Prada, Spring 2011

A few years ago in an art theory class, my professor asked us “Can anyone name one, undeniable, unequivocal truth?”

I promptly raised my hand and said “Prada.”

It was more than a quip. Among Miuccia Prada's many gifts is the ability to culminate concepts into fully realized collections. No matter where she ventures thematically, the arc of her aesthetic remains clear.



There was a nod to sportswear with wrap-around sunglasses, complete with neckstraps. Let’s hope there was some irony here and this trend doesn’t step off the runway.

Elusions to hospital scrubs manifested in the palette of clear blues and the boxy shape of T-shirts and shorts.

Schoolboy resonances sounded in the styling...

... and accessories: bags which came down the runway emblazoned with varsity letters and clutched like lunchbags, and bracelets that looked like that perennial summer-camp diversion (do you remember how to do “square”?).

The mixture of references culminated below the ankle, where wingtips sat atop layered soles that were part espadrille and part runner.

Jackets featured extreme tailoring in the waist.

Sweaters further developed a V-shaped torso, emphasizing shoulders with solid colour boat-necks...

...and bright stripes across the chest.

Despite the eclectic inspirations, the collection retained that distinctive, cohesive and utterly desirable quality that is, in a word: Prada.

Pre-Fall 2010: the Stand-Outs

I love pre-fall because it's so hit-and-miss, with the train-wrecks almost as much fun as the successes. Here are some of my favourites this year:

Capes have become less costumey and more accessible. I urge anyone who has considered donning this look to go for it this year. Avoid looking matronly by wearing one with modern detailing, like this oversize pocketed version from YSL.

High socks and short skirts? OK, it's a bit "Clueless" campy, but I love the playfulness of this ensemble from Miu Miu, especially the double-strap closure on the coat.

Going from accessories to RTW, a formidable obstacle, seems to be going well for Devi Kroell. I love the clean elegance of this red vest, a perfect counterpoint of volume, front-to-back.

Leather leggings with raised camellias were a high-point at Chanel. This was possibly my favourite collection.

The Burberry Prorsum collection hung on the back of an Emma Watson doppelganger. I can't restrain my enthusiasm for Bailey's trench-dresses. Keep them coming!

A bit of menswear, a bit of corsetry, a lot of cool; Alexander Wang makes it look easy.

Top 10 trends: # 1

# 1: Internal SpacesAs clothes become more sculptural and materials more technologically advanced, designers are using negative space to shape their ideas. While fashion has always emphasized silhouette (and likely always will) the most significant trend this year engaged with the definition and decoration of internal spaces. This is a new visual frontier for fashion and perhaps is a reflection of contemporary culture; the environmental and economic crises evince a new era of social and political transparency and accountability. Combined with the sheer trend, designers may be parsing fashion’s fixation on the external, penetrating veneers and alluding to the importance of their customers’ interior worlds and lives.

TO PULL IT OFF: This is an avant-garde look, based on the notion of having nothing to hide. As such, the one thing you’ll need to make this work is confidence.


The most accessible way to incorporate negative space into your wardrobe is by using cut-outs, like this dramatic gown from Marchesa...
...and this quirky shoe from Proenza Schouler.

Viktor & Rolf rendered cut-outs in three dimensions.

Decoration of interior spaces: an evening bag hiding inside the fold of a jacket at Karl Lagerfeld

Cultural theorists often refer to a woman's purse as a metaphor for her mystery (I'll spare you the lewd Freudian interpretation). What, then, do we make of this candid bag from Stella McCartney...

...or this clear innovation from Prada?

(uh-oh... is my liberal arts education showing?)

Top 10 trends: # 4

# 4: Frayed EdgesCheck out my post "Frayed So" from October first. You can incorporate this trend into nearly any outfit; get creative with the interplay of construction and deconstruction.

Here are some more examples:

Frayed edges can still be incredibly polished. Consider the traditional Chanel tweed.

Unravelling satin at Prada

Tribal influences defined the Rodarte collection. These women never fail to make an original statement.

Top 10 trends: # 5

# 5: Glitter Who doesn't love a little sparkle? But instead of a uniform bathing in glitter, designers this season used gems and sequins to illustrate naturalistic shapes and images, often over a sheer backdrop. This means that your head-turning entrance will be evocative as well as glamorous.

TO PULL IT OFF: While many bright young things are irreverently donning sequin embellishments on droopy tees and tanks, I urge anyone over 25 to keep glitter for evening. It's not just appropriate, it simply makes a bigger impact against more mysterious lighting.

Could we be a little more French, please? Chanel, mais bien sur!

Classical vines adorned this prim dress at Miu Miu...

... and this red-carpet showstopper at Marchesa.

Frayed So

Recent seasons have seen deconstruction manifest itself in the fabrics themselves, rather than in their assembly; torn, shredded and re-tied, these pieces reflect youthful, rock n’ roll brashness.

But suppose you’re no longer in that ripped-jeans era of life, or had the good sense to just skip it? You can sport threadbare edges without sacrificing sophistication. For Spring 2010, elite designers use fraying not as a document of destruction, but as a motif, leaving hems unfinished to whimsically unravel. The idea here is to use sartorial “mistakes” as a visual language to shift, subvert and redefine notions of structure.


First out at Fendi


I love Lagerfeld's seemingly effortless precision...

Bold yet demure, this coat was a highpoint at Prada.

Photos from style.com

Separate Illusions: a design masterclass

Ask any Stacy or Clinton: quality separates are essential for smart dressing. Versatile and enduring, these pieces show their value in design and construction rather than trend or logo. This fall, a certain echelon of designers engages the savvy dresser’s penchant by creating the illusion of separates in single garments. Young designers take note: this apparently simple formal language is perfected not through expressivity but through artifice.

Alber Elbaz develops his oeuvre at Lanvin with the poetic folds of this suit-mimicking dress.

Miuccia Prada uses a truncated train to create the effect of a jacket over a skirt.

Nicolas Ghesquière conflates dresses and outerwear at Balenciaga.

Photos from style.com