Last week while in New York, I attended a fashion trend seminar at Barney’s Madison Avenue flagship store.  It was one of the most disturbing fashion-related events I have ever attended.  In sharp contrast, today, at the invitation of Neiman Marcus San Francisco, I am attending a celebration of Carolina Herrera. 35 years ago, she began her eponymous fashion design business.  I might be a bit tongue-in-cheek about this.  But, I’m virtually revealing the apocalypse of current fashion, as I’m seeing and experiencing two vastly different realities.

The newest fashion trends represent the abyss of the abysmal, the void of the voidable, hole filled with the horrible.  Right.  I don’t like these trends, not one bit.  Trying to find the right looks for clients while in New York was a huge professional challenge.  Don’t cry for me having such a fun and wonderful responsibility to scour beautiful stores for gorgeous clothes.  It’s just that walking through story after story in Barney’s, the story revealing the apocalypse of current fashion unfolded.

The idea of utilizing sleepwear elements as daywear was as unappealing as wearing a business suit to bed.  If the latter would never be acceptable, why in the hell would the former?

They also presented the peek-a-boo trend.  Peek-a-boo… No! I don’t want to see you!  I mean, I do… Just not like that! What caused designers to place holes and cutouts in all the wrong places?

Degrading luxury fabrics by making holes, rips, and shreds could be how our clothes look, should a bomb go off.  Are we all play acting on the stages of our lives if we choose to wear such bombed-out clothes?

It’s like the end of a certain kind of class and luxury.

I’m sure that seafoam green looks good on certain clients.  Of all the women I’ve dressed for all these years, I can name three who look radiant in seafoam green.  Why then is there a sea of seafoam green in Barney’s?  It may be a trend color.  But, this is one color I’d more often than not suggest throwing it back into the sea where it belongs.

Twin sets are, allegedly, the rage once again.  However, the store invested heavily into twin sets to make the customer purchases two items, and not just one.  Should you think twice about buying a twin set?  I sure would, unless it expressly works for your personal style.  If stores stocked their inventories with lovely and wearable clothes, the twin set excuse would not be seen as anathema.

The two young women giving the presentation on behalf of Barney’s dressed like relics revealing the apocalypse of current fashion.  Neither wore the trends they foisted upon the fashion stylist crowd who comprised their audience.  Still, they didn’t appear to have the gravitas to be fashion authorities either.  The best that they could do was to read, rather than interpret, the looks that came down the spring runways.

Please shoot me now [well, maybe just a warning shot not directed at me!] should I overuse the words amazing and elevated.  I really do like these words, and use them when appropriate.  Describing tortuous garments as “amazing” might be the only word they could use.  They’d rather not say the clothes are as awful as they are.  Moreover, describing degraded clothes as elevated is a game of hocus-pocus that could have you throwing good money after bad.

Revealing the apocalypse of current fashion is a lot more fun to write about than it is to experience.  I’m a big fan of fashion.  But, I’m even a bigger fan of having good style and discerning taste.  Only zombies would react to these trends like they are the greatest thing ever.  Lastly, the young women presenters kept saying that they are in search for the younger aspirational customer.  At last I checked, those of us with good style, discerning taste, and the disposal income are not dead yet.

Joseph Rosenfeld helps successful Silicon Valley technology entrepreneurs and executives discover their personal brands and design their personal styles.  Get Joseph’s free report that helps you know “6 Secrets to Success in Silicon Valley.” Get details about Joseph’s proven program that transforms your life through personal brand and style development.