The Old Guard looked new again at Jil Sander in Milan.

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1 T H E F A S H I O N G R O U P F O U N D A T I O N P R E S E N T S S P R I N G / S U M M E R T R E N D O V E R V I E W B Y M A R Y L O U L U T H E R N E W Y O R K L O N D O N M I L A N P A R I S SAINT LAURENT PARIS CHRISTIAN DIOR As the 13 white wind turbines that towered over the Chanel runway in Paris Grand Palais seemed to verify, the winds of change are blowing over fashion. With new designers now helming the venerable fashion houses of Christian Dior (Raf Simons, ex of Jil Sander) and Saint Laurent Paris (Hedi Slimane s rename for Yves Saint Laurent), there s a big changing-of-the-guard movement obvious on and off spring runways. (The biggest post-runway guard change is, of course, the Nicolas Ghesquière/Balenciaga breakup and conjecture about the future of the designer, the brand and the designer replacement.) The Old Guard looked new again at Jil Sander in Milan. The New Guard scored importantly at Proenza Schouler, where Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez set new standards in leather artistry. And the Next Guard looked promising with Creatures of the Wind designers Shane Gabier and Chris Peters, Ostwald Helgason, Brandon Sun, Tanya Taylor and Marissa Webb in New York, J. W. Anderson in London, Stella Jean in Milan and Anthony Vaccarello in Paris.

2 One of the surest signs of change ahead is the new comfort factor. Ease has replaced squeeze. Waistlineskimming shifts outnumber curve-following sheaths, A-line dresses are kind to hips, jackets are roomier, skirts fan out and pajamas now compete with narrowminded pants. It s as if the 40- something designers now guarding the industry have decided to make clothes for women, not for fashion. Key looks include the kimono, wrap jackets and origami folding. Prada s Japanese STELLA MCCARTNEY PROVA inspirations, Haider Ackermann s Asian overtures and Cedric Charlier s samurais look destined to inspire new uprisings from the Land of the Rising Sun. The pairing of opposites has been an ongoing story for several seasons, but for spring, the dichotomies seem even stronger. Black/white, Man/Woman, Print/Solid, Sheer/Opaque, Beaded/Plain, Short/Long, Pale/Bright, Dressy/Casual, Stilettos/Flats, Big Totes/Small Minaudières, Graphics/Florals, Geometry/Photography. The color story switched quite dramatically from the brights in New York, London and Milan to the whispery pastels and vaporous pales of Paris. In addition to the above-mentioned black- and-whites, pure, unadulterated white opened many shows (that means designers really believe in it), black remained a somewhat surprising presence, given the season, and red lit the fire of designers on both sides of the Atlantic. In between, the ascendant shades are green, blue, yellow, orange and rust, all nuanced in many tints and hues. Rick Owens, the designer known for his inky blacks and dark grays, stepped out of the Goth world he helped to invent RALPH LAUREN NARCISO RODRIGUEZ 2

3 DEREK LAM CÉLINE into cloud-like tonalities of gray and beige a kind of cross between barbaric-light, other-worldly enchanting and totally, captivatingly new. Of all the signs of femininity ahead, the blouse is tops. Picture an easy white satin shirt-cum-tunic by Phoebe Philo for Céline, who started the current blouse phenomenon. Now segue to a one-sleeve white silk blouse, its armhole strewn with a vertical ruffle, as at Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy. Then add some of his shirts in her fabrics (satin is a sex-changer) and some wondrously proportioned tunics and you will understand why tops are at the top of the fashion charts. Shorts look newer than minis for spring. Yeohlee scores highest with metallic linen shorts, cut on the bias below a metallic linen top with white silk satin organdy squares. The ruffle that decorated the Givenchy blouse also curled and unfurled on skirts and dresses at Balenciaga, where Ghesquière paid tribute to Cristobal Balenciaga and his Spanish roots. Vertical ruffles look especially modern at Gucci, where Frida Giannini takes them to new highs, at Ralph Lauren, where the senoritas crossed the border into fashion, and at Bradley Scott, who created either/or ruffles horizontal or vertical, take your pick. YEOHLEE Technology made news at Diane Von Furstenberg, who introduced Google Glass frames with built-in screens that enable the Internet, an Android operating system, motion sensors, GPS and camera. The other techno triumph came from Way Zen of JSong, who embroidered tank tops with scan-able QR Codes. 3

