FASHION 87 : Forecast: Reason Prevails as the ‘80s Dress Down

Nineteen eighty-seven will be about ethics. Not Hula-Hoops, new dances, rock stars or clothes.

Some people from a variety of professions were asked to predict: “Who or what will set the trends in the late ‘80s?” Their verdict: Don’t expect frivolous times ahead.

In ‘87, things are out, thinkers are in. The influence of scientists, artists and architects will widen, changing assumptions about what their roles should be. The solution will matter more than the source. Many will adopt a global rather than national mind-set. Responsibility will be a good word.

Family and monogamy will rate high. So will quality fast-food--to give us a smidgen more time. We’ll want clothes that look worldly, that somehow make us appear a little richer. Because in our video-steeped society, we’ll still flirt with having it all.

Some comments:

Antonio Lopez, fashion artist:

“The new ethnic groups in this country, like the Koreans and Indians, will be the big fashion influence. People used to get their inspiration from royalty. Now it’s the opposite. Fashion comes from the street. When immigrants come to this country, they’re so curious and they’re not afraid to mix things. They have their own style and they mix it with ours, and eventually something comes out of it. It will be the groups of foreigners who change the look of the ‘80s.”

Annie Flanders, founder, editor, Details magazine:

“ ‘Fashion victims’ are out and beauty is in. Women are going to care more about how they look as individuals and not worry about trends. It’s a continuation of people finding their own style first.

“My hope is that we stop looking backwards--that we run out of decades to do retrospectives on--and that we finally get to the future. I hope the inspiration for the late ‘80s is Judy Jetson. She’s the future. And I guess Jean Paul Gaultier is the most futuristic designer.”

Richard Meier, architect:

“You’ll see an architectural influence in areas outside of what is normally the realm of the architect. Already, you’ve seen the architect’s influence in designs for the home: glasses, plates and table-top items. Architects will be designing other things, like watches and who-knows-what.

“In part, the architect is filling a void left by designers in various fields, a level of quality that hasn’t been there in industrial and product design. There’s something missing. I don’t know why, but it seems to exist, and architects are interested and have something fresh and interesting to say.

“In architecture, post-modernism is over. That word may cease to be in our vocabulary in the late ‘80s. The trend will be neo-modernism--a return to principle, and some of the ideals that modernism had. It will reflect a concern for quality. It will be a seeking out of the style that is appropriate to our time, rather than looking back and mimicking styles of the past.”

Jim Ganzer, designer for Jimmy’z:

“I think that artists are going to take over. More and more it’s becoming accepted that the job of an artist doesn’t just have to do with making things for museums. Now the artists will become involved with politics--even at a local level, where they are involved with the aesthetics of the future.

“Surfers have a unique way of being at the forefront of style, especially as far as ocean aesthetics, swim trunks and high-tech gear to use. In the future, the beach look will get even stronger. It’s a utilitarian, American statement.”

Mark Werts, owner, American Rag Cie:

“Technologically we’re going faster than we ever have before. But on a moral and aesthetic level we’re returning to the true, tried, and tested--and this will characterize the latter part of the century. If we look at our commercial fashion leader, Lord Ralph Lauren, he typifies what many are doing: presenting an early 20th-Century American aristocratic feeling of tried and tested values.

“We’re going back to the upper-class values of the beginning of the century, particularly the Europeanization of America. The old American aristocracy idolized Europe. It’s ironic that this Europeanization has become a middle-class value in only 80 years’ time. That shows that although technology is surging ahead, we’re seeking the old on a moral and aesthetic level.

“Morally, we’re going back to old values. It’s as if there were two arrows, one pointed full speed in one direction, another pointing back.”

Steve Bochco, co-creator and executive producer of “L.A. Law”:

“I’m such a homebody, I’m not plugged into trends. I don’t think I’m all that stylish or contemporary. I never try to think about what people will like. If I do, I’m attacking the problem inside out and backwards. You have to start from what is meaningful to you--what you’re going to feel fulfilled working on, and hope people wind up caring about it.”

Robert Turturice, costume designer for “Moonlighting,” “Easy Street”:

“The new trend-setters in clothes are going to be actors and actresses who portray intelligent characters--people who are savvy and who have a realistic approach to clothing. People are drawn to simplicity. They will worry less about fantasy in clothes and more about the practical statement of the clothing. In the past few years, people have buried their identities in so many trendy looks. Now they won’t try to become someone else through their clothes, but investigate who they really are and apply that to their own clothing.”

Nina Blanchard, talent agent:

“In watching what’s happened in the last 20 years, I don’t think there are such things as trends anymore. There was a time when a trend lasted for a few years. But not anymore. There aren’t any real trend-setters. This country has become very serious. There’s not a lot of fun around. We haven’t had a Hula-Hoop around--or those things that were fun for a while. There isn’t a new dance. There aren’t even any hair styles anymore. You can’t say that America is wearing ‘the following’--because they’re not.

“Some of that is good. It means women in particular will go their own way and not let anyone tell them what to do. But I also think most of the humor has gone from fashion.

“We’re in a phase of dull and boring. The only one I think is fun anymore among women is Cher. Look at the Academy awards. Boring. I didn’t see people with really great style. But Cher had a great sense of humor, a lot of glamour.”

