Fashion week season is the fashionista’s take on back to school period and is always exhausting. Think of New York, London, Milan and Paris as top universities, of designers as professors and of each runway presentations as intensive courses… so much to take in, all that oh la la can get pretty hard to process! We peeped and stared and gazed and blinked and so far here are our recommendations for the frames to keep an eye on in the next season.
READY TO WEAR SPRING SUMMER 2015 NEW YORK
Our vote for #objectofdesire: M I C H A E L K O R S
Although Jason Wu was as impeccable as can be, Elisabeth and James were delightful like a weekend in Hamptons, Michael Kors is always the kind of “pupils dilating out of pleasure” designer. Clean lines, the right amount of fuss (this time floral or gingham pleats), always a poised choice of colours (lemon never looked so contemporary since the fifties, the hues used for mint and pink could turn a rocker into a swinger and the heavy use of navy in denim, circle skirts and printed dresses, almost made us faint) that’s the Kors formula that turns simplicity into magic. Always loving the type of outfits that tend to “ripen” with the right accessory like the cat eye frames in metallic rims here, with retro-ish high temples.
Our vote for #standingout: T H O M B R O W N E
According to Browne’s collection, the next spring summer season looks like Hepburn and Joan Miró are in charge of Alice in Wonderland remake. Vibrant abstract patterns sewn into classic shapes of the fifties for the aristocratic population of a surrealist fantasy land. Conceptual accessories go from outlined hats to miniature blazers headgear styled with deconstructed petal like eyewear.
Our vote for #bestaccessorized: C A R O L I N A H E R R E R A
Going big on floral prints has not been the turning point of Herrera’s concept, but proving that blooming can do without a flowing, frou frou style. The futuristic feel of the almost stiff materials left little room to curves and made way to mostly straight lines. Strange enough, our vote for best accessorized runway combos goes to the ones without a trace of flora in it. Simple cut skirt and top rarely looked so innovative and fresh as in Carolina Herrera’s spring summer 2015 collection. When accessorized with a pair of round classic frames, we had to pause for a moment to take in all that elegance.
READY TO WEAR SPRING SUMMER 2015 LONDON
Our vote for #objectofdesire: P A U L S M I T H
Long live the tailoring trend! Ever since its emergence, we have seldom seen this men borrowed style take on so many instances of femininity. The bureaucracy of rigid stripes in a clerk’s blazer are embellished with above the knee pleats, waistcoats and shirts are being elongated, single breasted blazers are tailored in festive silk. All done in neutrals and pastels with just a dash of tangerine here or there, some fringes and silk detailing on tailored shorts and lapels. Paul Smith emancipated femininity needs no curves to impress. When paired with rectangular or square unisex frames, the feeling of the whole collection gets even stronger. Smith designs for women who know when, how and what to do.
Our vote for #standingout: M I C H A E L V A N D E R H A M
OK, we have all seen Thomas Tait pince nez sunnies from his spring summer show, though we were not as mesmerized by them as the eyewear accompanying the dynamic Michael van der Ham runway. Visually rollicking from sheer florals to irridescent prints, from mini to midi to heel length, from draping details to patchwork tops to asymmetric dresses, the collection brings a playful elegance into the spotlight. Van der Ham woman is confident enough to experiment with shapes and fabrics. Same goes for her accessories. We were simply seduced by the lighthearted, whimsical sunglasses with round, dotted frames.
Our vote for #bestaccessorized: H O L L Y F U L T O N
Fulton shows the same pleasure in padding her clothes as Herrera did, though her prints are more geometrical and not as overwhelmingly flowery. In any case, whatever the pattern, they seem to all stick to a more retro space theme, as if the pieces were costumes for a sci fi film made in the sixties. As if quoting from Audrey Hepburn’s look from the 1966 movie How to Steal a Million, wearing the iconic Oliver Goldsmith white sunglasses, Holly Fulton accessorized her runway combos with Cutler and Gross striped sunburst frames.