isabel marant: surfing, skateboarding and spring.

I find it significantly more enjoyable and intimate to analyze not a trend as a whole, but an individual designer and their personal interpretations. The world of fashion relies too heavily on trends, as if trends should dictate the creative energy and potential of designers. Looking at a single designer and their creations tell you a story, which is what enthralls me the most in the world of fashion. 

 Instead of enlightening myself with shallow general knowledge about the trends of spring (e.g. Lace is in, Ikat is out) which seems to be common lingo to everyone, I took a deeper dive into Isabel Marant's Spring Collection, where I familiarized myself with her inspirations, stories and her timeless flair, which undoubtedly transcends the boundaries of what we label as 'a season.' 

Mesh/Sheer Tops - What struck me most about Isabel Marant's Spring RTW 2011 designs was her seamless 'compliance' with the standout Spring trend of Lace. As you can see in the pictures above, there was no evidence of lace, but rather a more androgynous, modern take on the 'sheer' look. The models were donned in somewhat futuristic, synthetic white mesh shirts, which were matched with complimentary tailored pastel pants for a preppy look, and with a floral tiered skirt for a striking contrast. I can definitely picture those racy tops layered with neon tank tops and tights on the writhing body of a teenager at a disco. The concept of 'muted androgyny' is weaved both consciously and sub-consciously throughout her collection.

Pink Pants - Another huge trend that was evident throughout Marant's collection was the use of pastel colors; especially on the lower half. From youthful, casual pink cutoff shorts to timeless, conservative pants, Marant enthralled me with a rich variety that displayed the fact that there was something for everyone.

Marant took her inspiration for Spring from the restless cities of California. She "fell in love" with California and it's "chill vibe," and thus this season was an "ode to surfing and the early days of skateboarding" in California. The racy (and dare I say, slightly slutty) vibes that some of her looks feature (that are of course, smothered in classic Marant chic) seem to go hand-in-hand with the stereotypical culture of America as we see it. There were also some "fast and furious...Sports references" in the latter of the collection, where we saw "shrunken fisherman" shirts, varsity style baseball jerseys and rugby stripe shirt-dresses (shown in the second-to-last image on the extreme left).

Scrolling through Trend Reports on Style.com, I've realised, doesn't do me much good as a person who's interested in fashion. We have subconsciously redefined the word 'fashionable' because now, 'fashionable' only lasts a mere few months. 

Indeed, it is the snowflakes of winter and the heat of summer that we so effortlessly recall about seasons. Fur jackets and Daisy Dukes? They're gone before you can say 'next season.'

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