We interrupt the normal flow of covering 2016 Pre-fall collections to (ironically) talk about the future.

As the year draws to a close it is natural to muse over the past year as well as to ponder what is coming in the next. Everywhere one looks are "best of" lists as we rank what has made the most impact or found the most favor or becomes prominent as an influence to consider in creating hallmarks of that passing year.

Fashion does the same, although it is awkward that it is happening while the holidays are creating a break during the release of 2016 Pre-fall itself. The speculation that pre-fall provides joins the broader observations that result from current events, almost signalling the change in attention span that our society has as our technology morphs our habits and, in effect, our lives.

Recently, the New York Times took to writing about the Star Wars phenomenon that has been underway and steadily building and how its impact would translate to future collections. There is no doubt to the wisdom or thought behind the observations nor the predictions of how the costumes in such a popular movie would impact upcoming Fall Winter 2016/2017 collections. Those will occur...or rather, continue to occur as the article duly noted.

Most people don't know that there are those in the fashion industry who tend to have the kind of information connections that bring forth knowledge of aspects of culture most do not have. This includes other creative endeavors such as costuming concepts from large or small screen productions. And in our age of linked PR and buzz, most creatives leak stills to generate advance interest and, thanks to our technology, is more readily available.

Also, one needs to look at some of the applied psychology in costuming for films. Design teams painstakingly create for more than translating the vision of the crew that puts the stories to life. They have an added responsibility to do so with an eye on adding to emotional connections to the audience. This often means creating looks that are relatable to the viewers so the choices are culturally relevant. look at any successful films and you'll see how the hairstyles and clothing choices have some semblance to what is occurring at the time of release. It's so the audience member, losing themselves in the story, can see themselves in the picture.

Stories find success when they connect to cultural sentiments and when costumes inspire while connecting to what we have or anticipate they hold more power. So the ongoing Japanese kimono influences that have been perpetual in fashion, the earthy palettes that connect to our desire for material prosperity, the spacesuit jumpsuits being a meld of our future tech obsession and retro fascination (jumpsuits were, after all, a 70s/90s thing)...all of it...are reasonably anticipated in the predictions because these are perpetual mainstays as we flounder in the safety of everything we have done before as a foundation of security as we reluctantly venture forth into a future yet uncertain.

The 2000s were known for a step back towards embracing retro as a mashup. It was a reaction to 9/11. Prior to that incident, we felt we conquered the Y2K fears and saw a rosy future filed with the wonders of technology unfolding. But 9/11 brought ugliness in. A darker aspect of all that we anticipated, such as cyber security threats, malware invading our tech, global warming, bug-resistant viruses, terrorism utilizing the very network we do to empower its efforts all proved too much too soon. So we stepped back in what comforted us. And as the population had different points of reference, the result was a "best of" to bring broad appeal. It was also casual and rag-tag; the pressure to glam it up in the face of negative economic impact that 9/11 brought was brought down a bit to reflect inclusiveness (even though there was still luxe abounding to reflect the growing economic divide).

Now we are facing ISIS/ISIL, crazy public shootouts almost daily in the USA and terrorism threats spreading beyond the Middle East, Paris being the most recent target.Despite all this technology it's like the Wild West. We want to function yet we want to hide.

In the midst of this madness, we need somethig to speak for us to put into words all of this that we feel that can't easily express. Our art does that well. And as we look for this form what we know, the past gets tapped. So films reflecting a loss of control  such as the anticipated film "The Witch" (a film written & directed by Robert Eggers that cause a lot of buzz at the recent Sundance Film Festival) connects with the feeling of helplessness in the face of unknown entities beyond our understanding in a period where structure to protect is absent. Here the prim and structured natural materials and historic connections cin details find kinship as designers meld old and new in looking for new ways to create and keep fashion appealingly fresh. 

Also, the lawlessness of the senseless violence that is growing is relatable in the gritty, period-accurate western, and the volumous glamour in those costumes romances this in Quentin Tarantino's "Hateful Eight" frames these out-of-control scenarios involving weaponry that we can connect to.

That battle over good and evil with forces large, fearful and nebulous is part of the draw with Star Wars. It is the unification of the underdogs to triumph over the powerful that audiences related to in the 70s when "the Man" was viewed a threat and finds similar kinship today.

The intellectual awareness of our social ills was found in our entertainment in the 70s, and given our perpetual incorporation of that period that fashion now has, it's doubtful those vestiges of influence will leave anytime soon. 

How much of each will be a factor in the collage of influences is anyone's guess. Popularity may be the reason for a designer to embrace as much as reject an influence. We are in a world where attention spans have changed and the past is our security blanket. And keep in mind that most designers, be it film or real life, have access to trending journals that dictate what is to come, and these along with the rebelliousness of a new point of view hold as much sway as any film.

But it is nice to think about; it beats the grim reality of the evening news.