Cover Story
Sanguine wraps have us falling head over heels.
Seamless head-to-toe draping were seen across runways, from Saint Laurent’s twisted and hooded columnar dresses or Alaia’s modern cloaks to Ferragamo’s cowls that transition into tube dresses. From the top, falling into deep Vs, and softly gathered folds, the season’s speaks of a desire to cocoon within the refinement of a polished silhouette.
Wear Your Greens
Trust us when we say super greens are essential to a healthy, nod-to-nature wardrobe.
Pantone may have announced Viva Magenta as its color of the year—but the runway’s hue of choice begs to differ. Consistent on designers’ roster of spring-summer offerings is one striking shade: lime green. The highlighter hue figured on a three-piece set at Elie Saab, sculptural crop bustier at Collina Strada, and high-low goddess frock at Michael Kors. Italian house Fendi and Japanese label CFCL offer a subdued tone with see-through layers and porcelain white accents. Aliette and Etro lean into the shade’s deeper spectrum via an asymmetric billowy dress and bodycon two-piece. The color of now is a celebration of summer’s full-fledged return to the great outdoors.
Denim Refresh
How does one reconstruct a two-centuries-old fabric? Today’s designers show us the way.
On the runway, denim gets re-energized with textural evolutions from prints, studs, deconstructions, and reconstructions. Silhouettes ran the range from dresses to gowns to separates to coordinates. Name a shape, and denim this season has probably done it. Blumarine’s collection presents a number of full looks in a faded warm-toned wash, but the star of the show was metal studs emblazoned in designs across the whole collection. Burberry revitalizes indigo by melding it with monotoned lace giving a more tactile feel. At Diesel, imperfection is the goal with distressed edges and frayed fringes. Says creative director Glenn Martens, “The piece is supposed to look ‘broken’ so that you can live with it forever.”
Blown up blooms
A new breed of blossoms go big.
A sartorial garden takes root on the runway, with blooms big on impact. Blown-up anthuriums cleverly molded unto bodices were Loewe’s offering of wearable art. Offbeat details on dresses and floral footwear follow. Richard Quinn’s version were magnified midnight roses, perched as exaggerated brooches or found in a dress disguised as a bouquet. Carolina Herrera’s classic take on cascading blossoms came as shoulder statements, while Prabal Gurung delivers a fresh maximalist arrangement in jeweled-toned fuchsias and magentas. That’s enough reason for us to stop and smell the roses.
