WOVEN FOOTWEAR

A couple of months ago I posted about the spring/summer footwear trends to look out for on the high st and one of the key fabric options for fringe detailed shoes, featured on the catwalk was woven leather. Burberry used the style heavily in their S/S12 catwalk show.

This look has now become a trend of it's own with numerous retailers adopting the 1970's inspired style and working it onto loafers, espadrilles, sandals and formal footwear options.

To get the1970s inspired look go for a woven shoe in tan. This colour will go with the current Aztec trend and the global traveller look.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Spring is on our doorstep and the high st is gearing up for warmer times ahead with shorts and t-shirts starting to fill the stores.

The 'Global Traveller' look is really starting to build now with Aztec prints, backpacks, wovens and moccasins being the key pieces to look out for.

Two of my picks from the high st this week will sit perfectly into the 'Global Traveller' look and the third pick is from the trend which is showing no signs of stopping, the tourist print.

I love the t-shirts from Pull and Bear. Not only do they produce great prints which fit perfectly but they are so affordable. This tourist print is a cool take on the trend and a nice change to the usual New York skyline prints which have dominated the high st.

You have to give Burton credit. This season they are flexing their fashion muscles and proving that Arcadia has two menswear brands to be proud of. This Aztec print hoodie is a great up style for this seasons most versatile piece and it's perfect for the 'Global Traveller' look.

I need these woven shoes in my life! The colour and leather will look great with ikat shirts, Aztec prints and chino shorts. If ASOS is reading, I'll have mine in a size 9! Thanks!

GLOBAL TRAVELLER

The look, which I am calling 'Global Traveller' has been building for some time. I first mentioned Aztec prints in the beginning of January and since then they have been all over the high st. Not that I'm claiming to be responsible for it's success, more pleasantly surprised. I was initially cautious to post about Aztec prints as some of the styles have been quite wild, which for menswear, never usually translates into mainstream success. Although, I think that the growing popularity of fairisle every A/W and the introduction to Navajo prints earlier on in the season have paved the way for this Global Traveller look.

The look is made up of lots of elements and is slighty complex, more so than the nautical look for instance. The key pieces for this look are Aztec prints, moccasins, backpacks, woven (belts, shoes, accessories) and Ikat shirts. Ikat is a dyeing technique (similar to tie-dye) which uses a resist dyeing process. This technique results in creating amazing prints with an ethnic feel.

I will be approaching this look with the word 'balance' in mind. Whilst I would love to be able to throw together an Ikat shirt with some Aztec shorts, woven moccasins and a backpack and look instantly amazing, sadly I know that this won't be the case. Instead, I will try and create balance by wearing my Aztec/Ikat prints with a basic and use accessories and colour to give the look a global feel.

ASOS are launching their new trend 'Laurel Canyon' soon and this image is a great example of how to wear the look.

‘ASOS have been heavily influenced by 70s west coast America for SS12, resulting in a range of psychedelic ikat shirts. The shirts are washed to give an authentic look and feel, a key element of our Laurel Canyon Trend’ Marty Thorne MW designer.



Here are some Global Traveller pieces available on the high st now.