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Nicola Cupples has every fashion girl’s dream job. She is founder of My Style Companion, which she started in 2007 as an image consultancy and personal styling service. My Style Companion also has their own Style Training Academy for people who want to train to be a personal shopper. Naturally, I took the opportunity to ask one of the UK’s leading style experts what her predictions were for fashion in 2012. Here’s what Nicola said:
- 1. What are the top fashion trends for 2012?
It’s all about having a flat tummy in ss12 with the length of tops rising dramatically to expose the midriff so it’s off to the gym for me! From bra tops to shrunken tees and tops – this is not an easy trend for many women to pull off.
Colours to watch out for are very feminine, soft sherbet hues and pastels and virginal white worn as block colour. Bright tangerine, a popular colour in aw11 has seeped in to ss12 for those preferring a bolder bright. Contrasting black and white in bold blocks was also a popular theme on the runways for ss12 and is always workable for any wardrobe, giving major bang for your buck.
Prints that will be hot are floral, whether delicate and feminine in every hue of blue imaginable or brighter, bolder large prints. It wasn’t just Missoni flaunting their trademark zigzag and chevrons for ss12, as Etro, Celine and Dior showcased varying sizes and colours in their tops and dresses. The zigzag is ss12’s new stripe or spot.
A body hot spot in ss12 is the shoulders. When it comes to dressing up in ss12, the one-shoulder dress will still be a big hit, but more of the long goddess style of one-shoulder as opposed to Grecian. If tired of the one-shoulder look, then take a note from Temperley and Zac Posen and opt for a keyhole cut out in the shoulder – a major trend for tops and dresses in 2012. Whereas for the last couple of years shoulders have been quite severe, in 2012 it’s more about the rounded shoulder – more cocooned and softened when it comes to jackets and tops. This can be difficult to wear for women who are a bit bustier, so may be wise to avoid.
In terms of shape and style, pleats are having a fashion moment, particularly knee length skirts and dresses, so whilst the length of tops may be rising, we may be showing a little less leg in 2012. The style of 20’s flapper dresses with drop waists and plunging necklines were jiving all over the catwalk, but when it comes to skirts, peplums or skirts featuring ruching or draping are easy to wear and hide a few pounds put on over Christmas.
- Do you think attendance to fashion weeks will decrease thanks to real time show streaming? Should we watch all the action from the comfort of our own homes instead?
No. I think that people love the buzz and atmosphere of the shows and you just can’t replicate that by streaming. True fashion lovers will never get tired of the buzz of fashion shows or shopping in the towns and cities. However it’s great that the shows are more accessible.
- Do you foresee any further developments in online shopping?
I don’t believe it will be that long until virtual changing rooms become the norm – don’t ask me how they’d do this, but I think it’s something retailers would be looking at to reduce the amount of returns administration and provide better service. I also think that picking up returns from your door will soon be the ‘norm’.
- As Mary Portas warns that the High Street could disappear forever, what do you think is the future of the British High Street?
As a Personal Shopper, I do worry about the British High Street sometimes – many people have gotten a lot lazier when it comes to shopping and they just want everything delivered straight to their door. I do think the internet has made us all lazier – even with our training academy where we train people to become personal stylists and shoppers, people want home courses and distance learning because they don’t want to even leave their homes to embark upon a new career! I think it’s madness how anyone can expect to get any good results in anything if they aren’t willing to put in any effort – this goes for shopping too – if you want to look good, you have to put in the time, thought and effort (unless you’re Kate Moss – lucky thing!)
I have found that for many women, online shopping is costing them a lot (financially and emotionally). They can’t try on styles to see if they suit them but buy them anyway - then often don’t send the garments back if they’re not right! Wardrobes are getting fuller and fuller with fashion faux pas; and as a result some of my client’s personal style is becoming diluted because they’re buying everything rather than being selective. However, many women now find that shopping on the high-street is too stressful as there is ‘too much’ choice – combined with bad changing rooms and rude or judgemental sales staff, they’d rather stay at home.
There will always be people who love to shop – it’s what they enjoy – the touch, feel, smell and atmosphere of a store, but I do think that the British high-street should be working far harder on its’ customer service levels to entice online shoppers back to the high-street. At the moment the level of customer service is often a deterrent rather than a motivation for some shoppers. I have stopped taking my clients to some shopping districts in particular because the staff are unhelpful and even rude.
I also think that cheap fashion stores are completely changing how women value themselves. There are far too many women now who only want to buy ‘cheap’ because by comparison, other garments seem expensive. By buying cheap, they sometimes look cheap – I am seeing executives, CEOs and directors wearing supermarket brands. This is massively affecting their self-esteem and confidence, but they aren’t realising that they aren’t happy with what they see in the mirror because they aren’t adding value to their image – they’re just ‘making do’ with whatever’s a ‘bargain’.
- What do you love about the British High Street?
The diversity. From quirky boutiques to high-street to luxury stores.
- Which retailers do you think will be the biggest winners and losers in 2012?
I think (although I don’t agree) that they biggest losers will be brands that have been on the high-street for a long time, aimed at women in the 40+ market. A lot of these women are becoming part of the ‘bargain’ culture and won’t spend £40 – 50 on a top now – they want it for £20, so they’re going to the cheaper stores. I also think that independent boutiques will have to work harder than ever to keep customers coming through their doors.
I think the biggest winners for the next year or so will continue to be the cheaper fashion stores/brands, although I think it will get to the point where women have so much rubbish in their wardrobes, they’ll begin to realise that quality and quantity are two very different things, and quantity still doesn’t mean you have more choices of outfits – it just means more clothes.
Follow Nicola on twitter: @stylecompanion