Ron Herman, owner, Fred Segal, Melrose Avenue:

“Mobility and communications will set the trends. Americans are traveling abroad, and people from foreign countries are exposing themselves to America. And fashion direction is moving: It’s not just centered in New York. Los Angeles is becoming a brand-new marketplace. We never had street fashion because we never had streets. But now we have Melrose Avenue, Main Street and Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. The walking streets. Beverly Center also is a walking street. That’s how we’ve answered our lack of street fashion--with fashion malls. Creating more of a pedestrian city helps us slow down and communicate with each other.

“Clothing is no more than a medium of expressing who you are. So if you wear clothes that are global-inspired, that travel well, and that are recognizable as having Italian, French or American influence, and then mixing them, then you are expressing that you’re participating and communicating.”

Jake Steinfeld, exercise entrepreneur:

“Doctors will have a lot more to say about exercise. And people will be listening, instead of just coming up with their own oddball schemes. People will get involved with reconstructive exercise--repairing themselves after the damage they’ve done through aerobic dancing. By the end of the ‘80s, people will really be back to the basics. All this gadgetry and wacked-out equipment people have come up with to make exercise easier--is going to peak and die.”

Vidal Sassoon, chairman of the board, Vidal Sassoon Inc.:

“In the late ‘80s the issue is ethics. I think obfuscation has set the trends of the last few years, and that has proved fallible. We’ll have to get back to ethics.

“The Ivan Boesky Wall Street scandal and U.S. foreign policy of the moment both discredit the country in the same way. They create an atmosphere in the world that says something is wrong in the Garden of Eden, the United States.

“It’s been fashionable to think it’s OK to see people hungry, because you’ve worked hard, and you’re OK. That is not so in any well-informed democracy. We need to utilize the brains we have to offer as world leaders.

“The Nobel prize-givers led the way when they gave the peace prize to Elie Wiesel, who came out of Auschwitz with this incredible sense of humanity. Wiesel personifies that streak of goodness which I think is ethics. These are the kind of people we need--who have compassion and who look at our world with a sense of reality.

“In fashion, all the European collections are in denim. Happily, they can’t get away from the American influence. In hair, people will do what they want. It doesn’t seem anymore that someone creates a look and everyone copies it. I have a feeling people will be worrying more about Iran than about their hair.”

Paige Rense, editor in chief of Architectural Digest:

“It seems that people everywhere are more interested in spiritual things, since we have every material thing we want, and it’s not enough. This spiritual quest is leading to more creativity. We’ve learned we can’t fill the empty spaces with things--not even chintz.

“I think California’s going to take the lead again in interior design. It’s not what we used to call the California look--bringing the outdoors in. We’re going to see much more originality, less of the so-called English country look.

“Up until recently, designers would ask me what trends are happening. They no longer care. They’re going their own way. There are wonderful designers in California leading the way: Sally Sirkin Lewis, Mimi London, Rose Tarlow, Leonard Stanley, Val Arnold, Kalef Alaton, Tony Machado.”

Bob Mackie, designer:

“It’s been a dressy decade so far, and that’s continuing. There’s been more glamorous dressing for the average woman. The young woman didn’t have that growing up in the ‘70s. It was pretty boring then, sort of anti-fashion. Women have learned getting dressed up and turning heads is fun. It doesn’t seem to be cooling down.”

Debbi Fields, founder and president of Mrs. Fields Cookies Inc.:

“The late ‘80s will be about two things: Customers absolutely wanting quality, and service. The company that succeeds most will address both of these. Especially in the world of food, people are looking for super-premium items, things one would make at home with the very best ingredients. And they’re looking for convenience--for manufacturers to provide services or products that will free them of their time so they can enjoy their family and their life style.”

Joan Agajanian Quinn, member California Arts Council:

“Every seven years there are the new hotshots, and the hotshots of the late ‘80s will be the choreographers. I think it’s because of MTV. Everywhere you go, there are a lot of dance companies and choreographers. They’re the new sought-after guests on every list. These stars have the ready opportunity to take their expertise and make a play, do a video, do a fashion runway show. There are so many opportunities for a choreographer to transfer to other media right now.

“Eyeglasses are going to make a big statement. Colored frames with clear glass. People think they look great when they have on a pair of glasses. It’s one of the easiest ways to alter your appearance.”

Steve Lundquist, Olympic gold-medal swimmer:

“The people from Greenwich Village will set the fashion trends. However outlandish their styles look now, (the styles) will hit the streets two or three years later.”

Emma Samms, actress on “The Colbys”:

“They say every year that the return of the curvaceous woman is imminent. They always threaten it, but it never actually happens. Maybe this year the prediction will come true. In feature films, they may be focusing more on a woman’s intelligence. I’m not sure that’s happening in TV yet. But we do have a couple of women cjaracters on our show who actually have decent jobs. So I guess I shouldn’t complain.

“In Hollywood, hopefully they will do what they say, and be more responsible in the way they portray drugs on film and television--because I think they’ve been remarkably irresponsible in the past. They’re beginning to wise up and realize the influence they have, particularly on youngsters.”

Marjorie Deane, publisher of the TOBE Report, fashion forecast publication:

“If you want to say there’s one influence, it’s the working woman, who is now the family woman. She’s in her late 30s and early 40s, and she’s really running the show. When this woman first went to work, she was timid and believed John Malloy’s book that said she had to wear a stiff uniform suit and look like the guys. Now she’s looking for clothes that are fun to wear. The truth is we have a media-influenced society, and because of it, everybody wants to get everything out of life. The interesting thing is it’s no longer just for herself. Now it’s for her family and friends.”