This week, the fashion elite converged in New York City to check out the Spring 2011 collections of the world’s top designers. As the waif-like models sashayed down the runway, many new trends for the coming months were revealed. Some, we loved; some we hated. Here are a few to look forward to when you do your own spring wardrobe update.
Compare & contrast
You’ve heard that opposites attract. Apparently many designers have, too: It was hard not to notice the blend of opposites gracing the runways. Whether it was delicate and pretty with edgy and abrasive at Rag & Bone, or the suits with sexy foundation garments at Jason Wu, it all felt a little sugar and spice – and not everything nice.
White: the new black
We all love our LBDs, but sometimes, the omnipresent blacks and grays in our wardrobes can get just a tad depressing. Imagine our shock when suddenly the spring runways had summery soft whites, lace and eyelets. Were we still in New York City? Not so sure. Special props to Vivienne Tam’s use of soft ivory. Perhaps sunny days are coming!
Spring flowers
We all see flowers and sunshine as symbols of spring, and perhaps designers took note of this inspiration. At the Marc Jacobs presentation, we saw giant, oversized flowers woven into the models’ hair, and flowers were present on the runways of Donna Karan, Tracy Reese, Carolina Herrera and others. It added a lightness and brightness to the runways, and a bit of positive thought and revitalized hope. Take that, recession!
Retro fab
The 1970s were a fine time for fashion – so break out those jumpsuits. It all appears to be coming back this spring. At Marc Jacobs, we saw models with fabulously frizzy hair, hot pants and striped knits. Other runways saw the return to bandeau, high-waisted bikinis and wide-legged trousers. Giants like Badgley Mischka, Rachel Roy and Elie Tahari embraced the ’70s muse. Halston and Diane Von Furstenberg always have a bit of ’70s glam, no matter what season it is.
Return to nature
The nature theme on many of the runways was pretty endearing, and a standout was the Michael Kors wooden runway lined with boxwood. We also liked the less obvious nods to the natural through textured fabrics like gauze, silk and linen, and the fabulous leather skirt featured at Tory Burch.
Ready to wear
Imagine a fashion runway with fashions you can wear. It sounds hard to believe, doesn’t it? This year’s runways, however, were dominated with fashions we could imagine in our own closets; the looks were colorful, pretty, romantic but not over the top. At last!
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