A taste of summer

TFL have released their forecast of fashion colours for the leather industry 21 months in advance of the spring-summer 2007 season. The themes have been created by Italian designers Sergio Belloni and Carmen Rimoldi, who were advised by a panel of international expert colourists. Fashion colours for leather are presented in a forecast dedicated to the specific requirements of the world's leather industry. Knowledge of the future colour preferences and trends helps designers, manufacturers and tanners stay one step ahead of the market and the competition. Chic The designers describe chic as a well-shaken cocktail of flavours, travel and joie de vivre, with a generous dose of irony and mischievousness but, above all, the essential ingredient is plenty of soul. 'In recent seasons we have witnessed a tendency to satisfy our needs for indulgence, where the dining table becomes a meeting place. It is no coincidence that Italy became home to the world's first museum of taste and food, a clear sign of the change afoot.' Designers Sergio Belloni and Carmen Rimoldi decided to analyse recent trends, dividing them into three concepts: way of life, a sign of evolution and change. Chic combines art, cuisine, fashion, interior design and craftsmanship. Inspired by a very natural food colour palette, vegetables are key to this range. Natural vegetable tones with sunny touches brighten up compositions. The palette is rich in contrasts with colonial influences brought up to date by technology. Shades bear names such as pumpkin, peppers, turnips and lentils. Colours from the Chic range work best as part of batik inspired prints, a mix of interweaving and overlays, graduated fade and nuance effects, a mix of stitchings and materials, upholstery and trimmings, burnt and coloured raw cuts, straw string and wood, washed and well-worn leather. Chic embodies the need to gently, serenely savour life, the world, events, the pleasure of relating to others in a leisurely manner and of wearing clothes made with care and craftsmanship. Chic is a recipe full of ethnic ingredients, where exotic food takes centre stage: mixing flavours and scents from different countries. The quality of material and the details make it stand out, with an accurate elegance that leaves nothing to chance. Materials which invite you to touch them add new dimensions to pleasure and a mixed culture gives rise to a refinement of tastes that influences all spheres. Classic Classic is a range of cheerful, lively food colours with fruit as a central theme. Tones of fruit and jelly feature alongside darker shades to ease in variations. A playful, transgressive palette takes place against the background of freedom of movement with glamour. Colours include kiwi, coconut and tangerine. Classic works well with applications in enamel and rubber, light padding, repeated modules, tricot and metal combinations, visibly contrasting stitchwork, photographic prints, the interplay of matt and gloss, and accentuated overlays. 'Classic represents our need to make up for our lack of fulfilment. We are living in the age of consumer hunger. Just think, for example, how often we change our mobile phones, without even allowing ourselves to enjoy what we have. 'There is a perceived need to move quickly, an urge to rapidly use up new products, forging ahead; a pleasure associated with bargain fashion and big chain stores. These are quick, low-cost garments, where colours and patterns are the key elements.' Casual The casual theme incorporates organic food hues, sweet and delicate, where sweet pastries are the keynote. Soft, sensual tones are used with contrasting touches to light up decorations. In this palette luxury and relaxation form a perfect symbiosis. Muffins, pudding and sherbet are some of the shades included in this range. Casual is best worn with macro flower prints, gauze like texture, micro and macro perforations, overlaid lace and embroidery, ribbons and motifs on scarves, etchings, gold and precious stones. Irregular faded areas also make an appearance. Style is an atmosphere. Organic is a sense of belonging to the biosphere. Just as the success of a good lunch begins with the ingredients, the quality of a garment or an accessory starts with the choice of materials. Certifying that the rules for organic products have been followed throughout the production cycle, and requesting the producer's guarantee that no harmful substances have been used, is essential. Casual provides a therapy which is 'entrusted to bio details, a style of absolute relaxation for body and mind; where comfort and shades stolen from nature offer us an uncontaminated world.'