Text: Anthony Mirtopolous; Editor: Denis Desro

RETRO

From left to right: Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2012; Erdem S/S 2012; Christopher Kane S/S 2012

Pretty is as pretty does. Spring fashion is all about the optimistic spirit of the ’50s and ’60s, with impeccably polished feminine styles that look oh so chic—straight out of an episode of Mad Men.

Key pieces Skirts, from full, pleated and past the knee at Prada to longer-lined pencil at Aquilano.Rimondi; demure, fit-and-flare dresses at Erdem; and print T-shirt and short sets at Christopher Kane.

Accessories Baroque jewellery, rhinestone earrings and necklaces, veiled chapeaux, gloves and pointy pumps in pastel shades.

Favourite collections Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Jil Sander and Erdem.

SHIRTS

From left to right: Givenchy S/S 2012; Céline S/S 2012; Aquilano.Rimondi S/S 2012

Short- or long-sleeved, tucked in or left out, layered or on its own, the classic shirt—this season’s must—has been transformed into everything from a basic button-down staple to an austere, form-fitting shirtdress.

Key pieces The shirtdress, either belted at Céline or tailored at Jil Sander.

Accessories Buttoned-up-to-the-neck styling creates a sleek, spartan look, so avoid flashy extras. But do cinch your waist with a belt, carry a leather envelope bag and finish it off with strappy sandals.

Favourite collections Céline, Aquilano.Rimondi and Dries Van Noten.

YELLOW

From left to right: Louis Vuitton S/S 2012; D&G S/S 2012; Lanvin S/S 2012

Spring’s top colour spins the happy wheel in every shade: highlighter and saffron at Sonia Rykiel, butter and jonquil at Marc Jacobs and Hussein Chalayan, mustard at Burberry Prorsum, sunflower at Louis Vuitton and lemon at Donna Karan. Dare you not to smile!

Key pieces The yellow openwork coat with contrasting lacy Peter Pan collar at Louis Vuitton and the asymmetrical satin dress with pinned pleats at Lanvin.

Accessories Tan-coloured extras look best with these shades of sunshine for a cool, balanced style.

Favourite collections Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, D&G and Versace.

ATHLETIC

From left to right: Donna Karan S/S 2012; Stella McCartney S/S 2012; Alexander Wang S/S 2012

Maybe it’s the upcoming Olympics in London, but designers definitely got their game on by working athletic references—perforated mesh, drawstring details, hooded anoraks and track pants—with volume-focused tailoring for movement on and off the courts.

Key pieces The high-waisted pants with orange tuxedo stripes at Gucci and the sexy race-car intarsia knits in yellow, white and red at Alexander Wang. 

Accessories Wear large-framed glasses in techno colours, cover up in an oversized, lightweight bomber jacket and, for the girl who wants to take it all with her, don’t forget the gym bag or backpack.

Favourite collections Michael Kors, Alexander Wang and Stella McCartney.

We’ve curated three more trends you must try for Spring 2012, on the next page…

OPENWORK

From left to right: Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2012; Louis Vuitton S/S 2012; Dries Van Noten S/S 2012

It’s all in the details. Traditional couture craftsmanship played with a variety of patterns, bringing 3-D textures to life: crochet at Chloé, guipure at Dolce & Gabbana, Chantilly lace at Miu Miu, broderie anglaise at Prada and swirls of corded embroidery at Stella McCartney.

Key pieces We just love, love, love Proenza Schouler’s black backless macramé dress and Alberta Ferretti’s tiered version in white.

Accessories Want to add a more free-spirited, boho vibe to your crocheted dress? Just pile on gold jewellery, from oversized chandelier earrings to sculpted bangles and charm bracelets.

Favourite collections Proenza Schouler, Alberta Ferretti, Chloé and Stella McCartney.

PRINTS

From left to right: Burberry Prorsum S/S 2012; D&G S/S 2012; Dries Van Noten S/S 2012

After witnessing an eye-popping explosion of prints on the runways, we can definitely say that more is more. Dries Van Noten, the ultimate mixmaster, collaged patterns of 17th-century botanical etchings, jungle scenes and seascapes—all in one outfit! Also, watch for digitally designed floral, geometric, paisley, Vichy, tribal, Hawaiian, wallpaper and foulard motifs for maximum impact.

Key pieces Devilishly decadent snake-print dresses rocked at Lanvin, and we simply adored the delicious oversized vegetables being served at Dolce & Gabbana.

Accessories Let the prints do the talking and keep extras quiet.

Favourite collections Burberry Prorsum, Lanvin, Marni and Dolce & Gabbana.

WHITE

From left to right: Givenchy S/S 2012; Jil Sander S/S 2012; Alberta Ferretti S/S 2012

Wipe the slate and make it official: White is hot! Alabaster, ivory, cream, vanilla, cloud, pearl and talc are the perfect complement to this season’s fabric finishes and textures: shiny silks at Dries Van Noten, cotton canvas at Céline and delicate chiffon with lasered leather at Givenchy.

Key pieces Safari jackets with full, rounded sleeves at Céline, tops with cascading ruffles at Givenchy and uniform-inspired cotton shirtdresses at Jil Sander.

Accessories The newest thing in all-white dressing? Create a contrast by accessorizing with a black bag and sandals.

Favourite collections Givenchy, Chanel, Jil Sander and Céline.

We round out our Trend Report with our final three trends on the next page…

TRIBAL

From left to right: Marni S/S 2012; Michael Kors S/S 2012; Bottega Veneta S/S 2012

Faraway travels, endless golden savannahs and African crafts inspired an array of ethnic touches, from animal prints, exotic skins and safari themes to embroidered beading, hand dyeing, crochet and raffia extras.

Key pieces The graphic woven-raffia dress at Proenza Schouler and the one-shouldered brush-stroke-print dress at Donna Karan.

Accessories Lots of sandals with fringed straps and embroidered, ethnic-print clutches.

Favourite collections Donna Karan, Proenza Schouler, Bottega Veneta and Michael Kors.

PASTELS

From left to right: Louis Vuitton S/S 2012; Marc Jacobs S/S 2012; Louis Vuitton S/S 2012

If bold and bright is just too loud, follow fashion’s romantic fling with sweet pastels and delicate, powdery hues—blush pink, baby blue, mint green, jonquil yellow and cloudy beige—for a soft and dreamy mood.

Key pieces The Louis Vuitton collection had us swooning over frothy, candy-coloured girlie confections in organza, lace and feathers.

Accessories Colour-blocked bags and patent-leather pumps or mules in spun-sugar hues.

Favourite collections Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent and Chloé.

PLEATS

From left to right: Aquilano.Rimondi S/S 2012; Prada S/S 2012; Bottega Veneta S/S 2012

This season’s hottest detail plays with volume, creating a sense of ease and luxury. Shapes skimmed, flowed and fell away from the body in sculptured leather pleats at Céline, fluid sunray effects at Chloé and irregular organza Fortuny folds at Alexander McQueen. It was even the principal theme at Prada.

Key pieces Plissé pleated cotton skirts at Prada played on the structure and movement of a folding fan, while richly coloured bias-cut draping at Bottega Veneta evoked images of Madame Grès’ Grecian goddesses.

Accessories Accentuate your curves with a belt worn high, and remember that walking in towering heels will definitely pump up the swish-and-sweep factor.

Favourite collections Prada, Bottega Veneta and Aquilano.Rimondi.

Read more:
How to wear the transparency trend
Spring/Summer 2012 fashion trend: Sportwear
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