Catwalk to cars
By Karla Pincott · 12 Aug 2010
But do the trends of the catwalk translate to the car industry? And, if they do, what’s on the way?
Australia’s leading designers in both fields agree that the current fashion moves toward fresh new colours and bolder patterns could be making their way to your next new car.
Melbourne’s Bettina Liano – the queen of designer jeans and rock chic denim – points to the popularity of stronger neutrals offset by a range of blues and pink shadings.
“Ebony and ivory will be the grounding colours for the palette, and complimented by a palette of sky blue, steely grey, musk, and aqua, as well as classic navy,” Liano tells Carsguide. “Delicate pinks … sorbets, soft shades of blush and rose … will also be important.”
Her Sydney-based contemporary, Akira Isogawa, also favours a range of neutrals, but forecasts the growth of customer personalisation in car trim and fit-out.
“Anything neutral, and for me it’s the warmer tones… so if it’s charcoal a warmer charcoal, with contrast of tone on tone,” Isogawa says.
“A neutral warm grey with perhaps a darker tone of warm grey, or caramel and chocolate as tone-on-tone – I think this will work well in cars. Nude tones and charcoal are quite big, and the conservative colours seem newer to me because everybody has gone so radical. And with neutrals you can accessorise it – and I think we will see more customisation. I see (cars like the Mini and Fiat 500) as obviously looking forward with their large amount of customisation they offer and I believe what they are practising is going to eventuate with other brands. It makes sense to do that.”
But one of Australia’s top trend leaders, Vogue editor Kirstie Clements, says that while there is a definite fashion for neutral, there is still room for a splash of colour to brighten up the garage.
“I think white is the new black in terms of car exteriors, but I think there may be a swing to colour,” Clements says. “Turquoise is huge, and all shades of green. Prints are very painterly, with lots of deep colour … quite abstract. Thinking about it, I would love to drive a turquoise car!”
However, while clothing trends can change in a season – or less – car designers have to think longer term, often trying to predict years ahead what will be desirable when a planned model hits the showroom.
"The designers will start to style 2014 colours in the middle of this year,” says Holden’s chief designer of colour and trim, Sharon Gauci.
"Social trends and issues influence colour and colour decisions. But for styling purposes, my designers largely draw inspiration from fashion - clothing, accessories, cosmetics - through to product design, interior design, lighting and architecture.”
Gauci says the coming colour ranges will be varied, but with an increasing attention to surface finish.
"What we are seeing is a strong trend for pure colour such as glossy true blacks, the richest and most lustrous deep bold reds, velvety and iridescent electric blues, bright solid yellows with pop and the truest clean whites,” she says.
"We are also seeing a return to sophisticated and luxurious colour palettes such as soft bronzed golds, tans, peachy metallics, greyed plums, reflective chartreuse, lighter peacocks and teals. Grey is important on its own or as an accent.”
Gauci says the colour can change markedly depending on how it is applied, and what finish it is given. "The surface or effect that is given to colour is really important. Colour design is not just about the colour itself but how the colour will be applied,” she says.
"For example the colour on the exterior of a car can translate differently as a fabric or a leather. There is a trend also for anodised type looks in colour - powdery, eyeshadow-fine metallic effects. This could translate into matte exterior colour styling.”
Ford’s design gurus agree with Isogawa that more customisation will be available, and see technology influencing both design itself and how long it takes to move from catwalk to cars.
“Technology is having a huge impact on how and where colour, lighting, and graphics is presented and displayed,” Ford design chief Craig Metros says.
“Those three elements will become key to the overall ambiance and mood of the interior space. Within those elements, we will emphasize greater flexibility, giving the driver and passengers a choice. Our customers will have the ability to personalize colour, lighting, and graphics as easily as they program their phones and computers today,” he says.
His colour and materials manager, Debbie Pascoe, agrees with the influence of technology.
“As the world gets smaller and smaller, and technology continues to move faster than most can comprehend, the time lapse between the catwalk and the automotive showroom is also compressing,” Pascoe says. “In the past, you could literally watch a fashion trend transfer to consumer goods and then to automotive over the course of three to four years. That is now closer to one to two years.”
Pascoe says this acceleration has been helped by increasing communication and agreement among the trend spotters. “Colour forecasters in all fields are now very closely aligned in their thinking,” she says.
“In addition, we are seeing the colours themselves become much more globally accepted, rather than catering to regional tastes. The need to cater for regional preferences now is more to do with light and environmental surrounds than actual taste differences. Black continues to be seen as classic, white as safe, silver as technologically sound, and for the first time in a long time, deep chocolates are actually selling on cars.”
Toyota’s stylista, Chalisa Morrison, says technology also offers the potential to alter colours and surfaces in ways not seen before.
“Special effect technologies offer new and exciting possibilities in colour, texture, pattern and gloss,” Morrison says. “Interference pigments, as they are known, will be increasingly used for paint, plastics and speciality yarns, creating colour shifting surfaces and innovative metallic finishes.”
Morrison agrees that buyers will seek more personalisation, and says this will be seen in strong interiors.
“Contrast is on the rise,” she says. “Interiors will trend towards more dramatic interior colour and texture combinations as people seek to express themselves more openly. Interior illumination will cater for individual tastes and moods, by allowing customers the flexibility to alter their interior environment.”
And if the wardrobe is cutting edge fashion, then of course the final key touches – 'The accessories, dahling’ – will be even more important in the future.
“Expect to see increased use of ‘attention to detail’ decorative finishes, such as interior topstitching and jewellery accents to enhance quality image,” Morrison says.
