Trend redux
MANILA, Philippines - Let’s look at what designers would have us wear this season. From bold shoulders to combat apparel, this season’s looks channel everything from ritzy debutantes with a disappearing trust fund to new wave librarians with a penchant for Bowie.
Queen of the jungle
Channel your animal side — and inner Dynasty fan girl — with a sophisticated gown that doesn’t scream Forever 21. DVF’s velvet gown does animal print right.
Knit parade
Toss out the old cable knit and man up with Rodarte’s vision of the future: all toughened up leather and knit. Who knew granny’s favorite material could look so rugged?
Harlequin romance
The jumpsuit, according to Narciso Rodriguez, is what every woman must have, like, right now. Well, Erin Fetherston put her own spin on the must-have, pairing it with a ruffle-necked, billowy blouse that adds a fresh look to what could’ve been a tired ensemble. (Even Jessica Simpson, we think, is kind of sick of the jumpsuit.)
Cold case
Designers must secretly love the Snuggie, the terry blanket/coat that took couch potatoes by storm. See Lacoste’s version above.
Print magic
Dont’ be afraid to go all-out there and wear print from immaculately-coiffed head to manicured foot. Matthew Williamson’s floor-length number proves that prints can be sexy, too. You don’t need to reveal your chesticles to garner a second glance.
Recession chic
You can never be too thin or too rich, right? Well, Monique Lhuillier begs to differ — for the rich part, at least. For her fall/winter show, she juxtaposed her debutante gowns in all their frilly, dramatically-embellished glory with shorn hosiery and black nail polish. The rich girl look is certainly popular (just glance at the pages of Vogue), but a rich girl fallen on hard times? Now there’s a look that’ll sell.
Ready for combat
Narciso Rodriguez must’ve known what was coming our way: swine flu, torrential rains, another Sean Kingston album. This army-inspired number is warning us to protect ourselves at all costs — and stay away from the milk aisle at the grocery store. Someone might mistake you for a cow.
Oxford education
Leave those boring old Oxfords at the office. Alexander Wang remakes that crisp button-down shirt — province of yuppies and earnest librarians — into something worth wearing again.
Shoulder to lean on
The most striking trend we’ve seen on the red carpet — and off — is that bold shoulder and puff sleeve. Often seen on dresses bedazzled so brightly it could serve as a satellite (you know who you are, Hervé Leger), it’s kind of refreshing to see it on a good old sweater. Fine, she’s wearing David Bowie makeup and her hair’s so high it probably is a satellite, but a girl’s gotta stand out somehow.
