Tuesday, January 22

trendy GARDENS

I have finally chosen. It has taken me a while to make a decision on which of this season's trends was my favourite, but I have decided. As much spots, stripes and stars as can now be found in most of the top brands, it's the flower prints which I find most beautiful and innovative. It might come as a surprise to call florals new, but they are. Ever since the Victorian time, when they were, in my opinion, at their best, flowers have appeared in many shapes, colours and interpretations printed in gowns, shirts and all sorts of garments. As unimaginative as florals could be thought for the Spring, the new season brings them back with a range of fabrics and colours to choose from. There will only be an outcome, thought; looking freshly chic.



Stella McCartney is, for me, the designer to accomplish the best flower prints. Classic flowers in red, blue, green, yellow are stamped on delicious pieces of flowy chiffon, some with ruffles on the top, some pleated. They even show in the form of jumpsuits, a clear constant in Spring/Summer 2008. McCartney achieves very fresh and relaxed looks via simplicity, her always present motto.


If I had ever tried to imagine how a flowery collection would be with Roberto Cavalli in charge, this would not have been the result in my mind at all. Cavalli remembers everyone of his designing skills with one of the hippiest colletions of all. Flowers appear motly on chiffon and silk as the Italian designer plays with different sizes and colour combinations. Everything flows remembering those looking of the beauty and freshness of women.
Armani proposes a more controlled use of this prints, including them in small dosis on his famous black evening gowns and elegant simplistic tops. Chiffon is again a winner together with silk. Armani gives the feeling of a fully printed dress by using the flowers stems, enlongating the woman's body.

Much has been said about Ralph Lauren collection. The master surprised the audience with a compilation of memorabilia, creating clothing inspired on his favourite things of all times. Flowers are obviously present, since Lauren himself is a big admiror of Victorian times. Gowns in taffeta and chiffon are beautifully layered with lines of subtle ruffles printed with the smallest flowers.


Balenciaga's genious journey through experimenting gave life to a series of highly interesting flowery  armour-like dresses and two-pieces which cannot go unnoticed under the radar. Nicolas Ghesquière has not created a collection for the streets but not a sould could argue that he's done a magnificent work full of groundbraking proposals.


I'm happy to have come across Wunderkind in my process through S/S collections. The brand masterly combines patterns, prints and materials making it look a piece of cake. Flowers have an obvious appereance in a few gowns in pale colours, however, they're omnipresent on the decorated edges of jackets and coats. Wolfgang Joop, the designer, describes his work as seventies bohemianism.
Last, but not least, a more modern and graphic perspective on florals. Frida Giannini keeps walking the same line she followed for last winter and cruise's collections to perform a change on florals. This time they're bigger and black, white and yellow, as most of the rest of the collection. Personally, it's not my taste but I can't deny it's interesting in the least.

[Credit photos: Style.com]

I'm off.

5 comments:

Coco's Tea Party said...

I like it at Stella a lot
I'm not normally a fan of her, but her last two collections I have really liked
I think she is a good designer but she doesn't tend to do anything ground breaking

Matias said...

the darkness, yellow, black
so beutifull, and the flower prints, I think she is a good designer

(sory my english sucks)

m.b.

NonchalantMod said...

i loved McCartney (as always) and Balenciaga..

by the way come join my fashion forum at stylespace.proboards106.com

alluretone said...

i love the one on stam from stella mccartney. love the ones from balenciaga also- you left out dvn- not very fond of the collection?

discotheque confusion said...

Stella McCartney's collection has been one of my favourites.

So wonderful!