New York, New York!

Today I thought I'd post about four of my favourite shows from New York Fashion Week.

                                                              Ralph Lauren

We were taken back to the 1920's with Lauren's Gatsbyesque s/s12 collection. A dose of masculinity was added to beautiful and romantic feminine materials and cuts. There were silk pyjama trousers and midi skirts that flowed and frolicked with the movement of the models, teamed with loose fitting shirts, floral scarves and heavily fringed bags that were amazing. Materials and textures were also played with, with ostrich collars and throws, silks, intrically embellished flapper dresses and feather trimmed ball gowns all in elegant and pale shades of lemon, salmon, mint green, cream and baby blue. I especially liked the short suits with silk ties, a fun and sexy way of doing work wear. 

Proenza Schouler

The design duo once again created a collection which made my lust list grow dramatically. The exotic and jungle inspired collection experimented heavily with texture and print, hawaiian florals on high waisted knee length skirts and dresses, zebra print trim and panels on structed 1950s style dresses, colour blocking in corals and shocking yellow. In the material department there were raffia, mesh, wood grain heels and eel skin (yes, eel as in the fish) to look like leather. I love the striped white shirt with eel skin pocket and full knee length skirt.

                                                            Alexander Wang

Wang brought the race track to the runway with an elegant nod to New York sportswear. There was mesh galore with pretty much everthing being covered in the fabric from anoraks, dresses and shorts all laden with utility pockets and zippers. It was then some what softened with floral prints and sheer fabrics but even these garments still had a mesh and zipper coating as well as some with leather detailing in a deep burgundy or black. My favourites however were the racing suits which made the models look like a tribe of new-age, speed hungry warriors, all with tribal style prints in rich mulberry, gold, turquoise and orange with perforated leather bandanas. Actually no, it has to be the leather clad biker tribe with burgundy perforated leather jackets or black leather crop tops with sheer sleeves all with matching skirts. I suppose it calls for a fast and furious street race to battle it out to see which Wang tribe is triumphant.

                                                            Prabal Gurung

It's time for my favourite, drum roll please. Prabal Gurung. I have already mentioned my love for him in an earlier post when Rooney Mara wore on his dresses so I had to share with you some of his collection which is beautiful and breath taking. I want every single piece from it. There's dark violets, bold aquas and blacks in florals and fluid, sensual prints. Overt sexuality was seen with peekaboo cut outs showing models waists, hips and thighs and bondage style detailing with black leather and silk cord harnessing on silk dresses. Layering was used in abundance with outlayers of chiffon and appliqued sheers floating over layers of expertly printed silks and other fabrics that were cut and slashed. It's a perfect combination of romantic shapes, materials and print simmering with edgy, dangerous and naughty undertones.

Trends

• Similar to LFW, it's prints galore
• Playing with texture
• Sports wear
• 1920s
• Leather
• Ultra girly
• Androgyny

Going for my meal with the girls tomorrow, so excited and I shall take lots of pictures. Hope you've all had a good start to your weekend.

Love
Jade x

The Big Smoke

I thought I would write four seperate posts each concentrating on the major fashion weeks. They'll feature a few of my favourite shows and what trends we will be seeing in the high street this s/s.

Where better to start than our capital, London.

                                                             Burberry Prorsum

I always love what Christopher Bailey does, he's an absolute genius when it comes to reworking Burberry's beloved trench and this season he's gone all tribal. There's ethnic beading, embellishment,  a mixture of rich earthy and gem colours and exotic patterns. I especially love his take on the parka something thats easy to wear for everyone. Dresses and skirts were all midi length whether a-line or pencil. It wasn't just patterns and beading that were played with but also texture of the outfits with pleating, ruching and plenty of material on skirts to make them billow and create movement. However, I am not sold on the headwear, I can't see my self rocking a peaked bobble hat but who knows.

                                                               Christopher Kane

Kane also used a lot of print work with his collection but rather than tribal he went floral, from multicoloured pansies floating in sheer grey fabric, electric blue structured skirts and dresses and pale organic coloured vintage style flowers on pretty much everything else. A lot of the fabrics had an iridescent, high shine effect to them which made them look rich and luxurious. This time the length was once again midi but also super short with beautiful mosiac style print shorts and mini skirts and dresses with slits enabling thigh, chest and hips to be seen.  My favourite is the daringly cut origami esque brocade dress pictured above with the stomach flashing peep hole. However, I am not to keen on the footwear, I'm all for a flat shoe but I just find these ugly paired with such gorgeous clothes not right.

                                                                       Erdem

Yet again more vibrant prints flooded the catwalk at Erdem. He's been a huge favourite of mine for a while with his mixture of ultra feminine prints on androgynous clothing it's right up my street. He once again went floral like Kane but this time clashed them seen on the trouser/shirt outfit above which I adore. He covered his designs in a breath taking variety of of dreamy prints, it was something that should have come from the Secret Garden. They covered pleated full skirts, flowing ball gowns, super cute hot pants, shirts and straight legged ankle skimming trousers. He also used lace to create romantic but sexy floor skimming gowns, all in pale colours of nude and lilac. There's literally not one outfit that I wouldn't want to get my hands on, it's just all so lovely and is making me want to throw an Erdem inspired tea party when the sun comes out.

                                                           Mary Katrantzou

Exuberant digital prints were awash here, eye wateringly bright florals and tribal patterns made me think of a coral reef deep and hidden in some exotic ocean. Some of the dresses even featured aquatic prints with shocking turquoise blue oceans filled with silver fish. Trouser suits and asymmetric dresses dominated this show each flooded with lime, aqua, yellow and red marbled and block coloured. There were heavily structured evening style shift dresses with fluid crepe trails, there were cut out shoulders and a mixture of different fabrics used from pvc to even scraps of metals for the finale. I love the two dresses featured above, the strict structure kept fun and extremely interesting with the mesmerising print. I'm not to keen on the blue lipstick though, the models look incredible in it but not sure how my local highstreet would take to me in it.

Trends

• Prints-whether floral or tribal as long as they're bright and clashing
• Structured dresses
• Midi length-keep it full, pleated or textured
• Cut out shoulders-the erogenous zone for this season

Hope you've all had a lovely start to the weekend.

Love
Jade x