Final Project : Elle Magazine Apr. 2014 | Page 7

look FIRST The New Fashion Tribes T This season, designers are treading their own paths. Question is, who will you follow? ribes, not trends: that’s the new mantra. Are you a Céline woman or a Saint Laurent (late 1990s) rock chick? Which brand is calling your name? Do you want to wear your art on your sleeve (Prada)? Or stomp – make that ‘step’ – in extreme black sportswear (Rick Owens)? Of course, there will always be trends. But increasingly, the ready-to-wear shows are about designers marching ELLEUK.COM to the beat of their own drum and honing their brand DNA. It would be impossible to mistake a portrait-ofa-woman coat by Prada, say, for a Chanel paint-spash coat. Or a Dior Bar jacket for a Louis Vuitton admiral jacket. These clothes are bold and defining. They sum up the genetics of the brand – this season, bolstered by an almighty steroid injection – and invite us to join the family. Now it’s time to pick your tribe. 7