By: Kelly Ahern, guest blogger

With these current breezy temperatures and the near-torrential rain it certainly must be time for a change.

Even the once lush green leaves are suddenly looking a bit golden- ahh the onset of autumn.

The time when one must prepare to ditch her sky-high strappy sandals and distressed cutoffs for more practical, cold-weather trends.

Fear not fashionistas, for this season we have some of the industry’s most stylish to aid in your transition.

By now you have probably come across some of the most anticipated fall trends, seen catwalk images, maybe even snagged a few pieces from pre-sales; but have you ever wondered how pieces from a designer collection are actually dubbed a “trend”?

Critical couture decisions fall into the hands of men like Ken Downing.

Being the fashion director for luxury retailer Neiman Marcus isn’t simply fun and games, it’s serious, and it’s about creating a lifestyle.

“I really create the attitude and the message and the mood of the season that the company will be following,” Downing said in a recent article from The Canadian Press.

Downing is constantly surveying collections from around the globe, he pays particular attention to recurring themes and finds the designers who are producing enough of the select trendy pieces he chooses to fill Neiman Marcus’ racks.

These “trends” are then incorporated into all levels of the company’s marketing messages and integration even goes as far as physically placing the styles on individual mannequins, enticing fashion admirers to take a closer look.

Downing continued to explain the process to The Canadian Press, “For instance if we believe in green, we need to have green everywhere”.

You bet there [Read more...]