December 27, 1999
Web posted at: 11:24 a.m. EST (1624 GMT)

(CNN) -- Mike Fish, fashion director of Spin magazine joined CNN.com on December 22, 1999, to discuss the 1999 fashion year in review. Fish has been at Spin, America's #1 music and youth culture magazine, for six years. Fish joined the chat via telephone from New York and CNN.com provided a typist for him. The following is an edited transcript of the chat.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for joining us today Mike Fish and welcome to chat!

Mike Fish: Hi everyone! I'm Mike Fish from SPIN.

Chat Moderator: Please tell us a little bit about your background.

Mike Fish: Sure... I moved to New York about 12 years ago, where I got into the world of communications in press and advertising. I joined SPIN six years ago. Now I have a very interesting and creative job, where I work with both marketing as well as editorial, to help facilitate the intersection between style and music.

Question from Diva: Who decides what the new fashions will be and what will be hot?

Mike Fish: That's a very interesting question. Sometimes one dress or one suit that goes down the runway at a particular season's fashion show, whether in NY or a European city. That might be the one to set the trend. Editors might glom on to that look. Usually, what sets a trend is the creative juices between fashion editors and stylists, and what the fashion companies actually put down the runway and sell in stores.

Specifically, to answer the question, you can't point your finger at any one or two people or editors or stylists, but the world does look toward fashion magazines, such as Vogue, to set it straight. SPIN, on the other hand, looks to the world of music and fashion on the street to decide what the next fashion trends are.

Chat Moderator: How is fashion affected by the music industry?

Mike Fish: Now, more than ever. I think 1999 will probably be one of the years remembered for the link between fashion and music.

Many major companies, from Tommy Hilfiger to Calvin Klein, revolve their whole communications platform around the use of band and musicians. Examples would be Calvin Klein jeans using diverse musicians such as John Spencer and Macy Gray, and Tommy Hilfiger using such power pop musicians as Britney Spears.

Question from Mary__: Do you incorporate personal taste in your decisions, or is just based on what is popular at the time?

Mike Fish: When you're really involved with fashion, you can't help, at times, bringing your personal taste in. But, a good editor, specifically at a magazine, will really have an understanding of whom the magazine is edited for, and what that particular reader wants to see. Sometimes, I think that's not taken into account as much as it should be. Especially at a magazine like SPIN, because we're not a fashion magazine, but we recognize the power between fashion and music. We really want to relate our magazine to both.

Question from Pashmina: Help! I'm looking for a stylish shirt for my boyfriend for the holidays. Who are some cool, moderately priced designers?

Mike Fish: Certainly, going to department store standards like Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, Ralph Lauren or CK, will give you a cross-section of modern contemporary. Other moderately priced groups include Kenneth Cole, Armani Exchange, and Ben Sherman.

Question from Candyce: What are some of the really cool fabrics right now?

Mike Fish: Actually, a really cool fabric is not fabric at all! It's actually skin, leather. A lot of designers aren't just relegating leather to fall and winter. It's being manufactured now to take on all sorts of light qualities. So, for spring 2000, we saw a lot of interesting use of light leather, in white or embossed with other designs. Other sorts of fabric go to, on the technical side, a lot of synthetic fabrics used in snowboarding apparel are now being used in other fashion items as well.

Chat Moderator: What was the best trend of 1999? What was the worst trend of 1999?

Mike Fish: Hmmm! That's a loaded question. I'm sure I'll get email on both sides. I'll have to say that probably the best trend for '99 was the real acceptance of casual clothing, and the idea that casual clothing can make a fashion statement. Now that people, especially men, in a business situation not having to wear suits, people feel more comfortable wearing things that are easy to wear. Interestingly enough, many designers are recognizing this, and putting out basic pieces, such as the type that you'd find at the Gap, but they're made from fine cashmere or leather. So now, instead of buying a 36 dollar pair of cargo pants from the Gap, you now can buy a 1,500 dollar pair of cargo pants from Gucci! I'd have to say that the worst fashion trend was maybe the build-up to the millennium, where we saw a lot futuristic, glamorous, glittery kinds of looks. But overall, I think that '99 was a pretty, if I can use the word, "conservative" year for fashion trends. Many companies wanted to make their mark on designing and putting out very wearable looks. Now, you can dress casually at any price point, such as a Gap, Banana Republic or J Crew, to even shopping for some basic items from Gucci, Giorgio Armani and Prada.

Question from FRANKIE: Mr. Fish, which band or artist do you feel really needs a fashion makeover?

Mike Fish: Well, I'll have to say, looking at the landscape of musicians or artists who made a mark in 1999, it would have to be Cher. :)

Question from gigi: Do you think the casual look has much longevity? I miss formality!

