Ahead of the game

Jude Hathaway goes looking for the latest fashions from the northern hemisphere "summer 2010" ready-to-wear shows and finds Dunedin stores well-stocked.

While New Zealand fashion enthusiasts wait impatiently for summer 2009 to kick in and allow them to give their new-season gear an airing, the northern hemisphere runway shows have already shown the 2010 summer collections of the international design elite.

From the best seen in the plethora of imagery from Paris, Milan and New York, key trends emerged to be quickly reported by top fashion online sites.

This gave rise to the question: are any of the key looks in shops for New Zealand summer 2009 a close match for those of next summer?

In a nutshell - not quite. But the subtle differences may simply be because Australian and, in particular, New Zealand design is individualistic, idiosyncratic and dancing to its own tune anyway.

Much has to do with the fabrics and colours. It is evident that after the mish-mash and muddle of clashing prints and explosions of colour a couple of seasons back, things are settling down a little this summer and in 2010.

Mesmerising patterns and colours are still there, but many of the prints are smaller and less bold, offsetting the floral brights that are coming through in some ranges.

This season's silhouettes, which include everything from pert triangular shapes and classic slimline looks through to long, flowing dresses are also showing next season, which means budget-conscious consumers can shop with confidence now knowing that their more trendy garments will not have lost their edge in summer 2010.