Trend Report SS2011: Bikini Proof

Ok, maybe you’re still working on your perfect bikini body. But hey, that doesn’t mean you cannot take a look at the new swimwear trends. Besides having the perfect bikini/swimsuit in mind, might be an extra motivation to reach your summer proof body.

And when it comes to this year’s swimwear there’s more than enough to choose from. A new trend seems to be the blending of day wear and swimwear. Cause some swimsuits (like the woolen ones at Michael Kors) look more like tops and bikini’s are becoming part of an outfit.

At Blugirl, Barbara Bui, Tommy Hilfiger, Iceberg and Marc Jacobs swimsuits and bikini’s were mixed and matched with daywear pieces. (So it’s actually cool if your blouse reveals just a small part of your bikini top.)

Luxurious bathing suits are still hot too. Especially the ones with the sexy cutouts. Whether they’re meant to stroll around or actually hit the water is not sure, but you’ll definitely look damn sexy!

Trend Report SS2011: Ballerina Chic

The movie Black Swan was a major succes. Not only in the cinemas, but on the catwalk too. All of a sudden the ballerina look was everywhere. At Chanel sheer skirts (just over the knee) were paired with tight bodies in shades of black and light pink. At Celine we saw nude-colored, ultra thin, pleated skirts and tops. Zac Posen combined lace and feathers in a ballerina kind of way. Erdem was all about the ballet shoes and Jason Wu and Oscar de la Renta showed us some big (feather) skirts.

All looks in which you could hit a ballet class in style, yet also outfits to be worn on a night out. Just practice some more on your body movements and… en pointe!

Trend Report SS2011: Floral Fixation

Since spring is in the air we’re starting a new round of trend reports. From now on you’ll find new trend reports on our blog every week. And we can’t wait to show you all the hottest new designs. We kick of with one of the big summer trends, floral prints….

Whether bright & bold (D&G, Etro) or subtle and pastel colored (Blugirl, Alberta Ferretti) you’ll never feel dull wearing some floral prints. The flower power print makes up for a romantic and feminine look and comes in tons of variations from roses, to poppies and from sunflowers to violets.

Dolce & Gabbana already proved there’s no limit to how you can use the floral print. The designers showed bright florals on playsuits, head scarves, summer tops and maxi dresses. They even decorated the whole show area with real flowers!

Of course the flower power trend is a big hit every spring, yet we’re starting to see more and more variations of the print, which, if you dare, can be worn together all at once!

Christophe Decarnin leaves Balmain

Balmain is parting ways with Christophe Decarnin, the designer who transformed the dusty old fashion house into a red hot label, coveted by jet-set party girls worldwide. The Paris-based house made the announcement Wednesday, but did not give any details about the reasons behind the decision.
Rumors about Decarnin’s health have swirled since the shy designer failed to appear for a bow after his fall-winter 2011-12 ready-to-wear show last month. At the time, a spokesman for the house dismissed rumors that he was in a mental hospital, saying that he was resting on doctor’s orders.

Decarnin, the mastermind behind Balmain’s now-hallmark peaked-shouldered jackets and ultra-minidresses, joined Balmain in 2005. He came out of nowhere to head the house and with every collection he did for Balmain, sales doubled.  So who and what did Decarnin have to thank for all the success?

– The supercool girls. Balmain has become the label of the supercool girls. The girls in London and Paris who work as assistants at fashion magazines, design studios and P.R. firms, or who have some terrific family-tree connections they swing from. They’re 21 or 22 years old.  Julia Restoin Roitfeld wears Balmain. So does Charlotte Casiraghi, a daughter of Princess Caroline.

– French Vogue. French Vogue has had a lot to do with Decarnin’s success. He said himself in an interview with NY Times. Roitfeld and her daughter wore Balmain to the Cannes Film Festival. And Roitfeld and her lieutenants Emmanuelle Alt and Marie-Amélie Sauvé — have taken this relatively isolated man and molded him in the image of French Vogue.

– France. The clothes are unmistakenly French. Or like Cathy Horyn of the NY Times put it: “If I see young Bardots and Birkins bobbing around St.-Tropez half naked, I’ve seen precisely what he wants me to see. In their cut and fit, in their energy and implacably dirty sex appeal, these clothes could not have come from anywhere else but France — and not even France but Paris.”

– The sky-high prices. A pair of jeans or a cotton T-shirt cost about a 1000 euro, while a beaded jacket can cost more than 10.000 euro. It’s almost offensive. Decarnin said the prices reflect the quality of workmanship and fabrics, as well as the company’s limited structure. But those high prices might also be part of the message: my stuff costs a lot.

But why did it took so long to become successful? According to Emanuelle Alt – a long time fan and stylist of his shows – Decarnin has the talent, but is too shy.  “If you always stay in the shadows and don’t have the connections, it’s more difficult. Some people have a lot less talent, but they push themselves and go out and meet people.’’ Decarnin said he never goes to clubs.

