We are almost ready to start the Holiday Season, but we are still finishing up with previewing next Spring. This week, The Shophound got a chance to take a look at upcoming collections from the UK's largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer, ASOS.
Unfamiliar? Well you couldn't be faulted too much for that. The company only started its U.S. site a little over a year ago. While ASOS offers a multitude of well known brands, we got a look at its private label offerings for women and men which, running from fast-fashion to contemporary price ranges for premium items, are not unimpressive.
In a manner similar to Topshop, the design teams at ASOS impressively translate Europe's more adventurous trends into more accessible looks for a broader market at great prices. There was a touch of Balenciaga here and McQueen there for example, but well synthesized. The fun thing about the brand is that it is not afraid of straying from the middle 
of the road. Their collections had various different design themes, but mostly reflected a serious look back at the 1980s, and, get ready to feel old, a nostalgic look at the 90s. One special collection is inspired by and manufactured in Africa, while another premium line incorporates exclusive prints for more daring eveningwear. For men, there was an impressive group inspired by contemporary Japanese design, but from there, inspiration tended to run more in line with American designers with a preppy group echoed labels like Gant Rugger and Burkman Brothers and an appealing tailored collection that owed a debt to Thom Brown and Band of Outsiders. A British-made shoe line (below) featured interesting combinations and red rubber soles which easily reminded us of a certain Mr. McNairy. Overall, however, ASOS is great for giving us a hint about what kind of English and European trends will be making their way over here soon, and a wall of colorful backpacks suggests that totes and messenger bags will be giving way to the schoolkid's favorite bookbag in the coming months.
Later that evening, The Shophound stopped by Oakley's SoHo showroom for a less elaborate presentation with a highly enthusiastic staff eager to show off their updated womens collections for next Spring. A new 
design team has lightened up the women's fitness offerings to shake off the brand's image as a more rugged men's label. Being Oakley, there was an abundance of eyewear cleverly designed with fashion and fitness in mind featuring special details like nose pads that won't slip when you sweat and won't catch your hair when they get pushed over the forehead (Imagine what a improvement those features can make). Other highlights included swimwear featuring pieces specially designed for Olympic volleyball champ and Oakley spokesperson Kerri Walsh. As the first official Olympic eyewear sponsor, the brand also showcased a well designed collection designed for the 2012 games next August featuring clever technical details and just enough red, white and blue to be patriotic without looking like the 4th of July every day. These style will start appearing in Oakley's SoHo and new Times Square location early next year, and they certainly made us think of Oakley in a new light.
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