Press Centre
Trends Autumn/Winter 2009/2010
As society deepens its engagement with ethical issues raised by our complex world, the trend experts at Swarovski are sensing a growing desire for simplicity, integrity and a return to the essential values for Autumn/Winter 2009/10. Fashion is reflecting this back-to-the-roots mood through renewed uptake of high-quality craftsmanship and beautiful, traditional materials.
Hot on the heels of a Spring/Summer season 2009 that saw the standards bar raised sky high for design and embellishment, designers and creatives are now increasingly focusing their attention on essential values such as tradition, perfection and beauty. A heightened awareness of core values – and the origin of things – has been developing for some time, but has never been apparent with such intensity before. It is only fitting then, that the five new trend themes by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements are taken from its own origins, and reflect the heart of the company’s design values. RADIANCE (Harmony), SUBSTANCE (Classic), EMOTION (Romantic), AVANT-GARDE (Progressive) and OPULENCE (Glamour) unashamedly reveal the qualities that ensure CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements are a byword for world-class innovation, creative inspiration and glittering perfection.
RADIANCE (Harmony)
The value RADIANCE represents the clarity and brilliance of crystal, the result of a harmonious interaction between geometry and light, emotion and intellect. Inner strength and harmony, along with respect for nature, creates the same radiant glow, as seen in the folkloric designs of the old North American Indian tribes. Rustic meets elegant, as raw silks, fake furs and wools contrast with graphic, medium-to-large sized CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, such as the new Octagon and Rock Pendants and the Cosmic Flat Fancy Stone. Earthlike colours from opal through copper to smoked topaz and turquoise – instinctively stylish – communicate spirituality in a modern world.
SUBSTANCE (Classic)
SUBSTANCE unites attributes such as quality, precision and perfection – values that lie at the core of CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements. Coupled with a new-found focus on societal values such as style and manners, an austere, yet sensual aesthetic shines through: cool Garbo-esque reserve meets the staged perfection and immaculate grooming of the 1980s pop world. Crystal – shiny, bold, graphic – adds the finishing note, bringing emphasis to strong, beautifully tailored shapes and Art-Deco-inspired jewellery, or an ironic accent to a flawlessly elegant look. Crystal cuts are predominantly classic in medium-to-large sizes and draw on innovations such as the Diamond Leaf Sew-On Stone, the Chessboard Flat Back and Crystal Pearl Rivets. Colours, including new Dark Indigo come in a dark, noble palette, highlighted by a frivolous touch of new Indian Pink.
EMOTION (Romantic)
When a ray of light catches a crystal, there’s a moment of magic, followed by another and another – fleeting, almost intangible, as the interplay between light and multi-facetted stone is forever changing. The value EMOTION encapsulates perfectly this mood of blurred reality, interspersed with points of breathtaking beauty: in an ambiguous, androgynous world, boys will be girls and girls will be free to embark on romantic flights of fancy. CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements blend with surreal and complex patterning or add baroque twinkling to satins, printed mousseline and lace. Sudden shifts of reality are captured against a backdrop of Dark Indigo and pastel shades, shot through with vibrant red. Shapes are figurative and naïve, evoking delicate treasures of old, and include the new Pegasus Pendant and Diamond Leaf Flat Back.
AVANT-GARDE (Progressive)
An AVANT-GARDE design is not afraid to alienate the familiar, subverting everyday objects into something unexpected and experimental. Crystal, with its ability to function in its own right as a creative material, demonstrates this quality: when used in unusual combinations with soft materials and rounded contours, it can lift objects into a new, highly conceptual and futuristic context. Predominantly round, oval, or simple crystal shapes, such as the Crystal Pearl Rivet, Chessboard Flat Back and Owlet-Sew-On Stone innovations, contrast with voluminous coated fabrics, soft leathers, matt finishes and padded materials to create an intriguing, illusory mood. Soft white and beige tones tinged with lime and new Indian Pink underline the contemporary look.
OPULENCE (Glamour)
The value OPULENCE expresses the innate grandeur of crystal. An extravagant smattering of glittering CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements beautifully reflect the nonchalance, freshness and tongue-in-cheek eccentricity of young heiresses and princesses at play. The appeal of crystal comes from its contrasts: age-old tradition meets youthful sparkle, elegance meets rebelliousness to reveal a new, relaxed approach to glamour. The mood draws on a rich and vivid colour spectrum, including the new Dark Indigo, Indian Pink and Crystal Bordeaux Pearl. Naïve elements such as hearts, stars, flowers and innovations like the Owlet Sew-On Stone, XILION Navette, Pegasus Pendant and Briolette Bead complete a look both playful and noble.
Haute couture jewellery and textile designer: Dori Csengeri interprets new trends
Inspired by the five new trend directions by CRYSTALLIZED™ – Swarovski Elements, internationally acclaimed jewellery designer and award-winning artist Dori Csengeri is creating unique pieces to reflect each theme. Her distinctive, colourful, hand-embroidered jewellery – fine stones, crystal beads, shell, wood and metal sewn into silky cotton cords – is perfectly suited to the upcoming trend for high-quality craftsmanship and use of beautiful, traditional materials. Csengeri’s collections can be found in prestigious jewellery boutiques around the world.
