Summertrend Men 2012: The Blues

Oh boy oh boy, we’re having the blues this summer. Well, not literally of course. But for this season blue, the stereotypical boy’s color, is the absolute it-color for men when it comes to their summer wardrobe. Acne, Bottega Veneta, D&G, Viktor&Rolf, Versace, Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent, they all showed us blue on the catwalk. And the good thing is: you have a lot to choose from.

In Milan and Paris we’ve seen the whole spectrum of blue coming by, from very soft and light to ultra dark en mysterious: azure, indigo, ultra marine. Highly popular is the monochromatic look, with a key-role for the suit. The navy suit has became a real wardrobe essential. But designers seem to want to reinvent the classic suit and are experimenting with all the different possibilities and playing with new elements and details, which results in mixing all shades of blue, prints (checks!) and fabrics.

Not really into this monochromatic look? Too much blue for you? No problem, because also two-toned looks are doing well, like blues with a touch of orange, white or with a nice print, like we’ve seen at Dries van Noten and Paul Smith. Because not only is blue a very powerful and beautiful color, but multifunctional too. You can mix it with almost any color, from brights to naturals.

It has never been more fun having the blues, don’t you think?

Eva Dusch

Summertrend 2012: Sugarsweet

Say goodbye to all the color blocking and screaming colors this summer, because it’s time to soften it up a little. It’s absolutely clear that for this summer the great designers were a little nostalgic. They went back in time and got inspired by the late forties and fifties, which results in loads of swirling skirts and dresses, high waists and cat-eye sunglasses. But the title role on the stage definitely goes to the pastel shades.

Pale blue, soft pink, light yellow, white, lilac, mint green: sweet and girly it is.  And you can even wear them all together. For sure, it was Miuccia Prada who had set the tone (and not for the first time) with her Prada ‘sweetness’ collection. But also Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Chloe, Jill Stuart, Christopher Kane, Marni and Yves Saint Laurent showed us their softer side.

With the biggest retailers who picked up this trend right away, it won’t be difficult to create this look yourself. You can take this look to the highest level like Prada does, mixing the ice cream-shades with some stunning embellishments, flower prints and fifties shades. For a more sophisticated and modern look it’s better to choose a streamlined silhouette without any finery or use pastels as an eye catching detail in a white and crispy design.

Eva Dusch

Summertrend Men 2012: Urban Safari

This is one of those trends that we have been seeing for a few seasons now – for both men and women – but knows some small changes every time. And also for this summer many designers seemed to be inspired by the nations of Africa. They are taking us on a trip through the Savanna, North Africa or the wilderness, but they won’t let us go down there without some fine pieces of clothing. After all, you always go in style. And this style defines itself as safari mixed with a touch of urban and western luxury.

The color palette consists of shades like khaki, olive green, white, deep orange and sand colors. And while going into the wilderness you need some comfy and airy clothes, like linen blouses, slouchy cargo’s, multi-pocket shorts, rolled-up pants, long dip-dyed scarves (or those beautiful one with the blue-red plaids at Louis Vuitton), ropy sweaters, raffia bags or hats and some leather sandals. The luxurious touch comes more in terms of animal prints and leather.

And if you’re daring enough and not afraid to show your feminine side as a man, you can even wrap some cloths around your waist. Look who’s the king of the jungle now…

Eva Dusch

Summertrend 2012: (no) eyebrows

They have an underestimated role when it comes to our facial expression, but if we think about it they are hugely important: eyebrows.  For decades this particular part of our face has known some strong trends: very thick, ultra thin, bleached or penciled. And also this summer the eyebrow is playing a star role when it comes to beauty.

It can go two directions. We’ve seen the bleached variant, spotted at Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci and Rick Owens.  A daring look spotted already last season. But mostly spotted is the exaggerated eyebrow, on the catwalk of Donna Karan, Proenza Schouler, Moschino and Max Mara.  They look well framed and brushy but natural, like Hollywood stars Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor back in the days. You can make it even more obvious using a thick eyebrow pencil.

Maybe it’s time to stop plucking your brows and see how this heavy one suits you.

(Eva Dusch)

Summertrend 2012: the wet look

Alexander Wang, Donna Karan, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Thierry Mugler, Giambattista Valli, Chanel,  Prabal Gurung, Yves Saint Laurent. All these designers had the same thing in mind when it came to the hair trend for this season: soaking-wet hair.  It’s one of the biggest hair trends  on the radar for this summer.

For a few seasons it was all about natural hair en easy looks, but for this summer the designers changed course and seemed to be inspired by this grungy-look. The wetter the hair, the better. Make it as shiny and greasy as you can and comb your hair in the front all backwards. You can wear it loose and a bit messy and casual (Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs) or really tight and in a chic sidepart (Chanel).

You have to have some guts to wear your hair like this. But if you do, you might do some shopping now, because this looks requires loads of hair gel.