Well, fashion in the street owns a lot to his trashy collections. Looking back, you see the streetwise girls took his punky, rock chick-style, with skinny jeans, T-shirts en fringed boots. Also: the revival of the strong shoulder and the fitted jacket. Even the long, bohemian flowerdresses he did in one of his early collections dominate the coming summer-fashion – although we have to thank Dolce & Gabbana for that too.

Watch a video about the last collection of Christophe Decarnin for Balmain:

Round Up Paris FW2011

There was nothing girly on the catwalks in Paris during the fall 2011-presentations. In fact, it was a very mature look: elegant, dressed-up and in control. Collections that moved from 30’s to 60’s. Strict tailoring created sober and understated silhouettes and the bold sculpturing reminded us more then once of former Balenciaga collections. Apart from these ‘heritage collections’ with their disciplined sobriety there was sheer doom and gloom. As if Paris sensed darker emotions this season compared to New York, Milan and London. We were delighted to meet sudden touches of glam, an unexpected hint of glitter, adventurous flashes of plastic and a single humorous touch.

GEOMETRIC

Lot’s of graphic, androgynous suiting plus black and white blocking. YSL fused rigorous elegance to masculine flair.

HAUTE BOURGEOIS

Prim suits and proper coordinates. Miu Miu more elegant then ever which confirmed the trend for a more grown up and dressed up look.

SOBRIETY: Minimalism to be continued. Precious sober looks, precise, careful and well balanced.

MINIMALISM

At Celine – where sobriety was conceived, there was this constant feel for minimalism: understated sensible shapes that made her simple fur coats look extravagant. She signs for another season of flawless and streamlined urban uniform dressing.

MODERN GLAM

The look that inspired us most. Where doom and gloom, from grunge to Goth, proved itself as a genuine Paris catwalk trend, Haider Ackerman turned it into a feasible and desirable inspiration. Glamorous in precious jewel shades, wrapped and draped generously in fluid silks.

Stylespot is a collaboration with Stijlinstituut Amsterdam.

Miu Miu Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Miu Miu show was about Modern Glamour according to Miucca Prada. The glamour of  discreet dresses, with wide shoulders, sometimes bulked up with fur and decorated with glittering flora and fauna. The sparkle was matched by glittering shoes.

Louis Vuitton Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

Well, that was quite a show at Louis Vuitton this morning. Marc Jacobs was in the mood for some strong mistresses. The inspiration seem to come from the movie Night Porter. But according to Marc Jacobs explanation the inspiration came form the obsession people have for Loui Vuitton-bags etc. “The definition is an unreasonable obsession with objects or things. Which is sometimes Vuitton bags” he told WWD.

So it was extravagance to the max, with an 18-karat gold handbag cuffed to a girl’s wrist. There was a retro, hotel-inspired elevator bank that rose from the floor below and were the models started out. Almost everyone carried bags, not all in gold, but in python, harlequin-cut shearling, embroidered monogram rubber.
Python came lacquered; fake fur, waxed; guipure lace, made to look like plastic. There was lots of see through, and also  rubberized, plasticized and waxed fabrics with police-hats, silk-stockings, jodhpurs. But also more wearable clothes like  tweed coats and jackets taken from men’s classics which were reshaped into hourglasses and sleek sweaters.

Alexander McQueen Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Alexander McQueen-collection was an ode to The Ice Queen and her Court. Sarah Burton – who’s talent and character keeps the McQueen-house alive and kicking – gave her heroines a colorless faces and small, metal-covered heads.  She build the collection slowly, using white, black and lilac and a very McQueen silhouette. It was molded, strong, and sometimes fitted like a harness. To avoid a too tough and edgy impression Burton tempered it wit hand-made silk and wool tweeds with litlle pieces of  mink and fox.

Other beautiful fabrics were checked and studded velvets and organza, and really stunning were  two dresses with body’s  made entirely from mosaics of broken bone china plates. The evening gowns were just breathtaking.

Valentino Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The new Valentino is not red anymore, but a variation on nudes and blushes, a fitted dress with flared skirt and long sleeves, sometimes short, sometimes longer.
The fall-collection looked pretty and ladylike, wearable, cleaner and also sportier. There was a Sixties cut in the dresses,  jackets and swingy skirts but more casual. Designers Chiuri and Piccioli introduced also deeper colors, like navy and oxblood on fur coats and leather trench-coats. The sheer silk tops,  pleated skirts and long, slim evening-gowns were done in lighter colors and fabrics.

Chanel Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The Chanel-show and -collection gave the audience a post-apocalyptic feeling. The smoking lava, the gray and black painting and music by The Cure all added this dark touch to the clothes.

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