The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 9

It’s the final episode of our ss2012 alphabet. There’s much more to tell about the the new collections, what to think of geometric details, sugar-colors or the many topcoats? We’ll keep those for our trend-reports later this year. Today the last part of our ABC.

Y is for YOU !

You inspire fashion the most. Despite the perfectly orchestrated fashion-shows, it’s always a joy to see how real women wear designerclothes or their own style. The street is here to stay and gives us new color-mixes, style-fusions and smart solutions.

 

Z is for ZIPPER

Now Sports seems an important theme coming spring, zippers are an essential part of this style. Sometimes they’re hard to see, but even in the most exclusive dresses you’ll find a small zipper. It also adds a sporty, modern detail to official dresses, skirts and blouses.

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 8

Next spring will be a lively season, with lots of color, elegance and femininity. Good times are coming! Today part 8 of our ABC.

V is for VEGGIES

After Prada’s banana’s last spring and the pine-apples of Stella McCartney, the team of Dolce & Gabbana invited us to the Italian kitchen. They offered us eggplants, courgettes, hot peppers and onions in beautiful dresses, sexy baby-dolls and funny accessories. The stage of Moschino Cheap ‘n Chic was a fruit-market, and the collection was inspired by apples and strawberries. At least it adds color and fun to the clothes and from now on we look with a different eye to a simple Italian tablecloth 😉

 

W is for WHITE (dress)

Get that instant spring-feeling with a white outfit, and speaking of ss2012: a white dress. All leading designers, from Paris to New York, were unanimous: white is the perfect color to update your garderobe. From fluent dresses, pleated skirts and shirts to the strict, clean nurse-like dresses of Jil Sander and Celine.

 

X is for X-RAY

Although the collections are rather serious, feminine and not overtly sexy some designers try to balance too much strictness out via the use of see-through fabrics. Even Raf Simons plays with it in his collection for Jil Sander, he not only mixes different densities, but also takes see-through gingham-checks to cover up shorts and bra’s. And so did Marc Jacobs.  While Marni uses her nude-colored transparent underskirts to add an imperfect and playful touch.

To be continued.

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 7

We’ve almost reached the finish of our ss2012 alphabet. Next spring is going to be a great, upbeat season with lots of new stuff to wear and dream about. Today part 7.

S is for SPORT

With Alexander Wang at the forefront, this Sports Vibe shows the feel for active and performing, technical fabrics. It’s very sports inspired, with racy details and closures and fueled with sensuality.

 

T is for TECHNICAL

With a big sports-theme coming up next spring technical details are not far away. Designers are trying to use new fabrics and finishes to give their collection a more futuristic and ultra-modern vibe. Without losing the elegant and feminine touch, except for Gareth Pugh and Thierry Mugler. It’s often alienating and far from reality, but still inspiring an innovative.

 

U is for Under Water

We won’t forget the magical, fairytale like show of Chanel – a mini under water world build inside the Grand Palais. Suddenly water was a theme, and we discovered more designers who were inspired by water. Like Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy. His mermaids were more streetwise and rockin’ than Chanel’s muses – but for sure  white, waving fabrics and peplums, pearls and shimmering sequins are telling the waterstory.

 

To be continued.

 

 

 

 

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 6

Let’s move on with our ss2012 womenswear ABC. There’s still so much to talk about. More colors, more details and more design.

P is for POETIC VISION

This is a lovely tale of heroines travelling the world, picking up inspirations, connecting and merging the east and the west and marrying these influences in lovely, narrative and poetic stories. The spirit is romantic, exquisitely elegant and fuelled with craftsmanship in tailoring, embellishment, pattern as well as cut. Some glowful decadence in androgynous looks with a daring sensual twist. Shades of China show in dangling tassels, kimono-like wraps, north-African caftans and western suiting. Manipulated city- and landscapes in photo print as well as historical engravings of gardens of Eden.

 

Q is for QUICK UPDATE

Q is always a nasty symbol for a fashion-alphabet. Is it for Quality, Question, Quest?  Well, we chose Quick Update, as in fast update or short summary. So what do we need for ss2012? Something elegant  in electric pastelcolors and a flowerprint, a white dress with a big belt, some ethnic details and a retro vibe in coats, pleated skirts and bandeau-tops. Collections that represent these themes the best are Celine, Prada, Marni and Burberry. So get inspired!

 

R is for ROARING TWENTIES

In this time of crisis, the come back of the Roaring Twenties is not a surprise. But the remake of The Great Gatsby must have inspired some designers too. Art Deco reminiscence and pre depression jazz inspiration resulted in a pure celebration of the dress. For one the canvas to proof the lucky marriage between technology and crafts, for others a manifest to elevate the artisan over the machine. From minutely laser-cut decorations to intricate embroidery, beading and fringing. The 1920’s revived with modern twists; patterns inspired by ancient architectural icons as The Chrysler building, or lean away-from-the-body shifts inherited from the jazz-era.

 

 

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 5

There are still some parts to go of the fashion-alphabet for spring 2012. It’s such a wonderful, exciting season that’s awaiting us. Can’t wait to wear a great pleated skirt.

M is for MODERN BAGS

The it-bag of season 2012 will probably be the va va vroemmm clutch of Prada, with the Thunderbird-flames or a cartoon of a car. But the new classics that will last longer we’ll find at Celine, Jil Sander, Chloe and Balenciaga. The modern bag is geometrically shaped, has a short, big strap and is worn under the arm. Look at Balenciaga and Chloe. While Celine sticks to the minimal, in form, function and color. The boxy shapes at Jill Sander are quite new, while Vuittons interpretation of the plastic basket is quite funny and adorable.

