In preparation for spring/summer, Gillian Wilkins gets to grips with this season’s catwalk trends and where to find your wardrobe inspiration
Transition is the essence of fashion, and with a new season upon us so too is the accompanying retail madness, especially if you’re stuck for ideas on where to shop. Instead of entering spring with trepidation, make this a time to adopt a new attitude to mixing styles, and embrace the pleasure of being open to influence. Starting with a blank canvas, take note of the current movements from the catwalk to give you an idea of what to look for on the high street.
For spring/summer 2007, simplicity is the key and designers have never been so tough when it comes to strong, clean colour and modern elegance. The hot theme on the womenswear rail is New Romantics, symbolising a fresh and exciting transition into the new season.
“Its about that [buzz] when the weather turns beautiful outside, the flowers start flowering, the leaves start to grow on the trees, and you just want new clothes,” explains Marc Jacobs. “It’s spring – get out of all that heavy black and scratchy wool and wear cotton, silk and linen.”
Other designers across the board – Comme des Garçons and Stella McCartney for example – have followed this same theme by applying simple lines and chalky tones with the combination of bravely layered proportions of satin, chiffon and silk. This season’s romance was the personification of modern pretty without being complicated by historical references.
Taking inspiration from the natural world, the fashion shows saw designers looking to nature and its beauty in recreating this season’s Urban Easy silhouette. Everyday urban looks have a gentle, feminine touch while softly sculptured shapes, smart layers and a powdery palette of pink and mauve are the required elements for this summer’s urban attitude.
Be inspired by the comfort and ease of an everyday wardrobe such as Donna Karan’s. “I travel a lot to the East. It’s my passion. What I wanted to do was bring the comfort and ease of naturalism to an urban way of thinking,” says the New York-based designer.
The best examples of this trend are pioneered by the likes of Stella McCartney, Marni, Prada and Dries Van Noten. The loosely structured dress as seen at Stella McCartney, for example, is this season’s answer to effortless dressing. However, daywear also acknowledges the white shirt, which remains a wardrobe staple.
Get Sporty is the new existence of chic and casual coolness. The likes of Dries Van Noten, Marni, Max Mara, Stella McCartney and Fendi were all sporting this trend in their shows, lacing up their trainers and racing to incorporate sportswear concepts into their collections, making anoraks, hoodies, track pants and t-shirt dresses de rigueur.
At Marni, tunics were teamed with cropped and striped leggings, while Dries Van Noten paired his parka dresses with cool, comfortable, high-heeled sneakers. In essence, Dries Van Noten’s collection has epitomised the comfortable partnership of the casual and the formal, the fashionable and the normal, that makes his clothes speak to the reality of so many women’s lives.
So what’s the deal? “Sportswear detailing gives feminine pieces a smart edge,” explains Consuelo Castiglioni, head designer for Marni.
Menswear can be a narrow, constrictive genre. Despite accessorisation and an ongoing drive towards full-blown flamboyancy, what really matters is the delicate balance of proportion, texture and length. So, rather than adopting the latest catwalk trends, pay homage to the designers who pay attention to creating the ultimate male ensemble.
Across the board, there’s been a rise of an abbreviated trend, mainly in tops and jackets, but this summer it has finally arrived in the trouser category, turning up some fetching new silhouettes for men. On the runway, Prada is at the forefront of the cropped trend, and high-street shops have already taken this style on board with shin-length trousers featuring prominently in menswear.
Marni’s menswear catwalk debut led the parade of Milanese designers paying homage to what the show notes called “the classical man’s wardrobe”. The looks presented on the runway would appeal to anyone still hankering after a Helmut Lang fix. Overall, this was a collection all about new classics while heralding the comeback of shorts.
The most desirable, and indeed the most wearable, was Lanvin, who kept the tailoring conservative and subtle, redefining the clichéd t-shirt and jacket combo as something rather stylish and special. The silhouette for the Lanvin male ensemble was a reflection of understated military charm with a downbeat edge. It came in the guise of more baggy and higher-waisted trousers teamed with loosely structured jackets, styled by a stark array of metallic shoes and sunglasses – all to create the perfect comfort zone.
Belgian-born designer Martin Margiela is often referred to as the ‘designer’s designer’. His collection is undoubtedly always going to owe as much to the ideals of high art as it is to high-street trends, and this season is no exception. Margiela’s emphasis lies in a painstaking pastiche of traditional fashions infused with innovation and freshness. He weaves his influences into something gloriously exciting and fresh, as seen in his highly exciting interpretations of suits, jeans, shirts,
Where to buy?
Shopping for the latest fashions across Europe
Berlin
Even though Berlin has been called a cash-strapped city, the retail scene is booming. Shoppers are flocking to the area around Hackescher Markt in Berlin’s Mitte district where many little boutiques offer unusual and unique wares. Head to ULF Haines (Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße
9) for modern European labels like Ann Demeulemeester, Bruno Pieters and Christian Peau. Or try the stylish stores around Friedrichstraße. The Corner (Französische Straße 40) stocks designers like Balenciaga and Stella McCartney, while Quartier 206 (Friedrichstraße 71) remains the city’s favourite department store, providing well heeled Berliners with a one-stop fashion fix.
