The biggest designer labels this season have gone
The biggest designer labels this season have gone back to the '70s. Here's how to stay ahead in the style race by simply looking back
For once, the dictators of fashion have agreed on something unanimously. And bowed their heads, honouring the versatility of 1970s style staples.
British designer Stella McCartney's spring/summer 2010 collection drew inspiration from Linda, her late mother's pretty yet functional seventies wardrobe that included denim, A-line skirts flared at the edges, and cork heel sandals.
Yves Saint Laurent's head designer Stefano Pilati sent his models down the ramp in maxi wrap dresses, almost in contrasting harmony with Italian label Etro's wildflower print silk voiles.
Key fashion moments of last year are making a striking comeback this summer, serenading women partial to butt-enhancing trousers, while making an offer of femininity to giggly girls. Light and frothy, tailored and classicu00a0-- which emotion will you wear today?
The trouser
Let's start at the bottom. Stash away your skinny jeans, drop-crotch pants, and myriad interpretations of the harem, and make space for the wide-legged trouser. Tailored or relaxed, in every imaginable fabricu00a0-- denim, silk, linen and khakiu00a0-- it's this season's must-have It's the most sought-after piece of garment, having got a nod from London's revered fashion critic Sarah Mower, and spotted at spring/summer 2011 presentations by Celine, Dries Van Noten, Hermes, Salvatore Ferragamo, Derek Lam, Michael Kors, Zac Posen and Dsquared. Phoebe Philo for Celine at the spring/summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection show in Paris.
Candyfloss hair
The big-and-bold theme of spring/summer 2011 channeled its way into make-up and hair too. Think bright lips and a tousled mane, with a hint of disco-esque sparkle underneath the lower lash, and glittering nail paint. Full, luscious lips smothered with scarlet seduced shutterbugs at Giles Deacon's show at London Fashion Week, while at New York Fashion Week, Marc Jacobs got the seventies party started with big, candy-floss hair.
The botanical & geometric prints
Pretty botanical, and roaring animal prints from the seventies shared the runway with dizzying geometry in collections by Roberto Cavalli, Givenchy, Missoni, Moschino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Isaac Mizrahi. Miuccia Prada mixed baroque with banana prints, and a monkeys-in-arms design was thrown in for quirky relief.
Block colours
While the banana moment brought humour to unsmiling fashion, Prada's block colours synonymous with 1970s and 1980s neon versions of orange, blue, violet and green stirred a sense optimism. She found a "bright" partner in Gucci's Frida Giannini, reinforcing the colour-blocking trend by teaming emerald, purple and orange.
The handbook
How to wear block colours without looking like a clown
> Colour block fashion is one of the hottest new trends for the season. But you've got to wear it right to pull it off, and not look like Krusty the Clown's long lost sibling.
> Pair colour blocks (whether shoes, tops or tunics) with basic colours like black, white, and gray.
> Pair this look with plain jewellery so it does not distract from your overall look.
> Play with textures and bold colour clashes. For instance, you can mix leather with fruity citrus shades like orange, and shades of violet with grungy boots.
> Use sharp tailoring to add an elegant silhouette to your colour blocks.
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