sequins And yet again, disco chic rules. The shiny shimmery stuff is pretty, undoubtedly, but enough already! Nevertheless, designers have played with combinations of matte and shine, metal and plastic, printing and sheeting. All over textures still dominate, but placements and motifs are more interesting. Hopefully, this will be a dormant form next season.
	scales Snakes, armadillos, lizards and Godzilla inspire creators, who make you bristle and spike. Jagged, strong and high impact, they can be textured out of sophisticated satin, or raw-edged leather, spiky metal sequins, paper pins, or anything else, really.
	pleats and tucks This form of surface treatment is a fashion perennial. Super-fine pin tucks, or random pleating, fans, curved tucks – if done well, look superbly elegant and raise the value of a garment instantly. Painstakingly minute honeycombs are most gorgeous.
	meshes and nets Think Spiderwoman. Think candyfloss. Think macramé class. There is something crafty about this texture. Metallic elements, mirrors, yarn inserts and loose knits can create magic.
	quilting From simple box shapes to elaborate motifs, this sandwiching technique is a favourite this season. The base may be leather, satin or lurex weaves. The spread may be allover, or in placements. ‘Football quilting’ with hexagon shapes joined together is amusing and chic at the same time.
	3D Fabric swirls, a shower of petals, metallic shells, motif appliqués and texturing the base cloth to create three-dimensional effects – these go past ‘pretty’ and embrace a more adventurous aesthetic. Manipulating and meshing a variety of materials to create a good-looking pot-pourri requires mastery, and everyone cannot do it.

Subscribe to Verve Magazine or buy the Verve issue on stands now!