Trends S/S 2012
To call on optimism in the spring collections is as expected as the sailor stripes or floral prints. But it is true that in the fashion shows of spring/summer 2012 the search for formulas that return the enthusiasm and excitement to clothes was especially evident. It is obvious that brightening up the closet will not solve our problems, but it may allow us to forget for a moment. That’s the thread goes through proposals as seemingly different as Hawaiian prints or a nod to the 20's. Two references that, even though they don’t seem to have much in common at first glance, they share an escapist spirit and evoke strongly idealized fantasies. Think of the season as a travel agency loaded with offers to escape from reality, and that’s what it it. These are some of the major destinations.
Return to the past. This spring you should especially visit the twenties and fifties. Two decades, fixed in the collective memory as idyllic pictures of happiness. Frida Giannini at Gucci is leading the expedition that explores the years of the flappers, a time when life seemed lighter and cheeks seemed destined never to lose their freshness. Miuccia Prada, in turn, sets the mirror thirty years later, in another era of which we maintain an image of perfection. That lost optimism was actually what Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough from Proenza Schouler was looking for, with a collection of Googie architecture (which at the time was cutting edge) and ends in a burst of colours. This is not a country for sad people in the end.
The silhouette explodes. If we talk about ways to inject optimism through clothing it is inevitable to mention Christian Dior. The lush 1947 silhouette named New Look was a way to raise the spirits in Paris after the war. There is something similar is in the proliferation of peplums this season. The peplum jackets of the nineteenth century had some extra fabric on the hips. With much lighter shapes it was recovered in the late 40's and flashes by every now and then on the runways ever since. 2012 is modern and bold in the hands of Phoebe Philo, creative director of Céline, and surprisingly sporty in the hands of Vera Wang. What better way of calling the exhilaration than drawing more fertile silhouettes?
Louder, stronger. Major sporting events inspire because they suggest excellence, effort and resistance. In this year’s Olympic Games the athletic references are everywhere and they support the most varied interpretations and disciplines. From the sensuality of the dresses of Stella McCartney, with waves flowing over the body, to high tech fabrics turned into tools of sophistication in the hands of Tom Ford and Thomas Maier, creative director of Bottega Veneta. Alexander Wang transforms even the ground of an Olympic stadium into a dress pattern. Sport invites us to imagine a better version of ourselves.
Bold prints. From the nods to Bollywood of Thakoon Panichgul to the church windows appearing in the collection of Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga and snakes sliding through the looks of Alber Elbaz for Lanvin; the prints this season go as far as imagination goes. There are no limits. Colourful, bold, daring and, moreover, bravely mixed. A formula that dominates everyone including the latest British design sensation, Greek Mary Katrantzou. Her original prints have become the flag of a new kind of modernity; she really does dare to experiment with graphics. The unmitigated success of this Greek trained in London is the ultimate proof that fashion embraces its most festive and daring side.
Journey to the sweetness. Not everything is a burst of colour and prints. For the less extravagant spirits there is a much more peaceful destination. The pastel colours, sweet and evocative, are the protagonists in collections as diverse as those of Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, Peter Copping for Nina Ricci and 3.1 Phillip Lim. The dusty tones turn ironic and flirty in the hands of the first, romantic and nostalgic in the hands of the second, and fresh and sporty in the third. Proof that there is no trend that cannot be modified and adapted.
Travelling under the sea. If there is a favourite destination of the season it is the bottom of the sea. Givenchy, Chanel and Alexander McQueen all go in that direction. Perhaps the most poetic of the three interpretations of the underwater scenery is what Sarah Burton imagines in her third collection for McQueen.
The coral dresses and algae embroideries are so amazing. This British designer has really responded to the difficult challenge of taking over after her master, who died in 2010. Following the successful exhibition at the New York Metropolitan dedicated to McQueen (which became the eighth most-visited in the 140-year history of the institution) and the custom wedding dress for Kate Middleton, Burton has become one of the most important designers today.
Travel partners. Although it seems that we live in crazy times of accessories, it is worth remembering that Balenciaga would get furious if his clothes were worn with a hat that was not what he had intended. Accessories have always been important; they are an essential part of the luggage on this journey toward more optimistic clothing. The Christian Louboutin shoes add a bit of Crazy Horse fantasy to real life and the ones from Charlotte Olympia give you an old fashioned elegance. Even more rationalist accessories such as the desired handbags Luggage and Phantom by Celine dare to play with colours and textures. Nobody wants to be left behind this journey towards a more exciting reality.