CATWALK SPECIAL
Keep up to date with the latest trends and news from the world of 
fashion
Walking on sunshine
This season shoes are dreamlike and fanciful, as if a host of wizards had cast a spell over the ateliers. Prada takes it back to nature with ornate heels carved into toadstools with fairy-tale flowers creeping up the side. Balenciaga has knee-skimming gladiator boots in vibrant yellow, red and black. Matthew Williamson opts for electric green numbers with cutaway sides, Marc Jacobs has cantilevered the heel on to its side (leaving speculation as to how the models can walk), while Marni and Belstaff take heels to architectural proportions. This season, the more ornate the better – you want your heels to be sky-high. 
www.matthewwilliamson.com
SHEER ROMANCE
Romantic films of barely-there chiffon draped models across the summer/spring catwalks, creating a look of modern, light elegance. Jil Sander draped sheer chiffon in citrus hues across plain boob tubes and shorts, resulting in a breezy summer look perfect for day, while Sophia Kokosalaki and Chanel created the ultimate in evening wear with sheer black numbers.
Giambattista Valli’s ornate white and pink design with ruffled sleeves would make you the belle of any ball. www.chanel.com
TWINKLE, TWINKLE
Yves Saint Laurent’s Stefano Pilati has his head in the clouds this season, with a collection inspired by stars. The five-pointed symbols sprinkle everything from chokers and shirt buttons to belts and strappy heels, reaching a pinnacle with an exquisite chain-armour vest and multicoloured star-splattered shirt dress. Stars can also be spotted on a dreamy midnight-blue jumpsuit from Chanel and an oversized necklace by Emilio Pucci. Spoil yourself like the star you really are. www.ysl.com
Handbag royalty
American Richard Prince is the latest high-profile artist to collaborate with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton. The much-applauded collaboration has resulted in a glossy and glamorous range of plastic shoulder bags, canvas totes and bowlers made from laser-cut pony skin, defaced with spray paint and text from Prince’s 1986 Jokes series. With a waiting list of epic proportions, 
get your name down fast. www.louisvuitton.com
Express yourself
Art and fashion combined in more than one way at this season’s shows. Broad graphic brushstrokes and painterly prints splattered dresses and tees, creating a haphazard, creative cool.
Dolce & Gabbana excelled with a paint-splattered simple grey tee, while Chloé opted for broad expressionist prints in vibrant colours on white T-shirt dresses and tunics, as did Basso & Brooke and 
Pringle. Dolce & Gabbana also went to town on a giant paint-smeared ball gown. www.chloe.com
ANIMAL MAGIC
Step into spring/summer with a roar and update your wardrobe with animal prints. Keep it chic and sophisticated with Dior by John Galliano’s sleek cocktail dress, add a rock-chick vibe with Alexander McQueen’s high-neck pink snakeskin body-con number, or choose a Christopher Kane ruffled chiffon snake-print blouse for day or evening wear with bite. www.dior.com
Lighter shade of pale
Banish your indigo jeans to the back of your wardrobe; spring/summer 08 is all about pale denim. Christopher Kane has the ultimate in jeanswear – distressed light-blue denim with raw unfinished seams. Maison Martin Margiela has shredded stonewash jeans from the waist, Chanel excels with a panelled denim halterneck sundress in varying shades of blue, while Alexandra Wang goes for oversized light-denim shirts paired with sky-blue denim leggings. It’s time to lighten up. www.christopherkane.com
Drama queen
Surrealist-inspired designs sent catwalks flying into fairytale lands this season. Naughty hand-painted nymphs adorned tunic tops, sheer pyjama tops and bell-bottoms at Prada and ornate Japanese geishas teased pyjama-like slips at Issey Miyake, while Marios Schwab transported body-con dresses into another galaxy (and century) with hyper-real photographic prints in psychedelic colours supported by rubber panelling. Feathers sent imaginations running wild at Alexander McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester and Nina Ricci. www.alexandermcqueen.com
MAKE A STATEMENT
The spring/summer 2008 catwalk shows saw jewellery balloon in shape and colour. Forget understated silver pieces – the catwalks were alive with eye-catching bracelets, chunky cuffs and beaded necklaces of gargantuan proportions and even bolder colour schemes. Marni had multicoloured cuffs stacked up the arm, as did Christian Lacroix and Hermès. Karl Lagerfeld went for cyberdog-inspired pointed sheer plastic cuffs, while Emilio Pucci, Peter Som and Lanvin loaded the neck with as 
many beaded necklaces as it could take. www.hermes.com
Say it with flowers
Spring floral prints burst into bloom across the catwalks for this season’s collections, from scribbled bunches of flowers on summer dresses at Aquascutum to bold 60s prints at Marc by Marc Jacobs, girlish florals at Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney to a kaleidoscopic explosion of bloom at Balenciaga. Strong, energetic and striking yet utterly feminine, and 
perfect to stave off the winter gloom. www.balenciaga.com
LESS IS MORE
It’s time to put your Audrey Hepburn oversized shades back in their case. This season’s eyewear is smaller and simpler, with circular shapes the hippest of all. Temperley’s giant frames with smaller visor lenses are the year’s statement pair. Get yours now. www.temperleylondon.com
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