spring 2012 roundup.

The Spring Ready-To-Wear collections are officially out, and I’ve pored eagerly through as many shows as I can stomach. The plethora of fresh spring colors and exciting new trends that each designer exuded with a different twist was truly astounding. The season of Spring is such a wonderful, refreshing change in the fashion world; it’s the long-awaited beginning of flouncy skirts, and the due farewell to thick, heavy winter layers. And you'll be glad to know I’ve graduated from the generic Spring connotations of florals and pastels. Spring in my eyes is now more of an explosion of seething color and graphic, linear dimensions, and this Spring, nobody encompasses that better than Marc Jacobs' widely successful diffusion line: Marc by Marc Jacobs.

I adore the way Marc Jacobs is able to infuse bursts of fun, almost juvenile aspects of fashion into his clothing, while maintaining a polished, put-together look that is signature to his name. He has an amazing eye for color too, and the zingy vermillion hue that's woven through this entire collection couldn't be more... Spring-y. This collection was the perfect combination of loud colors (a la Skittles), interesting necklines and hemlines, androgynous chic and of course, the signature Marc Jacobs preppy flair, that each model is undoubtedly drenched in.

Another brand that never fails to completely blow me way is 3.1 Phillip Lim. I just can't get enough of the preppiness of this brand and how well it complements the season. I'm drooling over all the sportswear-chic looks, the tailored pants, and how almost everything looks like it's been soaked in a bucket of tippex (correction fluid used at school and sniffed by the rebels, in case you ask). The stripes, the mild pastel colors and the light summer fabrics make this collection one to die for.

And here's one last set of my favourite looks from a brand I've never really looked into; J Mendel.
I adore their immaculate use of texture and how soft, wispy day-dresses can add a feminine elegance to a rigid arrangement of electrified color. Some of their prints were really interesting and mosaic-y, and I love the elegance that's just piled on to every look.


And that piece on the far left comprised of a pant-leg and a skirt? Now that's ingenious Spring design for you right there; plain and simple.

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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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elie saab.

 Whenever I read that name on a page of a glossy magazine, delightful images of sumptuous fabrics and princessy dresses whirl through my head. Elie Saab's designs are the definition of class, elegance and timeless style, and his silhouettes are strictly feminine and complement the feminine figure effortlessly. His Spring 2011 RTW collection consisted of 56 delicious ensembles - it was so difficult to pick my favorites to post on here!

His collection definitely proved to be a success, no different from every single one of his previous shows. The variety within the collection was truly breathtaking, consisting of clean cut blazers, micro dress shorts, voluptuous chiffon dresses and slinky silk cocktail togas. Elie's work is always full of intricate, microscopic detail, and this collection was no exception.