Four fashion weeks in New York, London, Paris and Milan didn’t add up to a single must-have look for spring-summer ‘09.
That might be just good with consumers who, considering the economic situation of recent days, can be in no mood to start their shopping lists for the next season.
Pamela Rolland NYFW, Ashley Isham LFW, Moschino MFW, Louis Vuitton PFW Spring 2009
Designers couldn’t have predicted such a picture when they started creating these collections long before their previews in fashion capitals.
Still, there was a collective movement toward a looser shape compared to the buttoned-up style of fall.
The passing of Yves Saint Laurent in June, the time when many designers were putting together their spring collections, also seemed to have a strong influence, especially in safari and tribal touches.
Designers offer a more toned-down version of the collection to store buyers and those probably give a better sense of what’s to come.
Here’s what has to be considered:
FLESHY COLOURS
John Rocha LFW, Narciso Rodriguez NYFW and Blumarine MFW Spring 2009
light grey, white colours as well as flesh and sand tints are becoming popular. The models on the catwalk weren’t necessarily showing a lot of skin. They looked sexy despite that.
A steady parade of nude colours looked pretty ecxiting.
Paris Fashion week Alena Akhmadullina Spring 2009
Mix of yellow and orange was interesting. And these flesh tones weren’t used to complement delicate, romantic pieces as much as strong, futuristic looks.
ASSYMETRIC STYLE
House of Holland and Fashion Fringe London Fashion Week Spring 2009
This time designers created outfits with one shoulder only. Most of the models were wearing evening gowns of this asymmetric style. But it was also presented with more casual, shorter silhouettes.
Versace Milan Fashion Week and Elie Saab Paris Fashion Week Spring 2009
The new style creates a longer, leaner appearance; sometimes, though, the outfit just looks askew.
CORSETS
Tight corsets are fashionable again. Corsets were featured in old-school cocktail dresses and playful rompers. Bra tops were also adopted.
Corsets by Carolina Herrera (left) and Betsey Johnson (right) New York Fashion Week Spring 2009
Dolce & Gabbana’s bra dresses will be very popular among customers who prefer something with a fitted shape to a flowing silhouette.
Dolce & Gabbana bra dresses
TROPICAL COLOURING
Prada and Cavalli spring 2009 Milan Fashion Week
There was a clear tropical influence on the clothes for spring/summer 2009. Tangerine orange and pink, together with ocean blues, were presented in large amounts.
Etro spring 2009 Milan Fashion Week
TREMENDOUSLY HIGH HEELS
Dior Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2009
Very high heels have become an alternative to a flat summertime-sandal and the ballet slipper.
The shoes on the runway had towering heels, tough-girl styling and sometimes seemingly unstable architecture. The models seemed to experience some difficulty in making it down the runway.
Yves Saint Laurent, John Gallianos and Vivienne Westwood shoes
The high heels are perfect to look at but working in them might be hard.
More about Milan Fashion week shoes trends >>
YSL has strange shoes.
John Gallianos’s heels my favorite!
Versace and Elie Saab made so beautiful dresses!