Streetfashion London Womenswear ss2012 Day 2

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Prada-boots, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Chanel? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: London  Fashion Week.

Streetfashion London Womenswear ss2012 Day 1

What are you wearing during the coming fashionweeks? Your Prada-boots, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Chanel? Maybe we’ll spot you in Paris, Milan, New York or Amsterdam. During the fashionweeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: London  Fashion Week.

Spijkers en Spijkers Catwalk Fashion Show London ss2012

No doubt that the Roaring Twenties are the favorite era of the Spijkers-sisters. They picked this period – in which women tried to free themselves –  before as a source of inspiration. Spijkers en Spijkers are not alone in this for next summer, in New York there were more designers who were influenced by this stylish period, like Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch.

Spijkers en Spijkers took the silhouette and used their signature geometric play, colors like black and white to form their collection. Dresses dominated the collection, a loose pantsuit here and there and fragile chains as decoration or part of the construction. Fringes added a frivolous detail.

 

Michael Kors Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

Michael Kors ‘afriluxe’ collection wasn’t the most flattering we’ve seen from him. His models wore oversized djellebas, scruffy skirts, shredded tops and gladiator (which often and on the worst fashion item list) sandals.

Yet he did manage to give that African theme his own touch of glamour. He came up with some cute animal prints, feather dresses and his accessories upgraded the collection. He designed leather bags with crocodile belts, waist&chestbelts (2 in 1) and some snakeskin bangles and chunky chokers.

His animal printed dresses looked the most wearable and will probably be the hit of this spring collection. Also Kors’ bathing suits with sophisticated leather details will make his clientèle look swell on the beach. Yet the rest of the collection failed to impress and we seriously wonder who’d wanna spend a thousand dollars on a scrappy patchwork sweater and skirt.

Tory Burch Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

 

It was Tory Burch’s first catwalkshow in more than seven years and she just opened a new flagship store in New York. Sales are doing well, so there were some reasons to be cheerful. For spring, Burch chose the twenties-era Deauville as her inspiration. The result was a good collection, refined, smart and neat and Burch didn’t fell in the trap of just copying that style. She used her own print, silhouette and colors. Her take on the iconic sailor stripe for example was changed into waves. And the dots were actually tiny little squares.

Vera Wang Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

 

Vera Wang tried a different path with her ss2012 collection. More psychedelic colors and prints, different shapes and volumes, new colors. But the result was too much fairytale and less reality. Tiny little vests with detachable volants in cotton and oversize eyelet. Skirts made from sheer parachute silk that grazed the thighs in the front and trailed weightless in the back. Gowns with diamond-shape cutouts on the chest. Gauzy leggings. The effect looked a bit forced.

Rodarte Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

That was a beautiful, colorful and romantic collection Rodarte sent out yesterday. Part Sleeping Beauty part Vincent van Gogh. The artists’ color palette and paintings with sunflowers, cherryblossoms and starry night inspired the Rodarte sisters. They explained to the press that they fell for the greens and purples of the 1959 animated Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, and asked themselves who else uses colors like that. They found their answer in the Dutch postimpressionist painter. It was all the more unexpected for the fact that those Van Gogh prints can turn out into something kitchy.

The Mulleavy sisters have flirted with kitsch before, but here the effect was often hypnotic. The clothes were a mesmerizing concoction of color, construction and fantastical gowns. No matter how voluminous or seemingly simple, every look was boned for precise fit and structure.

Van Gogh’s colors are powerful, and not just his purples and greens, but also the blues and yellows. But the fifties prom dress silhouettes—nipped at the waist, with focus at the shoulders and the flaring hems—seemed so resolutely in the past. Young women might like it and wear it, but will grown up women pay more than 4000 for a dress like that? Yet there was also plenty of downright approachable designs — tapered, cropped, pants; tiered georgette skirts and fantastic color-blocked hand-knit cable sweaters.

Victoria Beckham Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

Though the press seemed to like her intimate presentations in the past Victoria Beckham has moved on. On Sunday she held her first big runway show at which she sat front row herself.

Halfway the show it became clear Posh had turned into Sporty Spice showing structured hoodies and loose fitting shiny vests. Her light-colored summer dresses seemed fit for a game of tennis and even the Louboutin shoes looked comfortable.

But apart from the sporty designs there were also still a lot of elegant dresses VB’s celebrity friends would love to wear to some fancy party. A body accentuating navy and orange dress, worn by Dutchie Daphne Groeneveld, will look swell on both Eva Longoria and Katie Holmes. And a black tanktop dress could be great for Kate Winslet or Oprah.

Victoria’s collection is not only great on it’s own, it also fits in with the overall sporty vibe we’re getting from New York Fashion Week so far. We’re curious what Victoria’s second line Victoria by Vitocria Beckham will do this week, but it seems she can do no wrong.

Prabal Gurung Catwalk Fashion Show New York SS2012

For his sumer collection Prabal Gurung brought sweetness and bondage together. Inspired by Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki he came up with a gorgeous sensual flower print that he used in most of his designs. It was there on his dresses, shorts, skirts and pants finished off by dark lines and edges.

Apart from the vivid print there was a lot of sheerness too. Dresses had cut-outs in all imaginable places and transparent fabrics were used to cover up arms and legs. Gurung used sequins, lace, latex in shades like turquoise, purple, white and black.

His models looked confident, sexy and tough, just like he intended to. Yet it felt like there was a little too much going on at once. He might have pushed the boundaries a little too far with the dark edges, the sheer fabric ánd the cutouts.

But that surely won’t stop front row Nicki Minaj from wearing his designs; she is all about taking her outfits to the next level and not giving a damn.

 

Trend Report FW2011: Let’s Get Crazy! – Beauty

Ladies, don’t try this at home! Unless you’re up for some kind of theme party, of course. ‘Cause these crazy beauty looks are best worn only on the runway.

Golden bags under your eyes (Gareth Pugh), highlighted strong brows (Frankie Morello), the nose of a Dalmation dog (Unique), some colorful confetti (Gray) or just  a big splash of red paint (Viktor & Rolf), these were the craziest make-up looks we spotted for fall/winter 2011/2012.

Check out the gallery & get inspired!

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