Insects are determining the shapes, colours and textures of spring summer 2011 footwear collections. Bugs are descending upon us inspirationally. ANPIC, the American trade fair held in Guadalajara 1-3 July 2010, presents this trend plus two others for next season’s collections.

The bug world is taking over

Insects are glorified within this trend that focuses on the textures of micro to macro-sized animals. Patterns and microscopic images are transferred onto the fabrics. The trend proposes avant-garde and ultramodern designs, with a futuristic, expressive aesthetic, inspired by insect characteristics such as the specimens’ modulation and organic form, recognising shells and cocoons. It is necessary to look for, find technologies that fit in with the world of insects and micro-organisms, such as gelatinous, flowing, translucent, reflective, iridescent, metallic, opaque and transparent fabrics. Adaption to the design structure, to the volumes and faceted surfaces taken from modern architecture, and becoming eco alongside geometric shapes from the insect world, like honeycombs and spider’s webs, all will be modulated. An erratic element needs to be accepted as part of the design: the insects’ agglomerated colonies, diseases, trails, non-standardised and unregimented fabrics offer more natural, living creature-esque qualities.

Growing old with dignity

For this latest trend, large cities and urban markings are the starting point, for a very metropolitan theme in which we see the exhaustion of civilisations with the memory of an antique glow, and in which manifests itself across the irregularities and the imperfections of cities. It favours a subtle, sensitive, natural elegance, with fusions of modern and historical art, with old values adapted to a current lifestyle, in well-balanced designs that combine function with decoration; the objective is to integrate the new and the old, to excite new disrupted or tainted classics with technology for a modern design or vision, adapting to the past and making it current. Unnecessary details have to be eliminated; concentrating on the basics like quality and functionality and favouring simplicity in the designs which opens us up to a new beauty in the products. Reliable materials have to be used, and of good quality that result in creating products that last and age with dignity; classic, sensitive designs of which the materials are of high quality and carry dependability for added value.

New initiative

The trend here is a design as if done for children, but actually targeted towards adults. Nostalgia to re-enter into a child’s mindset, childhood dreams and idealistic utopia, have to be exploited to execute this new ingenuity. An aesthetic that reminds us of our first protected childhood surroundings alongside quality, secure and family-orientated designs have to be integrated. An important factor is to generate fabrics and finished goods that appear attractive to the eye, appealing to the touch in order to tempt adults through their childhood memories. Interaction through the medium of products that bring about a consumer experience at the next level is encouraged and the development of attractive and stimulating designs, with a more hedonistic approach, are favoured. From the more urban and less ethnic from, geography has to be considered, snatching influences from the past and the present from around the world, mixing cultural details so that history and the combination of the heritage of people that live in big cities, speak for themselves.