Revisiting the past

Stahl have released their colour forecast for autumn/winter 2006/2007. The new season's colours are said to revisit the past and revitalise the present. Look to the north and as the leaves fall from the trees and people snuggle in their homes as the snows of winter approach, colours inevitably reflect the sombre world of nature as she sleeps through the season of darker nights. Look back in history at medieval living for the rich and the poor. In the world of colour there are many similarities between now and then. Shades of green and red with contrasting grey and beige were popular colours for clothing then. Highlighting them were the iridescence of silks and the flashes of metallic decorations. These colours and highlights are very similar to the shades that are forecast for autumn/winter 2006/2007. Surprisingly Stahl's new Colour Fashion Forecast is not so very different from one that might have been presented in those days. However, there are new flashes of inspiration in the reds and oranges and in the metallic colours that form an important part of today's forecast, echoing the flash of colour in such scenes as the American and Canadian, and high fashion of grand living among the gentry. Of course all the colours today are much more intense and colour-fast thanks to modern leather dyeing and finishing technology. The Stahl Forecast is divided into five colour groups - Glossy Fever, Metal Excitement, Velvety Sensation, Embellished Addiction and Natural Required. All of them contain mute shades of green together with similar shades of red or brown. Close colour relationships between the groups will allow contrasts, decorative touches and mixing of colour. Gloss is almost never out of fashion. Stahl's dramatic Glossy Fever group includes sparkling blacks and other dark colours to create dramatic magical masculine and feminine evening fashions sometimes with star-like sparkles that enhance the magic appeal of this colour series. The highlight of the colour scene, almost literally, will be Metal Excitement which is quite different to anything else in the Forecast. Here are new metallic colours, gold, silver, bronze, aluminium and bright reds and oranges. Here are the iridescent colours of shot silks shimmering in glamorous sporty and appealing evening wear. Here are the metallic finishes that provide exciting splashes of colour for the avant-garde and futuristic appeal, that provide sparkling reflections of light that catch the eye and ensure a second look. Just as in the past brilliant silks and shining metallic ornament spoke of a rich approach to the fashion of the day, so here there is an opportunity for an extrovert approach to today's fashion. In contrast the softness of Velvety Fashion brings into play shades of beige, straw and cream to contrast with the muted greens and reds in the group. Softness breeds a feeling of tender amusement, a youthful sense of humour and a tactile experience. Yet the feeling is also one of warmth and cheer and sometimes the result is unconventional. Decorative day wear and evening splendour demands the use of the Embellished Addiction group which covers the darker shades of colour, once again bringing multicultural and ornamental handicraft from Eastern folklore cultures into today's fashion scene. This is a new look at multicultural influences which gives a new dimension to darker shades of colour. It calls for an open-minded approach to blending one colour with another. Finally, the Natural Required is a group of natural greens, reds and blues that have been selected to provide a genuine natural attraction to modern day and easy-going leisure wear. It is honest. It is unisex. And it is a series of ideal colours for the urban winter. The way in which these colour groups react with each other will provide the Autumn and Winter 2006/2007 colour scene with a fashionable style statement that allows techniques, treatments, decorations and other touches to be brought together using over layering as the key to success.