Summertrend 2012: embrace your femininity

Blossomed, pencil, pleated, patterned, maxi, mini… For this summer female elegance is all about the skirt. But there’s only one that’s the star of the show this season: the over-the-knee skirt.

The classic skirt with the below-knee hemline, who had his highest point in the fifties, is making a huge comeback this season and has a key-role in many collections. Donna Karan, Burberry, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Celine, Dolce&Gabanna, Chloé, Hermès, they all showed their own version of this evergreen. And the message seems clear: embrace your femininity, which results in body- con, pencil skirts on one hand or wide swing skirts on the other hand. This last one is probably the most popular one: high waisted and blossoming, preferably pleated, pastel colored and made out of silk or cotton.

How to wear it? Combine it with a classic blouse, or some chunky knitwear to give it some more edge. Even a baseball jacket could work, to give it an unusual twist and make it less girly.

Just take a look at these catwalk pictures or at all these women we’ve spotted on the street wearing this classic piece. Enough inspiration, we would say.

(Eva Dusch)

Claes Iversen Catwalk Fashion Show ss2012

After having traveled through all four fashion capitals in the past few weeks, last night the fashion circus arrived at it’s final destination: Amsterdam. It was Claes Iversen’s show which brought Dutch celebs and fashion professionals together at Zuidpark on Thursday evening.

Inspired by a small group of women, who seem to have everything in the world Claes came up with a whole lot of elegant dresses, duo colored pants, sheer skirts and detailed blouses.

Crosses seemed a big theme in the show, in which models walked on a cross-shaped catwalk. They were used as embroideries on skirts, short jackets and long evening dresses, varying in shape and color.

A poppy print (in white and orange/red) was used in many of the couture-like designs as well. It beautifully mixed in with the rest of the color palette (many whites, cardinal, cyon).

Huge (filled) shoulders and large bows (on the models’ chests) gave the designs a more structured look.

Going through Claes’ Tweets of the past few weeks we learned not everything in the design process went as smoothly as the designer had hoped. But on Thursday night, when everything just came together, there was no sign of all of that. I was just a perfect presentation of a graceful, beautifully made and positive spring/summer collection.

 

 

First View Paris ss2012: Slits & Slices

A powerful design-feature this Paris season is the slit. Nothing makes a look that obviously 80’s inspired. Immediately it’s taken out of the reigning 50’s couture prettiness to create a more daring and slick appeal.

Cutout, slashed and sliced and sometimes pinned, wrapped and knotted back together again. Cut-outs unveil long lean legs as well as deep décolleté and hints of midriff. Jean Paul Gaultier plays with wide gathered volumes and wraps, folds, turns and twists these. Where Lanvin unveils in a more cool and understated manner, carefully exposing hints of skin in a subtle and sophisticated manner, Maison Martin Margiela shows more brutal constructions and deconstructions where Mugler goes futuristic and uses cuts and slashes for streamlined, organic and a more architectonic shaping and sculpting.

Sure that it adds movement and flare to silhouettes.

Stylespot is a collaborations with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

First View Paris ss2012: a dress is a dress is a dress

So the dressed-up mood seems there to stay. From careful sculpted and tailored precious gowns with Hollywood appeal, to immaculate sweet nothings in fluttery organza.

Sure is that a couture mood runs through prêt-à-porter collections worldwide. A dressed-up dress-parade shows a rich variety of smart classy daywear as well as more dramatic evening wear. Next to couture spirit an obvious 80’s flavour is intertwined that loosens up hard edge couture looks and adds flair by means of long slits and slices in shifts, tunics and robe manteaux.

Lanvin adds strong character to luxurious understated and monumental shapes in interesting fabrics where texture and drape determine the look in total absence of unnecessary details. Nina Ricci adds urban twists to a heavenly and lingerie inspired collection, where Rick Owens turns tailoring into religion, showing monolithic gowns. Dior opens the box of its rich legacy; showing reworked and modernized dresses reminiscent of the golden age of haute couture.

So to be fair, a dress is more then just a dress.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

Streetfashion Paris Womenswear ss2012 Day 4

What are you wearing during this fashionweek? Your Gucci-shoes, your latest Celine-dress or that vintage Givenchy? 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: Paris Fashion Week.

Haider Ackermann Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Haider Ackermann proved once again he’s a true master in choosing strong, bold colors, picking luxurious fabrics and mix this  into a graceful, powerful an dazzling collection. His ss2012-collection is about ‘rockabilly barons’ and – so it seemed – his own personal style in an exaggerated way, looking at the and the wide drop-crotch pants that tapered.

The cut was that of traditional menswear, but the fabrics were not. Thick silk and brocades came in beautiful colors, like deep purple, crystal blue and magenta. The lacing in gold and silver gave it an iridescent glow. Sheer silk, used for draped veils and skirts added drama while paisleys and madras added a touch of ethnic.

Nina Ricci Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Peter Copping presented and very chic and very French collection at Nina Ricci. But is was also charming and flirting with that typical Sixties haute couture vibe. The silhouette was curvy, the clothes bejeweled and the straw cage hats added an elegant touch.  Starting with constructed lingerie, Copping showed suited looks and dresses, both with full skirts and an hourglass silhouette, in laces, cloqués and printed jacquards. He embellished with delicate patchworks and encrustations of high-sparkle embroideries.

The prints were definitely retro, since the came from the archive of Zina de Plagny,  who’d done a lot of work for the house founder.

Balmain Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Now Olivier Rousteing took over the design-helm at Balmain from Christophe Decarnin the story of superrich and superglamorous still continues. After all, Rousteing was Decarnin’s right hand for years. Las Vegas and bullfighters were his source of inspiration, so there was lots of shimmer on gold or black leather, matador-jackets, suede bustiers and blazers.

The new designer surprised the audience too, with denim skirts and loose (!) pants. What he took from Las Vegas were motel wallpaper patterns for jeans and blazers and floral bedspreads worked into minidresses. Overall it was less rock ‘n roll but still young and sexy.

Balenciaga Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

It must be so embarrassing when you invite the creme de la creme of the fashionworld at your show and the benches you arranged crash while they are seated. It happened at Balenciaga this morning. And for the first time even that fashion-elite had to stand during the show.Luckily for Balenciaga and designer Nicolas Ghesquiere the clothes mad the audience forget they were feel uncomfortable. The collection was about volume and structure. Oversize was Ghesquiere next big theme this season, trying to discover how body and ultra light fabric work together.

There were high-shine, round-shouldered jackets light as air, which  came in graphic color plays over wide but otherwise tiny shorts. The dresses were impressive ,  whether in ottoman knits in  simple  T-shirt shapes or complicated fabric collages.

Gareth Pugh Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Again a film opened the show of Gareth Pugh in Paris. Ruth Hogben made a short movie with a naked Chrystal Renn, who appeared to be bound and completely ferocious. It set an angry tone for the collection. The first part of the show the clothes looked like cages, coats made of stiff horizontal strips. Was this about protection or defense? The cages were followed by tight dresses and cropped vests in black and white.

At the end the film screen burst into purple flames, and dark warriors appeared in shiny molded coats and matching helmets.

 

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