(Eva Dusch)

Streetstyle Icon: Caroline Issa

A few years ago nobody really knew who she was, except for the fact that this modest woman always looked stunning. Nowadays, Caroline Issa, publisher and fashion director at Tank magazine and Becauselondon, is everywhere. You spot her a thousand times on many blogs and websites, fashion lovers adore her style and all the designers want her front row. In a short amount of time this British lady (but her mother is half Chinese, her father half Lebanese- half Iranian) developed herself as a true streetstyle favorite, just like she is to us. Come to think that Caroline once studied entrepreneurship and strategy, far far away from anything fashion.

So what about her style? She’s no Anna Dello Russo or Lady Gaga. Caroline’s style is way more sophisticated and humble, but still always strong and elegant. She easily manages it to look feminine and sexy without overdressing and she perfectly knows how to translate trends into her own style. She often pairs here outfits with some edgy shades and her famous red lips.  But what she does share with the first named ladies is that she can wear anything, and without losing her own characteristic style. Just take a look…

(Eva Dusch)

Summertrend 2012: embrace your femininity

Blossomed, pencil, pleated, patterned, maxi, mini… For this summer female elegance is all about the skirt. But there’s only one that’s the star of the show this season: the over-the-knee skirt.

The classic skirt with the below-knee hemline, who had his highest point in the fifties, is making a huge comeback this season and has a key-role in many collections. Donna Karan, Burberry, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Celine, Dolce&Gabanna, Chloé, Hermès, they all showed their own version of this evergreen. And the message seems clear: embrace your femininity, which results in body- con, pencil skirts on one hand or wide swing skirts on the other hand. This last one is probably the most popular one: high waisted and blossoming, preferably pleated, pastel colored and made out of silk or cotton.

How to wear it? Combine it with a classic blouse, or some chunky knitwear to give it some more edge. Even a baseball jacket could work, to give it an unusual twist and make it less girly.

Just take a look at these catwalk pictures or at all these women we’ve spotted on the street wearing this classic piece. Enough inspiration, we would say.

(Eva Dusch)

Summertrend 2012: no fuss

Still going strong: minimalism. Although less than previous seasons, minimalistic designs are still doing well on the catwalk these days. While romanticism, femininity and retro glamor is gaining ground in the world of fashion -even designers known for their minimal approach are experimenting with romantic elements-, clean, simple and sculptural shapes are still one of our favorites. Why?  Because we love the strong lines and shapes, the less is more attitude, the daring and uncommon forms, the humbleness and timeless character of the clothing.  Because we adore the strong, boxy jackets at Balenciaga, the clean-cut silhouette at Celine, the pointy shoulders and perfectly fitting, body-hugging dresses at Lanvin and the ultra simple but feminine Jil Sander dresses.

This trend works for almost every woman, no matter size or shape. And all these designers proved once more that minimalistic can be sexy and feminine too. And honestly, they make a great exception between all the girly flowers, pastels and fifties dresses that are already hanging in our closet, don’t you think?

(Eva Dusch)

Streetstyle-icon: Taylor Tomasi Hill

Taylor Tomasi Hill, no doubt you’ve seen her many times around during fashion month. Or on countless street style blogs, because this American lady, known because of her fierce red hair as for her work as the style and accessories director for US Marie Claire (not anymore though!), has become an absolute favorite of many streetstyle photographers and a real style- icon for many fashion lovers. And rightly so, because although she has a really distinctive style (feminine but always with an edgy and playful touch to it), you never really know what to expect from her. But one thing’s for sure: she has some fine taste.

Taylor describes herself as a ‘clothing chameleon’ (there’s truly no better word for it), because her style is evolving all the time, which keeps her interesting for all the photographers. Effortlessly, she mixes very feminine pieces with more mannish elements.

Last year she has left her post at Marie Claire and became the brand new artistic director for the retail site Moda Operandi in New York, so luckily we keep seeing her around during the fashion weeks, because she’s a true pleasure to watch and get inspired by.  Just take a look at some of her most stunning outfits…

(Eva Dusch)

Summertrend 2012: Crisp White

Between the cloud burst of pastels and heavy prints, there’s another huge trend we cannot ignore this season: white.  It’s the color of innocence, softness and purity, but it ain’t all that for this summer.  This season we see the classic non- color in many different variations and shades. A whole bunch of designers try to give it a modern twist, by using it in a minimalistic way, presenting all-white looks in strong lines and shapes. Like the sculpted skirts, dresses and coats at Jil Sander and Celine.

Or what about crisp white mixed with sporty elements? They always make a great combination. Alexander Wang, Vera Wang and Stella McCartney showed us once more how and why these two work very well together, using airy, casual fabrics and loose-fitting forms. Or like Sportmax, showing a drawstring waist.

Others used this particular essence of white just so to emphasize the feminine en softness of their collection, like Louis Vuitton, John Galliano, Chloé and Emilio Pucci, showing dresses with gentle lines in white lace, tulle and brocade.

Which style do you prefer?

(Eva Dusch)

« Previous Page — Next Page »