bottom and second from bottom), but having digested it, this is a look that seems very right. And it's a perfect antidote to all the rich 70s and 40s colours that otherwise look set to dominate the season.

Of course, working a look on the catwalk is one thing but does it work on the street? Again, we say yes. And here's the evidence. Pioneering fashion types were working the look in the last gasps of winter on the street of Paris recently and making it look highly desirable indeed. We particularly love this creamy vintage-looking fur (another strong trend for next Autumn - faux or real) paired with chalky jeans and a mint coloured handbag. She may be dressed in ice cream tones but she won't be cold.

Of course the typical British wet winter weather may mean the head to toe look is reserved for sunny or dry days only, but for a more practical look we did see the pastels teamed with black, such as this cute pink sweater dress with dark opaque tights (pictured top). Who'd have thought this surprising trend could be so practical too?!

A/W 11/12: what the buyers are backing

At the end of each catwalk season we at WGSN poll a global panel of fashion buyers to find out which looks they're backing and for A/W 11/12, they were spoilt for choice.

There were strong trends for every age group and taste bracket; but they managed to edit them down to the following winners.

Glamour dressing
40s ladylike
Bold colour
70s infusion (as at Gucci - centre)
Long and lean silhouettes
Clean minimalism
Outerwear statement (as at Prada - top)
Fur (as at Diane von Furstenberg - bottom)

Our esteemed panel was culled from globally renowned fashion leaders such as Harvey Nichols, Bergdorf Goodman, Browns, Matches, Neiman Marcus, Harrods and Selfridges, so they know their stuff.

We've already mentioned the importance of strong colour and outerwear (and the two combined) and this always bodes well for a healthy autumn season. What they buyers also told us was that they were focusing in on the details - those touches that elevate an item from nice to have to must have, and if the detail was right, the customer would buy no matter what the price.

Luckily for you in this week's Drapers out on Friday, we pick up on those very details you should be looking out for in your top-up and close-to-season buys. The magazine is out on Friday or you can read it online at Drapersonline

To read more about what our buyers say, including which shows they feel were the most influential sign up for your free trial of WGSN Boutique today (we also have a report from the menswear experts too). Click here for more information.

Raise a glass to Autumn's hit colour

Grenedine, bordeaux, merlot, whatever your poison this gorgeous deep red emerged as the key colour direction on the A/W 11/12 catwalks (closely followed by cognac browns; yes, boozy hues were definitely a theme).

We like this red A LOT at WGSN because it's so darn versatile. It worked gorgeously on more formal dresses, such as these examples from Celine (centre) and Reed Krakoff (top), but is equally brilliant for casual looks such as this Acne sleeveless biker (bottom), knitwear and outerwear.

If you feel it's too much on its own, it also acts as the perfect foil to greys and camels but if you're feeling brave, it's a useful shade to clash against another key colour of the season; shocking pink. And, of course, it works brilliantly with cognac accessories which we predict will be the new tan/camel for A/W 11/12 when it comes to luxe footwear and handbags.

Other key colours to look our for include teal, marigold yellow and orange. Remember if they sound too much for your customers, you don't have to swallow them whole. These colour trends can be accessed through lower-risk accessories, as highlights on trims and details, or through knitwear or tops (tunics were a big movement) paired with more sober shades - booze, as we all know, is better taken in moderation.

D&G diffusion causes confusion

Interesting story on WGSN yesterday about rumours that Italian house Dolce & Gabbana may be considering ditching its diffusion line, D&G, and folding it into its main line.

According to those in the know the secondary line, given its similar name, is often confused with the main collection and the positioning of the two is not distinct enough. See our two pictures from the recent Milan A/W 11/12 shows (D&G is at the top) - the playfulness of the D&G handwriting is certainly present in both, but the Dolce & Gabbana line always remained slightly more sophisticated and tailored. (I recall visiting the D&G London showroom some years ago now to have someone explain to me that you could tell a D&G dress from a Dolce & Gabbana one because the house animal print for D&G was ocelot and not leopard, which seemed a rather subtle difference that could be lost on the customer, particularly as price points at the top end of D&G edge into Dolce & Gabbana territory.)

To compensate for the removal of the D&G line, the plan is apparently to introduce more lower-priced lines to the main line, which they would certainly have to do since D&G (which makes up 45% of sales for the group) is the main wholesale brand and those boutiques that are perfectly positioned to sell the younger line may not be quite so well suited to selling the main line. And, more to the point, would those stores (typically stellar department stores such as Harvey Nichols and Harrods - D&G fell out with Selfridges last year over floor space and is no longer sold there - and premium indies such as Matches) that sell the main line be happy to see all the wholesale accounts pick it up? Given the competition for brands, I'm guessing they may not.

One of the joys of having a second line (or even third like fellow Italian house Moschino) is that you can please a wider wholesale base without having them tread on each other's turf. So doing that juggling with just one will be a challenge.

Significant wholesale accounts for D&G in the UK include independent etailer My-Wardrobe.com and York super-indie Sarah Coggles along with Bernard of Esher in Surrey. Net-a-porter too stocks a wide range but that's one place the main line would certainly look and feel at home.

Despite the issues around positioning, I'll feel quite sad to see D&G go, if that does prove to be its fate. Its menswear show this season was brilliant and its footwear is always strong and accessible from a price perspective. Let's hope for the customers and the retailers that any merging of brands or repositioning works in their favour.

Great coat, great season

Just as the first sunbeams of spring make a tentative peek through the grey skies of a very long and cold winter, one's thoughts naturally turn to next winter's coat of course... Well they do if you're a fashion obsessive and/or a retailer.

We count in at least one of those categories so we've been poring over the coats on on the catwalks over the past few weeks and, apart from making a personal shopping list, we've picked out some of the most commercial and desirable pieces we think shoppers will snap up come next autumn (or next August if they're really keen).

Autumn 11/12 is going to be a great season for outerwear, which is always good news for retailers. In times of tough trading you don't want to hear it will be all about cheaper knit options or for there to be no new direction to compel the shopper to update their trusty coat.

I can give them one good reason - colour. Wines, teals, yellows, oranges, browns and bright pinks abounded. If you're stuck in grey, you'll be stuck in the past. Unless of course you go for a reworked classic, such as this fabulous sleeveless duffel from Derek Lam (duffels were a key theme; see also Mulberry).

Herewith some of the styles we think look like winners. From top: Mulberry, Derek Lam, Paul Smith, Burberry - all AW 11-12 catwalk shots. There are hundreds more great coat examples on www.wgsn-boutique.com (and if you haven't signed up for your free trial - go now!).

Til next time...

Lauretta