Johannesburg - Animal prints never really go out of fashion. They regularly slink their way back onto the catwalk and into fashion stores.
They’re such a popular fashion trend that they are regarded as a classic print, says Samantha Marchand, Aldo SA’s distributor. “And they’ve been worn for centuries as a symbol of status.”
Animal prints are constantly being reinvented by designers and labels such as Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli and Christian Dior, she says, “from bold statement pieces to accents, from neutral and natural to colourful and textured”.
Mandy Mota Pais, the brand manager for Nine West, agrees, saying Cavalli and Burberry Prorsum have succumbed to the wild side by using animal prints in their collections this season.
Pais says that sometimes their customers are a little slower to adopt the trend.
“They need to see it around before they commit. But it is still one of our popular trends this winter.
“And we always sell these items well in footwear and handbags.”
Marchand says that “animal print has always been for the chic and self-confident woman. It oozes sex appeal and elegance.”
This season, Marchand adds, the style ranges from all-natural shades to bright and colourful, with animal prints ranging from your leopard spots to snake skin.
“The range of colours and styles allows nearly every consumer to experiment with this trend. The trend spreads across the whole aesthetics and design field from footwear and clothing (children’s fashion too) to interior finishings and furniture to cosmetics,” says Marchand.
“It also caters for younger consumers by being used in more fun and casual garments (in a range of bright colours), but it’s still available in its natural shades for that sexy, confident consumer.”
In the past animal prints were seen as the preserve of the more mature woman, but this has changed, says Marchand. “This season it’s all about ‘fresh’. It’s now bright and fun for the younger consumer.”
Pais agrees that this style has moved into a younger market. “And it really depends on the style of an item, which age group it will attract.”
For example, a little flat animal print ballet pump would appeal to a younger customer, who could wear it with skinny jeans and a plain tank top or T-shirt.
Another great look is a sexy animal print heel with black skinny trousers and a beautiful blouse.
And sometimes combining this animal print with a strong colour like red, makes it younger and fresher, Pais says.
“But it’s better to keep the styles cleaner, without too much detail, as the fabric is busy enough.”
When going on a shopping spree, Marchand suggests looking out for accessories. “Scarves, belts, clutches – they are a great way to wear the trend, without it wearing you.”
A must-have is a printed blouse to wear with slacks for the office.
Pais advises getting a great pair of statement heels or a statement bag.
Alison Page, the trends manager for Woolworths marketing department, says one of the hot items she recommends to have this season is an animal print body conscious dress.
Her advice for wearing this season’s trend: be fearless.
TIPS ON HOW TO WEAR IT
Samantha Marchand’s advice on how to wear the animal print look:
* Avoid animal print head-to-toe. Less is more when wearing animal print.
* Ease into the trend by wearing a neutral or natural shade animal print blouse with a plain skirt or trousers. If you’re bolder, yes, go for a printed dress.
* Red looks great worn with leopard and zebra print.
* If you’re making a bold statement with your outfit, keep accessories plain and to a minimum.
* Fearful of animal print? Limit them to accessories such as scarf, clutch or belt.
* One animal print at a time.
* Animal print instantly calls attention to the parts of the body they appear on. If you have a heavy bottom half, keep the print to the top half.
* Tighter, smaller prints look great on just about anyone, but larger prints such as giraffe and cow are more difficult to pull off because there is so much white space. - The Star