 

N is for NEAT PLEATS

The pleated skirts is fashion’s favorite coming spring. Worn low at the hips with a big belt at Celine and Chloe, but also elegant, feminine and swinging in soft colors at Prada. It has everything a woman needs: it’s flattering, sensual, sunny and wearable.

 

O is for OVER ALL PRINTS

Prints are the big message for ss2012, especially the digital flowerprints. But designers take us one step further, they love to see us in print from head to toe. And it doesn’t matter if it matches or not. Digitally manipulated flowers, stripes, fantasy-prints and even classic drawings: the more the better.Mary Katrantzou’s work is the best example.

 

To be continued.

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 4

You can fill two alphabets with all the news and trends that will appear in spring 2012. But let’s stick to the main stuff for now. Today part 4.

J is for JEWELRY

The more feminine and elegant womenswear gets, the more refined the jewelry. For the first time Prada presented necklaces and earrings in shiny stones and little roses, sweet and sophisticated at the same time. Marni is always strong with her jewelry, this time she focused at bracelets. And what to think of the accessories at Dolce & Gabbana, made of fake-pasta, pepperoncini and garlic. While they got inspired by the Italian kitchen, Alber Elbaz of Lanvin looked at the street and borrowed the chunky metal for his big bold chokers and pendants.

 

K is for KANYE WEST

For years Kanye West is a regular visitor of the fashionshows. He loves fashion and it seems he wanted to prove his knowledge with a collection of his own. Well, not everybody is convinced about his skills as a fashion-designer after seeing the collection for ss2012. The show he gave in Paris illustrates what he likes and problably what he likes women to wear. Lots of fur, lots of skintight dresses and a trashy (track)suit now and then.

L is for LAYERS

Although the couture spirit doesn’t leave much room for layers, there are designers who don’t want a stiff, minimal look but search for more fluidity, layering and movement in their clothes. Luckily. Not every woman is waiting for Balenciaga-esque silhouettes. So thanks to Haider Ackermann and Ann Demeulemeester there are still exciting layers, color-combinations and silhouettes. But even a modernist as Raf Simons plays with see  through layers in his collection for Jil Sander.

 

To be continued.

 

 

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 3

Next spring will be a lively season, with lots of color, elegance and femininity. Good times are coming! Today part 3 of our ABC.

G is for GIANNI VERSACE

Oh, good old Gianni, we surely do miss his vibrant collections full of prints, color and sexy clothes. But with a collaboration with H&M ahead – and a promise made by Donatella that she will be using some Versace classics in prints – we do expect a revival of the Versace-print. Some designers used the baroque prints and foulard prints in their collections. Just to offer something different than just clean minimalism.

 

H is for HOLIDAY in retro-style

With the Fifties back in style, the glamourous holiday-dressing returns too. This theme shares with us moments of nostalgia and makes us long for times that were innocent and frivolous. Holiday forever in these not just referenced, yet simple literary quoted historic silhouettes.

 

I is for INNOCENT & SWEET

The fashion merry-go-round keeps spinning and brought us sugar SWEET fashion. The word ‘pretty’ was banned from the fashion dictionary for seasons, but made a majestic comeback. Opulence, intricate embellishment and exquisite craftsmanship modernise romance by alternating laser cut silk cellophanes and crafted Broderie Anglaise.

 

To be continued

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 2

Season ss2012 seems still far away, and there is so much to tell about what’s coming up. So we’re putting everything in an ABC round-up. Today part 2.

D is for DIGITALIZE

Digital prints were all over the collections this season, but why did it take that long and why does it stay that close to the pavement laid out by those great pioneers, Alexander McQueen and Mary Katranzou? Lovely, happy and very exiting though.

 

E is for ETHNIC

Ethnic influences are still visible in fashion. take a look at Burberry’s collection with the rattan and tribal patterns and jewelry, or Donna Karan with her African vibe. Dark earthy colors, ocre, green and red are dominating but there’s also a more tropical and colorful side to this trend with vibrant colors and fantasy patterns.

 

F is for FIFTIES

This trend tells an entertaining tale of pretty dresses, fit and flare, full as well as swirling and swinging skirts and sweet, sorbet-like colors. It brings us back to the Fifties as known in movies and books. Prada, the brave, alternated this prettiness with spiced up romance, moving beyond stereotypes. Then surprisingly well coordinated was the return of Fifties swimwear.

To be continued.

The ABC of womenswear ss2012, part 1

What a great season ss2012 will be. It’s a pity we’ll have to wait until next year, before we can touch, feel and wear those beautiful clothes. There was so much to see and experience the last few weeks, starting with the shows in New York and ending in Paris. Time for a large ABC-round-up.

A is for ARTIFICIAL CHIC

A cool, modern twist to classic and iconic shaping and experimenting with mixed materials, layered patterns and strange color-combinations. Plastic is favorite, as are high sheen sparkling surfaces and innovative finishing.

 

B is for BARE SKIN

Slits and slices showed bare arms and legs, as were transparent fabrics but there was more to see: bare midriffs because of all those bandeau tops. A great contrast while lengths of skirts are dropping. After seasons of revealed bellies the elongated tops seemed so much more luxurious and sophisticated. Yet now we seem to enter a period of hedonism once more, celebrating the body, enjoying fashion and consuming style.

 

 

C is for COUTURE

The clear read line through Paris catwalk shows is a couture spirit reminiscent of the fifties and sixties.One designer more then the other found ways to translate this precious era in a contemporary and new look. Materials where traditional and precious, yet some realized that typical sculptural aspect in novel man made yet ever so luxurious fabrics. A, I and egg shaped, reduced and iconic, minimal use of details and executed in mostly black and white.

 

To be continued.

 

 

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.

 

 

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