Now fashion drift towards pre-fall. This is the collection that, as spoken about in previous blog articles here at Fashion Observed, provides the bridge between what was released in the Spring Summer collections that showed staying power and the hints of what is to come as designers test the retail waters. 

The early entrants in the race have some divergent directions that cover many existing themse relevant to the public. The military thread detailed in the recent article tilted "The Neverending War Story" (Nov 8, 2015) is sure to remain; recent events covered in last week's article just further cement this affinity we have with the way we process this aspect of our world. Burberry and Belstaff both incorporated this theme into aspects of their collections, and it's likely this them will remain. It fits well with the recent foray by many designers into Havana, a country that reminds of Cold War elements shadowing its glamorous past; it was also covered in prior articles. 

The issues of economy and oil hold us to the 70s and Burberry retains the cuts in many of their offerings. But the decade that has more pull currently is one that covers the domain of oversize, drawn out proportions and creative boldness. It is a decade finding fascination in pop culture on the heavily stylized and attitude-rich television program Scream Queens and in the anime absurdist animation show called Moonbeam City, the latter a show rich in illustrations that leap right out of the catalogues of 80s iconic artist Patrick Nagel. Experiment and insanity reflecting the edge we allow as we watch the seriousness of the world close in just as much now as it did in that decade. And with the upcoming Olympics (also mentioned in last week's article) the further emphasis is not just 80s, but the heart of everything avant garde that has set the tone for fashion today: the Japanese. Public School's recent pre-fall collection in Dubai almost seems like a transportation to the era where Comme des Garcon, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto dominated in the area of form, assembly and textile experimentation as the world embraced everything Japanese. The kimono sleeves, layering, volume and textile play are here and now and yet, for those who lived and breathed it before, recognize much of it as if it were yesterday. 

That is the charm of fashion: it gets to replay for a new audience who can embrace the revisited components and make it their own. The source provides bridges to shared experiences and perspectives. What is hoped is that the same spirit of risk and experimentation (and not just the previous results) that the 80s drove forth will find its way to propell fashion forward. Bits of the creative architectural approach to play are found in all collections, be it in quirky staggered assembly at one killer dress at Burberry, seam and hardware placement at Belstaff or in the texture and layering at Public School and that willingness to explore is most honorable.