STRIPES, , RRUFFLES & LEATHER
Trends for spring
You’d think that the frenetic pace of fashion would mean that dissecting the hundreds of runways to tease out the season’s biggest trends would be a near-impossible task. You’d be wrong. In fact, it was almost as if the industry’s top designers secretly got together and decided to present one of the most cohesive seasons in recent history. Yet even though stripes and monochrome palettes appeared on catwalk after catwalk, at the end of fashion month, there were still scores of other new trends that collectively, make spring/summer 2013 feel exciting. Be warned, though: “It’s not about buying into every single trend,” says Lisa Tant, Holt Renfrew’s vice-president, fashion editor. Here are top 10 trends to work into your new-season wardrobe.
1. EARN YOUR STRIPES
From Marc Jacobs, Moschino, and Michael Kors to Oscar de la Renta, Lanvin, Dolce & Gabbana, and Roland Mouret, stripes were everywhere. While nearly any variation or colour will do, the freshest way to get in line with this trend is by opting for bold, black and white stripes or wearing the pattern from head to toe. “This isn’t the easiest look to wear; broad stripes can be unsettling,” acknowledges Tant. Her tip for making it work? Choose silhouettes that flatter your body — soft, fluid trousers if you’re curvy, for instance — and watch the direction of the stripes. Vertical stripes help elongate your body; chevron stripes can help create the illusion of curves if you’re more of a boyish shape.
2. BLACK AND WHITE
“This timeless, graphic look is such a breath of fresh air,” Tant says, summing up the incredible appeal of black and white this season. While print masters still showed off their digital prowess, everyone else embraced the new shady palette. “Any time you go that far into a trend, as we have done with engineered and computerized pattern, you’ll get a swing back the other way from a different kind of designer,” explains Tant. Indeed, the title for top spring trend could arguably go to stripes, as seen here by Marc Jacobs, or monochrome, as shown by the plethora of designers who used both together.
3. LEATHER
“We’ve got to stop thinking that leather is for fall and winter,” says Tant. “Now, it’s all about warm weather leather!” While your first leather jacket may have weighed you down (Tant remembers her first leather jacket that was like wearing a 10-pound coat), skins these days, like this skirt from MUGLER (far left), are so lightweight and flexible, they can be cut like a T-shirt. Go head to toe in a colour-blocked leather ensemble, or work one piece (a black, cotton-back sleeveless shell by Vince or Robert Rodriguez, perhaps) into your wardrobe to ease into the trend.
4. RUFFLES GROW UP
Forget girlie, fussy ruffles: the flounces that feel relevant this season are more architectural — just ask JW Anderson, Frida Giannini at Gucci, Nicolas Ghesquière (who presented his swan song at Balenciaga last fall), Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, or Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy. “These are powerful ruffles,” says Tant, “and we haven’t seen ruffles shown this way in a long time.” Look for deep, dramatic ruffles rather than small, narrow, ones to keep the effect grown-up. Not so sure about adding flounces of fabric to your look? Try a single ruffled sleeve or an asymmetric hemline: they’ll help create curves and texture without adding too much fuss.
5. DIGITAL PRINTS 2.0
This is one trend that hasn’t shown any signs of waning on the street style front. Editors and super-bloggers like Taylor Tomasi Hill and Susie Bubble are bona fide experts at mixing and matching their prints, while designers such as Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou and Kenzo are the industry’s icons when it comes to amazing, inspirational prints. This season, look for more “thoughtful” pieces: ones that are not just about the print, but also about the placement of the prints and, overall, the fit of the item.
6. CANDY WRAPPER METALLICS
Where Burberry goes, many follow (and few succeed). For spring, Christopher Bailey was apparently inspired by candy wrappers, sending pastel green capelets and vibrant pink-and-orange striped trench coats onto his runway, then completing each look with a blindingly shiny bag in the new “Blaze” style. How to get the look? Opt for just a single candy wrapper-inspired piece, and add modern accessories such as the futuristic sunglasses that finished each Burberry look.
7. CAREFUL CUT-OUTS
Michael Kors and Alexander Wang called early dibs on the cut-out look; indeed, no other designer’s peek-aboo pieces were more masterful than these two. While Kors’ were infinitely sexy, Alexander Wang’s were either sporty or veered into bondage territory. “When it comes to cut-outs, it’s basically, ‘how fearless are you’ and ‘what do you want to accentuate?’” says Tant. Got great shoulders? Go for a halter-like cut-out at the shoulder or neckline. Not so gutsy? Opt for a laser-cut handbag or shoe instead.
8. NOT-SO-MELLOW YELLOW
Yellow is to spring/summer 2013 as oxblood was to fall/winter 2012. Just ask the likes of Michael Kors, DKNY, Timo Weiland, Marc Jacobs and Derek Lam. From egg yolk to chartreuse-tinged shades, this is the colour to brighten up your spring wardrobe.
9. SAY IT WITH SHEER
Sheer isn’t new, per se, but its standing as the ultimate way to add instant elegance to any look was confirmed this season by Valentino, Reed Krakoff and Dolce & Gabbana. For day (but not an office day, unless you work in a creative industry), choose a cotton eyelet dress and wear a contrasting-coloured layer underneath for a modern and youthful look; for evening, a lace dress or gown or maxi skirt with sheer panels is the way to go.
10. CROP IT
This is a true fashion-lover’s trend, and if you’ve got the body, go for it! Look to Balmain, DKNY, and Miu Miu for runway inspiration and pair a sharp-shouldered, oh-so’ 80s blazer over a crop top and pleated pants, or team up high-waisted pants with a matching crop for a look that’s modern retro. For a scaled-back version, combine with trend No. 9 and layer a sheer, floaty blouse over a cropped top.