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)

Miu Miu Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

The Miu Miu show opened with a confusing series of clothes that reminded of schooluniforms, drabby colors, basis skirts and shirts. Was this the same Miucca Prada who’d sent out this strong, and happy collection two weeks ago in Milan? But it was part of the show, which build the collection slowly, piece by piece, fabric by fabric, color by color.

The schooluniform was the basis (A-line silhouette, simple shirts), color, lace, frivolous accessories added along the way more festivity to the clothes. Like Cinderella getting ready for the ball.

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

Céline Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

You can’t avoid Céline these days in Paris. Not in the streets, not in the shops – the new minimalism Phoebe Philo preaches inspired lots of people and made women reconsider their garderobe and make new choices. The collection she sent out this morning pushed the boundaries of simply elegant again. This time Phoebe Philo added a touch of militarism and workwear to the clothes.

The grid was formed by wide pants -ankle-height -, pleated skirts, battledresses and longer jackets with large pockets both tied wit a big belt and dresses that reminded of a nurse in gone-by times. The collection breathed moderism in every stitch but had an invisible Forties touch. White was the main color, followed by brown and dark green, one part had flashes of red.

There were Philo’s signature leather structured tops, sweaters, T-shirts and tunics with a longer length at the back. They added a feminine touch to the straight pants and mixed very well with the pleated skirts. Balck suede shoes had high platforms – sometimes in contrasting color -, round toes and big straps.

 

Junya Watanabe Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

Leather bolero’s with ruffled sleeves probably are the most outspoken designs we’ve seen in Paris so far. Watanabe made them his subversive statement pieces in blue, red and black. He showed them with summer dresses and scary hat pieces made out of feathers.

Those traditionally embroidered summer dresses, which had a vintage feeling to them, were the key items of the collection. They came by, combined with a sheer bomber jacket, a black parka, a tulle skirt, half a trench coat and a trench cape. Items which gave the collection Watanabe’s personal touch.

Not a fan of those half trench coats? If you’d skip the bizarre styling, a collection full of pretty, original and wearable dresses would maintain. So whether you’re an edgy kinda girl or you just wanna play it safe, for summer 2012 you can go both ways with Watanabe.

 

First View Paris ss2012: Poetic Vision

Viewing the first Paris collections immediately made clear that 50’s Retro, Tropicana and Crafts are definitely on trend, worldwide.

But here we want to highlight a different mood. 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.

Ann Demeulemeester goes sensual and combines fluid flared skirts and dresses with elongated suit coats. Severe black suiting with barely-there veils and free flowing fringes. Dries van Noten adds ruffles and ruches to pure, stern silhouettes and narrative prints to bold black and white. Rick Owens adds roundness and softness to column-like contours. Each of them envisioning a positive future. To speak with Owens: a gateway to heaven.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam

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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