Style Watch: Trade Show Season

I happen to work in the snowboarding industry. Every year in late January retailers, manufacturers, media members, pro riders and randoms gather for the SIA trade show (now in Denver) and ISPO in Munich. Members of the media clamor to capture the upcoming product trends, PR pros try to tell a good story and product line managers run around trying to work out what's going to sell.

Since I'm kind of a snowboard dork, I'm always curious to see what's new, but I don't find it particularly relevant when it comes to predicting trends. What's more interesting to me is what people who are ahead of the curve are wearing and talking about. And when it comes down to it, the best part of trade show season is seeing so many great people. Old friends and new ones gather from all corners of the globe and get together and it's a sight to see.

So, what do I see on the horizon?

Esthera Preda from Peep Show in quilted Burgundy jacket with gold clutch.





















Bonfire Head Designer Shawn Foster in floral and Atmosphere's Chris Prosser keepin' it basic.



















Dave designed the peyote print on the inside lining of the Bonfire Blur jacket for men. He's a boss. Black and red are holding steady.


In general:

COLOR
Lots of foundation colors: Navy, gray, black, denim, brown, maroon/rust red.
Pop colors: Bright red, curry yellow, mellow blue for men, purple for women.

FABRIC
Corduroy is the new denim, but denim isn't going anywhere.
Vintage inspired plain weave fabrics are on the rise.
Shinier fabrics might be on the horizon.

PRINTS
Gingham is the new plaid, but plaid is still in full effect.
Stripes.
Crazy prints are dying in favor of more natural looking affects like faded colors, tye dye inspiration etc.

DESIGN DETAILS
Double zipper pockets.
Baseball inspired design.
Minimalist branding.
Psychadelic inspired design.

I'm sure there is plenty more that I'm missing, but this is a quick snapshot. I'll try to post more photos soon.