A Night of Fashion

News stories are like buses apparently. You can wait days even weeks for a good one, then on a rainy Thursday two come along...

Now I will be first to admit that I know exactly zilch about fashion, even more so women's fashion. Add to this the only thing I know about Vogue is what I saw in the Documentary 'The September Issue' starring Editor and queen bitch Anna Wintour, then you can guess I was more than a little bit apprehensive.

With a quick glass of champagne - Don't mind if I do -To settle the nerves. I am quickly ushered to meet California born Calgary, who is sat on a Chaise Long surrounded by what I can only imagine are bankruptcy making designer shoes.

"Im here tonight to do an event about trends for spring/summer," Calgary tells me. "I have done it for three years now and it's always been a great success."

"Lots of women come out and want to hear what the trends
exactly are for spring/summer and how to work with them."

So far so good, I understand this trend thing, and for now I haven't been outed as a fake. Keep nodding and smiling and you could blag this one I tell myself.

"There's some really great trends for the spring/summer, because last autum/winter was quite drab and had a lot of duller colours as there often are." I nod my head knowingly.

"But this spring is about over the top colour as the main theme, and it all kicked off at Prada. Every other show appeared to have colour in it in some way or another." Says Calgary.

"It's very vibrant and strong colour, nothing pale or cutesey or passive, it's all very full-on fluorescant, neon and Bright, Bright, Bright. Within that trend there is colour blocking - putting the different colours together often in unexpected matches like Pink and Red, or Green and Blue."

Such Colour splashes have been all over the catwalks this season, with dazzling brights, sumptuous jewel tones, and glowing fluoros exploding across the collections explains Calgary. Yet whereas trends often tend to differ from city to city, this season we have seen the same thing 'across the board'.

Smart Sportswear is another trend heading from the catwalk to the highstreet. Fortunately this doesn't mean the velor tracksuit with matching man bag I see paraded around Gorton, is likely to become high fashion.

"Sleek, glossy and ultra-modern, summer's sporting looks have a glamorous spin," Enthuses the Californian.

"Everybody thinks it is very urban with a street feel,
but it is not, the shape is very grown up and prim."

"They have taken sportswear shapes such as the bomber jacket and shorts, and are taking taking fabrics such as mesh and stretchy scuba. So they are nicely made things but with sporty and casual fabrics and an athletic feel."

A white backless Stella Mcartney dress priced at £805, defitnely blows away any fear I have that the shellsuit is making a resurgence.

Executive Fashion Editor, Calgary, had great things to say about our own cities fashionistas and complimented the range of clothes Manchester's Selfridges had on offer.

"I think the people of manchester very much know their brands, and are very loyal to their brands. The Selfridges here is amazing, and offers everything women like to wear.

"They have all the high end brands a lot of mid-level brands and then on the top floor the high street brands, so its very unique for selfridges that they have that breadth." Says Calgary, who is now getting ushered towards Selfridges Champagne Bar, where she is to host a fashion show.

Bidding me a fond farewell, I relax with a sigh of relief (and another glass of Champagne). Thankfully my journalistic blagging ways have once more paid off. I quickly glance through a supplement of Vogue the editor has just given me, still none the wiser.

Adam Yare
Follow Adam on Twitter @hello0perator