Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Vogue UK S/S 2008 Forecast

Dolly Jones sums up the trends for Spring/Summer 2008, in her article for Vogue UK.com...

THE TRENDS: SPRING/SUMMER 2008

MARY, Mary, how does your garden grow? With Stella's prints and Dries' silks and all-in-ones all in a row... For spring/summer 2008, if the likes of Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana are to be believed, all out raunch is out in favour of natural, pretty innocence that is just as alluring but unselfconsciously so. And all the summer loving is going take place outside. The world's foremost designers double as eco warriors these days, with gardens strewn across catwalks and flowers smothering their collections from silken heels to bustled chiffon roses at the waist and shoulder to a plethora of springtime prints in between. Add a smattering of dots to your wardrobe – either a dark, moody fade-away polka dot from Givenchy or cheerful coral-on-white from Giles at Daks, and spoil yourself with plenty of party dresses – halter necks with full, knee-length skirts, slinky silk jersey ones with a single strap – everybody from Diane Von Furstenberg to Alber Elbaz at Lanvin wants to see at least one shoulder next season – to ruffled up, scrunched up, smocked and ruched chiffon. Colours were prettily pastel at Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane and Nathan Jenden in London, but starbursts of fruity orange, lemon and eyepopping fuchsia woke up audiences the world over. The length? Midi still has it, either full or drawn in to pencil. The trouser? Tailored beautifully to just above the ankle (Lanvin, Todd Lynn, Nina Ricci for starters), or, of course, drop waisted in a modern dhoti style. The bag? They're still big and their best in multicolour from Stella or Louis Vuitton but if it's a little clutch you're after go for a notebook style in pink python from Chloe. A touch of fringing wouldn't go amiss next season; brave a jumpsuit – or a shorter playsuit version - our favourite was a pale blue silk one at Nina Ricci – if you dare and add plenty of gold; glittering, liquid shiny or matt, to the mix. Top names to drop? Marios Schwab is still London's leader now that we hear Jonathan Saunders is off to NYC next season, while Dries, Balenciaga and Nina Ricci took the prize for best collections in Paris. McQueen's show was the ticket of the season and YSL, who generated a mixed reaction to a show full of models who could hardly stand, let alone walk in the oh-so-high shoes, in fact wooed with a collection that - on second, closer viewing - was modern, unique and beautiful: grey silk jersey was in fact sweatshirt fabric tailored for evening, up close, and the Perspex that had so offended in the show was quite beautifully built and retro up close. For dress down days next season, grab yourself a retro T-shirt to wear with a silk tailored tulip skirt – it will feel like the best kind of rule breaking. When it comes to shoes, just keep buying (blessed advice): make them big and ridiculous (McQueen double stilts, anyone?) or gorgeous and silk and floral (Dries), but definitely make them attention-grabbing… Our biggest criticism for the season? That designers should edit down their looks to make more impact – so many, from Chloe to Marc by Marc Jacobs, even Christopher Kane would be well advised to make more succinct what they're trying to say to us. With London in the lead for the place to see the biggest new talents and have the most fun at the best parties, it was Paris that had the most jubilant fashion mood – with a rugby victory to raise the mood even higher. But despite the rain in Paris and the late-running, over packed schedule in New York, the spring/summer 2008 fashion atmosphere is a riot of colourful energy: femininity, transparency, couture fabrics treated in couture techniques – and fantastic shoes. Enjoy. (October 9 2007, AM)

Dolly Jones

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