The next cycle of fashion collections are soon upon us. As we amble through our day, designers furiously work on finishing touches of their collections while they confirm presentation venues and themes that support them. Editors plan their grueling schedule and determine who on their teams covers what, given the volume of shows to cover. All aspects of the industry that support this collective explosion of statement creativity get organized for what will again be an exhaustive and exciting month as the Big Four let us know where we are going next.

There have been a lot of hints as to what to expect. The continued embrace of retro with technical overhauls via materials advancements continue to be a surety. Commercial staples will continue to reign as the overall component as well. 3D printing may peek through but hesitantly as the industry struggles to place it carefully without it becoming novelty territory. To what degree we see innovation depends on past sales, and not everything is as transparent. The collections will let us know which is stronger: tradition or innovation. recent couture presentations showed how to bridge the two.

Influences that pander to international markets will also be a strong possibility. The continued love affair with Asia and BRIC nations is up in the air in the face of various instabilities contradicting promise of growing lucrative markets. The underserved Muslim market is finding growing interest, underscored by fashion's dabbling with streamlined cultural territory (caftans, anyone?). The recent New York Times investigation of hijabs translated from a fashion standpoint shows a younger market wiling to break with tradition to find a medium between religious adherence and personal expression. Smart designers should have been jumping at this a long time ago and it's anyone's guess whether we might see some of this in coming collections soon. Perhaps the time is now, just as when kimonos showed up in collections in the late 80s to appease a very wealthy Japanese market.

A few maverick labels have ventured into stylish wearables. The continued fascination with tech has moved from wearables to integration with garments that seems more confined to novelty or sportswear.  There may be translation of fascination with our tech world's direction just as in the 90s when designs reflected our awareness of tech. However, this time it may be in digital art, coding and robotics. That being said, if sales from Saint Laurent are any indication this may take a back seat; that world may not be as alluring or comforting as we have yet to see how we will fit into a story where almost half of what we do is slated for obsolescence. Connectivity to the past may continue to be more preferably desirable and romantic as opposed to affinity with a world where we are predicted to be excluded from. But we are in the 21st century; evolution is expected so again the presence of the future won't be totally absent. Through it all, we do want to move forward, and each year brings a newer generation that wants to have a collection it can identify with. At this point they are telling us what the like, and in a few years they will be of age to more fully dictate via buying power...or through rental frequency.

Indeed all that can be offered right now is just that: speculation. This is the time to assess what has been before us, both in fashion and in the media. Together, these combine to become the platform of the informed designer who cultivates the right combination balancing the business aspect with the flexing of creative muscles to keep the public interested. Let's hope it's more than whatever is buried in a vintage McCall's catalogue.