Question from Diva: Will we be able to continue to wear comfortable clothing in the Next Millennium? And what is your advice for those of us who have to put together a "Business casual" wardrobe?

Mike Fish: Both questions involve casual. Yes, to answer Gigi's question. I think it will. 1999 was only the beginning of the education process on dressing casually while delivering personal style. The best way to educate yourself on developing a business casual wardrobe, Diva, if you're comfortable in a particular suit or dress by one manufacturer, for instance Armani on the men's side, and Anne Klein on the woman's side, find out if those two design companies also make casual wear. That's a great way to integrate your business looks with your casual looks. Certainly, too, the retailers are helping in the educational way. Gap, Banana Republic, Jcrew, Brooks Brothers, all lend a hand in teaching you how to integrate business attire with casual looks as well.

Question from Pace: In this world in which trends recycle themselves, when do you foresee the eighties "glam rock" scene reappearing?

Mike Fish: Well, we did see it a little, already. That's come and gone. We saw a little bit of it this spring, for 1999. You know, you're right, that trends are consistently recycled. We've seen the 60's, 70's and 80's fashion styles repeat themselves over the last few years. A good example of 70's and 80's glam is from the House of Gucci under fashion direction from Tom Ford, who single-handedly brought back the glamour of the discotheque, and the sexy raunchiness of 80's rock to the runway. Many, many of his looks have been diffused. Also, if you like the 80's because that music continues to make a comeback, don't be afraid to experiment with those styles now. One thing about fashion, if you are comfortable with what you're wearing, that's what starts a trend.

Question from Fashionista: Are we going to see more structured looks for Fall 2000 or are the designers going to stick with somewhat Bohemian styles?

Mike Fish: I think you'll see a little bit of both. The sense from Fall 2000 that I'm seeing, it's still going to be a little bit more structured.

Question from Diva: What do you think about the trend of Cheap Chic from Le Target? Seems like Wal-Mart and others are becoming more in the fashion.

Mike Fish: It's interesting... it took all these years for "Le Target" to prove to the world that a mass marketer can basically act like The Gap. What Target is doing with their imaging is no different from what Gap has been using for years. I think that what Target is doing is phenomenal, especially at drawing in a young market. But what Target is doing that is somewhat different from a lot of mass-marketers, is that when they draw in the customer, they actually have product that delivers on their hip positioning that they're advertising. But don't count K-Mart out... that's why K-Mart has Martha Stewart!

Question from FRANKIE: Mr. Fish, what do you think of the fashion trend of boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and Westlife?

Mike Fish: I think what the boy bands do to put out fashion trends is fantastic. They embrace fashion when they dress for performances, or for magazine layouts. They're coordinated in their looks. They're part of the education process of the styling of the youth of America. It's no surprise that young men are shopping for themselves more than ever. Groups such as the Back Street Boys can help them with their style cues.

Question from Pace: Since we all know musicians, among other celebrities, influence the way we see style in a society - how is it that we continually fall prey to record companies creating an image while competing with each other? For example, Sony puts out Ricky Martin & BMG puts out Lou Bega to counter...suddenly the Latin Movement is on. Why do we let this happen?

Mike Fish: I don't know if we can stop it. Right now, pop music in every aspect has a stranglehold on the charts. What Ricky Martin is doing is nothing different from what he'd been doing for years. But what he did when he was put in front of the mainstream was different enough to grab attention. Equating it to another time period, in the late 80's and early 90's, when grunge took control, Seattle was the hot place for rock. Groups like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Sound Garden divide and then multiply to deliver a certain kind of sound. The music industry, like any business, is there to make a buck. If the general populace picks up on the Latin craze, they'll certainly be there to try to outdo each other.

Question from Fashionista: How do you feel about fashion’s new turn towards rock and roll looks? Do you think it will last?

Mike Fish: I think that for '99, we've only seen the beginning of this connection between music and fashion. I believe that people who are interested in style love to take cues from musicians that they like. A musician can really make clothing come to life, while performing. So, the rock and roll looks that we're seeing my change and evolve, but I think we'll see more and more of them.

Chat Moderator: Any final thoughts?

Mike Fish: I think '99 was an exciting year, because the fashion industry as a whole took a long hard thought at the kinds of clothes they produce. Casual wear, in its new incarnation, was such a driving force this year in the educational process of turning American into a place with more style sense.

Chat Moderator: Thank you for chatting with us today Mike Fish!

Mike Fish: Bye, cnn.com'ers! Pick up the January 2000 issue of SPIN! It's our recap for 1999, year in music!