Barcelona
Barcelona is always an exciting place to visit, not only for its buzzing street life and gothic architecture, but also for the thrill of finding your way around the El Born district in search of fashion’s best kept secrets. La Commercial (Calle Rec 52) has a womenswear boutique on one side of the plaza and two stores selling menswear on the opposite side. La Maquinista (Paseo de Potosí 2) is an open-air shopping mall that houses high-street stores such as Zara and H&M as well as higher end lines like Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Costume National. Getting there is easy: just take the underground to Torres y Bages on the red line and walk to Centro Comercial La Maquinista,
Brussels
Brussels has an ebullient shopping scene, with something to suit every budget. Rue Neuve is the place to go to snap up high-street bargains from Mexx (Rue Neuve 13-15) and Naf Naf (Rue Neuve 42-44). Those with spare cash to splurge should head to Avenue Louise and Avenue de la Toison d’Or where they’ll find big names like MaxMara (Avenue Louise 19), Oliver Strelli (Avenue Louise 72) and Sonia Rykiel (Avenue de la Toison d’Or 56). Or, for a one off creation, try the super stylish Rue Antoine Dansaert. Names to watch include Christa Reniers (Rue Antoine Dansaert 29) and Stijl (Rue Antoine Dansaert 74)
Copenhagen
Despite being small, Copenhagen’s city centre is full of independent retailers and exclusive boutiques, and has several department stores. Stroget is Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping street and has something for everyone, from high-street chains like Espirit (Frederiksberggade 23) to grand department stores like Illum (Østergade 52). Stroget also runs though to Radhuspladsen, which includes exclusive stores such as Louis Vuitton (Østergade 18) and Hermes (Østergade 3-5). Magasin du Nord (Kongens Nytorv 13), Scandinavia’s largest department store, stocks Danish designers like Sand, Marlene Birger and Matinique, as well as international brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Calvin Klein.
London
If you’re in London, take a trip to Dover Street Market (17-18 Dover Street). The brainchild of Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo, this concept store is spread
over six floors and stocks over a dozen labels, including Raf Simons, Junya Watanabe and Alber Elbaz, as well as avant garde accessories from local designers. Selfridges (400 Oxford Street) has everything – from fun, fashion forward brands like Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. to timeless lines such as Chanel and Prada. Further down
Oxford Street you’ll find high-street stalwarts like Topshop (216 Oxford Street) and Mango (225-235 Oxford Street) while just off it, Marylebone High Street is packed with beautiful little boutiques. Try Agnès b (40-41 Marylebone High Street) for chic tailoring and Brora (81 Marylebone High Street) for classic cashmere.
Flirten met mode
Mode teert op verandering. En zoals bij het nieuwe seizoen weer zal blijken, ook op shoppinggekte. Vooral dan bij wie niet goed weet welke winkels en boetieks aan te doen. Gooi je twijfels overboord en ga de lente-zomercollectie zelfverzekerd tegemoet. Durf stijlen te mengen, stel je open voor nieuwe invloeden. Geef je over aan de trends op de catwalk en je weet meteen welke etalages jou iets te bieden hebben.
Eenvoud wordt de nieuwe trend. Het is voor het eerst dat designers zo’n sterke, zuivere kleuren en moderne elegantie voorstellen.
Ook Marc Jacobs, Comme Des Garcons en Stella McCartney werkten rond dit thema, door het gebruik van eenvoudige lijnen en krijttonen, in combinatie met prachtige gelaagde structuren in satijn, chiffon en zijde.
Ook de sportieve lijn domineerde de catwalks. Bij Marni zagen we tunieken in combinatie met al dan niet gestreepte kuitleggings, terwijl Dries Van Noten zijn ‘jasjurken’ combineerde met trendy en comfortabele sneakers met hak.
Bij de mannen zien we al enige tijd dat bovenstukken en jassen korter worden, maar deze zomer moeten ook de broeken inbinden. Prada beet de spits af met kuitbroeken, en ook winkels en boetieks vallen voor de ingekorte versies.
Maar ook de ‘klassieke herenmode’ is terug van weggeweest, met bijvoorbeeld de aantrekkelijke en draagbare outfits van Lanvin. Het modehuis hield het bij een conservatieve en subtiele snit, wat de clichécombinatie t-shirt met vest nieuw leven inblaast.
Jouer avec la mode
Transition, c’est l’essence même de la mode, et à l’approche de la nouvelle saison, la folie des tendances s’avère une autre dimension incontournable de cet univers. Où trouver les marques qui prendront place dans votre garde-robe ? Entrez sans précipitation dans la série printemps-été. Prenez tout votre temps et adoptez la nouvelle attitude du mélange des styles. Bref, découvrez tout simplement le plaisir d’être ouvert aux influences. Prenez une feuille blanche, notez les tendances émergeantes des défilés pour les transposer ensuite dans la rue.
Grande gagnante des tendances de cette saison: la simplicité. Les stylistes n’ont jamais été aussi radicaux en matière de couleurs fortes, franches et de sobriété contemporaine.
Marc Jacobs, Comme Des Garcons et Stella McCartney ont tous intégré cette donnée, avec des tenues sages, fluides dans des tons sable, pâles et apaisants. On trouve aussi des superpositions paradoxales; du satin, de la mousseline et de la soie.
L’allure sportive chic domine aussi les podiums. Chez Marni, les robes ‘loose’ à demi-ceinturées se portent sur des leggings rayés coupés à mi-mollets, tandis que les mannequins de Dries Van Noten déambulent en parkas, juchées sur des sneakers confortables à talons hauts.
Du côté du prêt à porter masculin, si la simplification l’emporte principalement dans les chemises et les vestes, les points forts de l’été transparaissent plus particulièrement dans les pantalons. Dans les défilés, les silhouettes de Prada se démarquent par la tendance raccourcie. Les boutiques de mode produisent déjà leur version de pantalons coupés à mi-mollets.
La garde-robe de ‘l’homme classique’ fait aussi son grand retour avec les tenues les plus désirables et agréables à porter signées Lanvin. Ce créateur réinterprète les costumes impeccables et subtils, avec les éternels t-shirts sous un ensemble veston/gilet, qui prouve que l’on peut être singulier et stylé à la fois.
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