Spring and summer: The fashionista’s dream

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Published on Tuesday, 27 September 2011 07:55

Written by Sakhi Gcina

The Spring/Summer season in the fashion industry is a highly anticipated period for designers, fashion journalists, fashion bloggers, stylists and any fashion enthusiast of society. This is because fashion in this season is versatile and the lifestyle that the weather permits makes it exciting.

It’s a critical environment for any designer who wants to have a reputable career to showcase his ready-to-wear line at this month-long extravaganza. It’s immense pressure to not only impress the critics but also gain recognition from the general public is imperative in the industry. Editors of fashion magazines have to ensure that only the best trends, which the public can choose to follow if they are satisfactory, are displayed.

This year it began with New York Fashion Week (NYFW) on 8 September followed by London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, culminating on 30 October with Tokyo Fashion Week.

NYFW was disappointing overall and it is interesting to note that the designers that have made a lasting impression are the relatively new ones, surpassing those already established and revered.

For instance, Marc Jacobs, designer for Louis Vuitton, rumoured to be soon moving to Dior, was seemingly a great choice to headline the event as he is an innovative creative force, but he failed to deliver a range that was wearable outside the context of a fancy dress party. His jazzy, 1930s-inspired outfits were out of place in a down-played, ready-to-wear environment.

Victoria Beckham, who was nominated for designer brand of the year at the Britain Fashion Awards and is known for cutting edge designs, opted for a style less reminiscent of her by having solid A-line dresses with knee-high leather boots. Although the cuts complemented the female form well they seemed too maternity-wear.

DKNY, Carolina Herrera and Tommy Hilfiger presented bland collections that were preppy and elitist, and the less said about Betsy Johnson’s trashy, made-for-strippers style, the better.

Ralph Lauren was the one designer who showcased his looks for the upcoming film The Great Gatsby brilliantly and with opulence, but it was made for a mature demographic; it could not work for everyone. 

Jason Wu, Zac Posen, Phillip Lim, Parabul and Alexander Wang are the designers who were refreshing and got tongues wagging. Their collections displayed exotic prints that were paired with chiffon blouses, high-waisted pants and shorts, embellished collars and structured skirts. 

There was a combination of minimalism, which was done with a perfectionist’s execution, and pale pastel colour-blocking. These are designers, consistent in their efforts, developing a style unique to their brands.

London once again revived the fashion industry and continues to be a source of innovation and creativity, something New York fashion failed to do. The English capital did, after all, give us the great Alexander McQueen. 

The collections from Mary Katrantzou, London Temperly, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll, Erdem, Mathew Williamson and Burberry Prosum are fun and uninhibited: colours range from orange, fuchsia, aqua blue, canary yellow and lime.   The designers have made an outstanding impression with some shows leaving journalists crying over the beauty of it all.  

Floral, coral and digitised prints and a pastel colour palette have been the ubiquitous choice across the board. The biggest distinguishing factor that New York Fashion Week lacked was quality and execution. 

Chiffon, silk and satin were the preferred fabrics and jacquard and damask prints were a favourite but the trend that had journalists feeling euphoric was the tribal print. The African influence was conspicuous through feathered headdresses, turbans, sarongs, woven raffia, wooden, multi-coloured neckpieces, beaded jewellery and snakeskin accessories.

Our own South African designers Stiaan Louw, Heni, and Laduma Ngxokolo, who presented the acclaimed MaXhosa knitwear, were on par the international standard.

LFW has not disappointed and the fashion industry can be satisfied with what was on offer. Looks like Milan and Paris have a high standard to meet.