Trend Setter

Sunday February 8, 2009

Back to the future

By DZIREENA MAHADZIR

Pants parade: Always a favourite, the classic cut from Hermes.

A 1980s vibe, bright colours, pants in every shape, and a single shoulder bared sexily are among the key looks for the Spring/Summer 2009 collections.

COLLECTIONS for Spring/Summer 2009 had a myriad of looks but one trend that dominated the catwalks of Paris, Milan, New York, and London was the 1980s vibe.

If you thought you'd seen the last of the Me decade's influence last season – yes, it was one of the key trends last season, shiny leggings, prominent shoulders, striking colours, and all – think again.

Sexy shoulder: Red hot and striking from Monique Lhuillier.

Is it a backlash against the current economic slow down – remember, the 1980s were a time of much material excess – or is it simply fashion going full cycle? Whatever the reason, a number of fashion houses channelled that decade: the leggings, jump suits, the blazers, the body-conscious knits, the fitted dresses ... they're all there somewhere in just about every fashion house this season.

Dior, for instance, dipped deeply into the decade with black lycra leggings, sequins, and bright colours like yellow, orange, and fuschia. There were plenty of short, flirty dresses, body conscious outfits, knits, and animals prints. A lot of sheer skirts were on display, too, in short and long dresses.

Pants are definitely here to stay, though now they come in the gamut of styles, from harem pants, and cropped, to loose and skinny, as done by Sinha-Stanic, Marc Jacobs, Balmain, and Derek Lam.

1980s vibe: shoulders from Dolce & Gabbana!

The one off-shoulder look is another favourite: just about everyone had a version with a long dress, short dress, or top.

Boyfriend blazers worn with the sleeves pushed up are another trend seen everywhere even before this season, and shorts are still in, be they a more tailored version or just really short.

And, yes, this is the season of colour, lots of it – it is Spring/Summer, after all.

The Salvatore Ferragamo collection this season was a departure from its more classic look; there was a lot of draping going on, unusual shapes emerged, and, again, the colour palette was decidedly bright.

Breezily bright: Dazzle in Dior with this short, flirty dress.

Hermes, another brand that favours classic pieces, gave its image a twist this season and went all prairie chic. Fringes, ponchos, plenty of creams and browns, topped off with a stylish cowboy hat – it was urban cowgirl on a Texan ranch, but tastefully so.

But both Ferragamo and Hermes, still had certain key looks, like the one off-shoulder top, and shorts, proving just how insistent these looks are.

And everyone, of course, had dresses in any version you could think of: draped, print, mini and maxi. Some of the lovelier versions were from the collections of Gucci, Reem Acra, Badgley Mischka, Monique Lhuillier, and Max Azria.

All in all, it's a bright, fun, and colourful season – just what we all need in these dour times.

Next week: The accessories report