It’s time to go trend spotting. As the year draws to an end, we help you draw up a balance sheet of what rocks and what shocks. So fasten your seat belts and get prepared for a touchdown on the hippest trends that we’re going to carry forward to 2009. And of course, we’ll let you know what to dump on the way too.

Get gorgeous

Fashion trends always tend to send people into a tizzy. Just so you have an easier time deciding what to load your wardrobe with, here’s a peep into what’s in and what’s out.

According to fashion gurus Dev and Nil, jewel tones such as ruby reds and emerald greens are in; the brighter, the better. To top off the look, metallic sheen, attained by weaving metallic yarn (like Lurex) into textiles is making waves. Stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania agrees. “Shine is big”, she says. Even metallic sheen in shoes and accessories will continue to be trendy and jewel tones in clothes will hold the sway after the immediate party season is over.

Tent-shaped outfits or the A-line is completely passé. However, clothes that highlight the shoulders (symbolising confidence), silhouette trends and bias-cut garments are all trends that are grabbing eyeballs world over.

Fashion designers Shantanu and Nikhil Mehra predict that 2009 will see a lot of stark colours and designs, topped off with metallic embellishments. The Gothic look is in, that’s the harsh and sexy look as opposed to the romantic look. “Black and red are the most happening colours at the moment, teamed with designs with a glossy finish,” they say. They agree that silhouette cut outfits and the bare shoulder look is back with a vengeance.

Adajania feels that black is the colour for fall-winter and the immediate party season. “A slightly hard, funky look will prevail — strapless or one shouldered dresses are in vogue. And accessories will be big and make strong statements — think chunky shoes and oversized cocktail rings,” she says.

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Jewel tones, metallic sheen, mixed yarns like Lurex, bare shoulders
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A-line, billowing shapes

Hey beautiful

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Well, the trend that’s going to be carried forward next year is sporting a natural, no make-up look. “A lot of the old and metallic shades have made a comeback this year. A bit of extended eyes, subdued blush and mute glossy lips does the trick,” says make-up expert Aniruddha Chakladar. “Unlike OSO which brought back the ’70s look last year, there was no style defining film in 2008, and films rather than the ramp rule fashion trends in our country,” he adds. And what bowed out of fashion? Deep, well-defined smoky eyes, which have been replaced by a smudgy look.

Adajania seconds the opinion. She says, “Eyes are going to be bold, and in keeping with the Rock look, using loads of mascara will do the trick.” For lips, colours will take a backseat, as the nude look is set for a comeback.

For hairstyles, Adajania says, “the low-maintenance straight hair, or the bed head kind of tousled look scrunched up with mousse will stay in fashion.” Stylist Adhuna Akhtar also stresses the no-fuss idea. She says, “strong, shorter shapes with emphasis on simplicity both in cut and colour for both men and women are going to rule.”

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Natural look, metallic shades
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well-defined eyes, loud lip colours

Get groovin’

DJ Suketu holds that Hindi film music is gaining popularity the world over, and says, “minimalistic techno is also making waves all around the globe, especially as far as parties go, and Paul Van Dyke is the most happening DJ now. On the other hand, funky house is definitely passé; people don’t listen to it anymore... however, progressive and electronic house music are definitely in.” But, he does feel that “it’s difficult to point out particular genres that are hot, or not.”

And composer Loy Mendonsa agrees, “musical trends are subjective — each to his own.” Loy feels that different genres of music appeal to different sets of people. But he points out, “of course, in each genre some forms of music can never lose their appeal; they’re timeless in their own right — classic rock, classic blues or even classic hip hop, for instance.”

And here’s a news flash: salsa is not really the hippest move you can pick up. According to Sandip Soparrkar, dancer and choreographer, “exotica is back with a bang, with more people wanting to experiment with traditional Latin dances such as the paso doble, the quickstep, the cha cha cha and jiving. Classical dances are all in this season too, with the rumba being quite a favourite, and the Viennese waltz and the foxtrot getting popular with those above 50.”

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Minimalist techno, progressive and electronic house music, traditional Latin dance forms
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Funky house, salsa

Shapin’up

Remember cringing on your seat every time you saw Salman Khan doing a bare act to show off his muscles? Thankfully the big-and-bulgy-body is on its way out. Look no further than Shahid Kapoor, says fitness coach Ranadeep Moitra. Kapoor is sporting a sleek look, thanks to functional training. “The trend this year following the Olympics has been a lean and trim look rather than the screaming ‘I work in a gym’ kind of body. Instead of heavy workouts, people are going for functional training, which involves movements that facilitate everyday activities, for example lunges, which help negotiating stairs easier,” says Moitra.

Agrees fitness expert Preetom Mukherjee Roy. “People are staying away from heavy weight regimes. The lean athletic look was popular this year and people are working out with cardio and moderate abs exercises.” Weight lifting, kickboxing and power yoga scored when it came to shedding those extra pounds, according to trainer Leena Mogre, who says, “the lean look is definitely in, although aerobics is very passé.”

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Kickboxing, power yoga
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Heavy weights, aerobics

On a trip

While Indian tourists have not yet attained the iconic status of the 1980s busloads of Japanese travellers with their hotshot cameras, they still are spreading their wings far and wide. It’s no longer about keeping up with the Junejas, travelling to far off exotic corners of the world is more a way of life for many. And just what spots on the map are they pinning their flags on?

Australia has been a winner, says Arup Sen, executive director, Cox & Kings India, on the same scale as say Europe — which has seen France emerge as a favourite. That Paris has emerged as the winner this year is also the verdict from MS Tours and Travels. Greece, Turkey and Italy also score high. Closer home, along with the Far East, eternal favourites, like Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau score big on counts of affordability and shopping options.

For die-hard travellers who are hunting for new worlds to conquer, exotic destinations in South America, Turkey, Morocco and Scandinavia are the top picks. Political situations however dictated tourist footfalls for many places and favourites like Thailand fell from grace, with Sri Lanka keeping company. The US has also dropped off the tourist radar, mostly because of visa hassles, according to MS Tours and Travels. Unsurprisingly, for domestic travel Goa and Kerala continue to rule the roost.

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Europe, Australia, South America
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Thailand, Sri Lanka, US