Recently we checked out Margin London, the leading alternative streetwear tradeshow in the UK. Here are the Spring/Summer 2004 trends we saw:

Colors: The dominant palette consisted of bright pastel shades of yellow, pink, green and blue, for both men’s and women’s wear. The most popular color was Swimming Pool blue, which is a leading contender to be the color of next summer.

Prints: Stripes were everywhere at the show. Prints were vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or creatively computer manipulated as seen at the label Urino.

Fabrics: Brighton-based label Get Cutie used original ’50s artwork re-printed onto new fabrics to create a new twist on the vintage trend. Underwear designer Nora Nilsson traveled to Honolulu, where she selected original Hawaiian manufactured and print fabrics, which she turned into cute and sexy swimwear.

Other cool mentions: Trends in fashion and music have always been very closely linked, and Margin’s offerings were no exception. Twisted Generation used recycled 7” vinyl as a substitute for the traditional ink on paper press release. Lazy Oaf illustrated their business cards with a cassette tape graphic. And Eternal Beau’s line was covered with guitar-inspired stripes. Also available at the show was the first issue of Fact, a publication dedicated to lovers of all things vinyl. The size, shape and design of the magazine resembled a 7” single, even encased in its own record sleeve.

AND BY THE WAY:
Carson Daly is starting his own record label, 456 Entertainment. Think his artists will make it to TRL?