You may not be keeping up with fashion trends but you probably hear the word contemporary very often these days. So, what is contemporary apparel? Does it mean fast fashion, are these old school trends that are being brought back, is it sustainable fashion? We are just about to get to that.
Contemporary fashion is accessible clothing when it comes to price and the way people wear it. When compared to the high-end luxury market, this category of clothing primarily consists of more modern-style clothes. The contemporary industry features the modern and often younger voices. The brands that fall under this category focus principally on quality.
Even their basic clothes are finely crafted and provide a feeling of luxury. Often, confused for fast fashion or trendy fashion, contemporary brands use quality fabrics good enough to take the luxury brands head on. In fact many luxury shoppers also fall in the contemporary shopping category.
Take for instance the Superdry Showroom in Delhi at Select Citywalk. Don’t confuse this brand for a Japanese brand. It is in fact a brand of the UK which produces high quality products inspired by Japanese graphics. Their brand has gained exclusive appeal because it is distinct and has celebrity following. They never compromise on quality and offer great fabrics – like any contemporary brand even the least expensive t-shirt at the Superdry Showroom in Delhi will feel more than the money spent.
Contemporary brands such as Superdry, appeal to several consumer groups – this brand has been donned by the likes of Victoria Beckham and the girl/ boy next door. These brands bridge the gap between street fashion and luxury fashion.
What Are The Latest Contemporary Trends?
Contemporary fashion includes everything from shoes to leather to athleisure. There has been a huge focus on footwear, some brands believe contemporary is about being brandless so they remove the focus from labels in footwear, others are bringing back sneakers of the 80s and interpret contemporary as a reason to wear anything. There is a lot of focus on leather – vegan leather, handcrafted leather, good genuine leather – bringing back value, authenticity and quality. Contemporary fashion also focuses on athleisure, being comfortable and practical and in affordable and good quality clothes. Most contemporary designers are using bold and bright colours to express one’s individuality – they are stepping away from beige and black and making bold statements that help the wearers stand out.
Why Is Contemporary Apparel So Trendy?
Most European contemporary designers focus on nostalgia, reviving and innovating. They combine the fashion eras of the 60s to the 90s and make it unique by throwing something different in it. This newness to the old styles could be latest materials, new production methods or simply reimagining design elements of an era that it is characterized by.
It brings back the memories of the past, it is more affordable and accessible and doesn’t forget the touch of newness making it appealing to multiple shopper categories.
These don’t fall in the mass production and fast fashion category making the user feel that they are into something luxurious. They follow trends but also have key signature products that they can be recognized by. When you want a good quality product and don’t want to give a limb for it – Contemporary is the way to go.