4 The not-so-plain geometry of the season includes stripes of every stripe, checks of every denomination and some of the most inventive graphics since Victor Vasarely fathered the op art movement. Ackermann s geometrics included such fusions as a black and white striped jacket over a black and white triangle-patterned top over black pants with vertical patterns of black and white squares and circles. The stripes Marc Jacobs created for his New York collection and the checks he mated for Louis Vuitton in Paris are out-ofthe-box, neo, neo, neo geos. Do the math! In addition, Oscar de la Renta took stripes to the ball. Consuelo Castiglioni endorsed two different checks in one outfit. And Michael Kors optimized checks in optical versions as well as inlays. LOUIS VUITTON Dries Van Noten, whose stamp on the world of prints and print melding is indelible, said he had left the world of digital prints a world he helped to propagate in favor of traditional screen prints. Enter the plaid, Van Noten-style. Taking it out of its Scottish roots, Van Noten transformed what was once a symbol of grunge to a new kind of post-seattle chic. Of all the new floral prints now blooming, Miuccia Prada s Japanese telling daisies and blown-away dandelions are hothouse hot. In the conversational category, Mary Katrantzou s stamps and bank notes, and Proenza Schouler s photos of crowd scenes and kids in a pool cut into bias bands and stitched diagonally across the torso are montages to remember. In the category of what designers do to fabrics to make them look new and difficult to copy Joanna Mastroianni s handshredded, hand-shirred and hand-beaded silk organzas are hand-clapping handiworks of haute.. DRIES VAN NOTEN 4

5 Amazing, too, are Derek Lam s Lurex mesh pullovers with skirts fronted in laser-cut foil sequins. The backs of the skirts are plain, so you don t have to crush the paillettes when you sit. Chado Ralph Rucci s coral braided leather twinset and his topography feathered twinset are genuine works of art. Rodriguez laminated wood paillettes and Francisco Costa s swirling optical patterned embroideries for Calvin Klein are also imaginative. GIVENCHY Transparency. We want it in government. And now we want it in clothes and accessories. Handbags included, especially those at Gucci. The new cloud cover ranges from veiled dresses, skirts and lingerie (the see-through to bras is a trendlet) to printed sheers that show through to solids. Van Noten veils His plaid shirt and bias plaid pants in Her diaphany. Klein, Christopher Kane and Peter Dundas at Emilio Pucci also go tulle-ing around in style. In a season where casual evenings take the pomp out of circumstance, get ready for sweaters atop ballgown skirts or long gleaming metallics. And don t miss Ackermann s take on ease, Nipponese, a kimono-as-coat involved trilogy. The strapless, first designed by Chicago-born Mainbocher in 1934 during his Paris years, is once again the neckline of the moment. Alber Elbaz at Lanvin has some remarkable examples. So do Dior, Chanel, Betsey Johnson and Don O Neill for Theia. In this season of him-forher, the tuxedo is smoking. Credit Yves Saint Laurent with creating the first woman s tuxedo with his le smoking of Then credit Slimane for his spring tux redux at Saint Laurent Paris. Of all the many versions tuxedos with skirts, tuxedos without sleeves, tuxedos with one lapel, tuxedo dresses credit Elbaz no-tie/black-tie creations for Lanvin and Rucci s black mohair smoking with black patent insets as bar-raising examples. HAIDER ACKERMANN LANVIN 5

6 The tails that went missing from the swallowtails that preceded the tuxedo turn up on skirts, tops, dresses, jumpsuits and on dresses over pants the latter looking memorable at Vionnet. Now press the reset button. The way we were has inspired designers to transform ideas from the past into the way we will be next spring. Bottega Veneta and Valentino time-traveled to The 40s. Alexander Wang, Moschino, Prada, Jacobs, Vuitton, Lim and Kors resuscitated The 60s Mod. Saint Laurent Paris, Rachel Zoe and Lauren re-visited The 70s. And Jean Paul Gaultier returned to The 80s, with an engaging tribute to Madonna, Michael Jackson and David Bowie, to name a few. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM The shoes of the season begin with sneakers that leave the gym and tennis court to walk the fashion path at Y-3 and Moschino Cheap and Chic, then onto elevated sneaker sandals at Rag & Bone and Rochas. Also in the comfort zone: Birkenstock-inspired flats with furry insoles at Céline and go-go boots at Sander. The single-sole, pointy-toe pump is the little-heel of choice at Jacobs and Vuitton. Single-sole pumps with ankle straps are featured at Chanel, Gucci and Lauren. And the wedge still has an edge, see-worthy at Owens and Burberry Prorsum. Graphic shoes with matching bags score, especially at Van Noten. Marni, Etro, Jacobs and Vuitton. Metallics shine. And the gladiator is re-booted at Proenza Schouler and Altuzarra. Kudos to Fendi for capturing the season s FENDI big bag/little bag theme in a two-in-one tote with its own smaller, detachable clutch. White bags and white shoes are white hot. Pastel bags, both soft and structured, are key. MARC JACOBS The 60s re-see stars white-rimmed Mod sunglasses as well as shields. 6

7 In jewelry, bold metals cuff the neck at Givenchy and Lanvin. Silver bracelets and rings are polish-perfect at Kimberly Ovitz. And Lagerfeld plays father of pearl at Chanel, where Coco s favorite jewel adorns everything from chokers and bracelets to belts, sunglasses and chignons. CHANEL BEST BETS: Tops Shifts and Shirtdresses Fuller Skirts Shorts Pajama Pants Pantsuits Cropped Jackets Tuxedos Graphics Leather Transparency Color Prints Casual Evening White Bags and Shoes Pearls and Metal Jewelry The Fashion Group Foundation s Trend Overview has been generously underwritten by A complete version of the FGI trend presentation is available on DVD and DVD-data. Please contact The Fashion Group to purchase: telephone: fax: