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IT'S a case of in with the new ... and in with the old ... as shoppers set out to search for the perfect look in Bahrain's malls for the coming spring and summer season.
Fashion right now for women is all about reinventing classic favourites, with a wardrobe full of perfect pieces that have been restyled and reconsidered to feel completely new, say fashion experts at H&M.
This spring season there's a particular focus on the mood of the 1960s and 1970s, with brightly-coloured shapes that are short and sharp alongside a more romantic silhouette that is long and elegant.
To make a modern mix, these pieces are teamed with seasonal trends and modern essentials with innovative shapes and proportions.
There is also a move towards function in fabrics as well as form, with many of the fibres used being organic or recycled.
"It's great to reinvent your wardrobe at the beginning of a new season. Fashion doesn't change as drastically as it used to so you could easily get last season's favourites to work with smart updates. Safe buys for spring are cool classics in beige or white, and the longer skirts and dresses feel new and very feminine," said H&M's head of design Ann-Sofie Johansson.
"We are proud to continue working with sustainable materials to make fashion forward clothes that will soon be timeless themselves."
The function and form of utility clothing and the global trend for personal style are major fashion influences this spring when it comes to menswear.
It's all about finding perfect new versions of contemporary classics, then styling them in a completely new way.
Khakis are a must, and essential pieces look better than ever, be it a blazer, a uniform jacket, a striped jersey or a crisp shirt, to be matched with tailored trousers, chinos, white jeans or shorts. These pieces work from day to evening, and can be styled to suit seasonal trends as well as to express an individual's own personality. It's like the best version of a man's wardrobe, where everything works together, taking what's familiar and creating something completely fresh.
"Styling makes all the difference this spring. The blazer looks new worn with cargo shorts, and a hooded jacket is dressed up with a shirt and tailored trousers. The combination of black and khaki green is super elegant," said Andreas Lšwenstam, menswear designer at H&M.
H&M boasts 1,500 stores in 28 countries. In a further sign of its fashion mettle, it has even managed to make a go of the US, a market that has defeated many European rivals. It opened its first store in New York in 2000 and now has 150 shops.
Management has opted to collaborate with big-name designers and celebrities on clothing collections and says it meets demand for new styles with daily deliveries of stock to its stores.
H&M has also proved to be one of the major 'pulling power' stores at the Bahrain City Centre complex and was brought to the kingdom under the umbrella of M H Alshaya Co.
There are two shops in the mall, one offering a family range and the other focusing on the young, alongside an outlet at nearby Seef Mall.
The leading international franchise operator has more than 55 of the world's most recognised retail brands in its portfolio. M H Alshaya Co is the retail business of the Alshaya Group, which was founded in Kuwait in 1890. In addition to its retail operations, it is active in a number of other sectors including real estate, automotive, hotels, trading and investments.
KEY TRENDS FOR WOMEN
SILHOUETTE - Long and loose or short and sharp
COLOURS - Misty make-up tones, navy, white, beige, yellow and pink
PATTERNS AND PRINTS - Flowers, animal prints, graphic prints
MATERIALS - Stonewashed cotton and Tencel, suede, linen mix, fine jersey, chiffon and voile, organic and recycled materials
KEY ITEMS - Trousers in different shapes and styles, maxi dress, jersey top, blazer jacket
KEY TRENDS FOR MEN
SILHOUETTE - Loose
COLOURS - Khaki green, black, navy, grey melange, white
PATTERNS AND PRINTS - Stripes and melange
MATERIALS - Cotton twill, sweatshirt jersey, linen mix, denim, organic and recycled materials
KEY ITEMS - Blazer, white 5-pocket jeans, uniform-inspired styles, shorts
