Next Summer Sensations: D&G

Like Erdem’s collection, but slightly younger, edgier and more… Glastonbury. Old jeans cut into shorts, little tees and denim waistcoats are getting old now, so hows about some shiny red bubble shorts, gingham head scarves and off the shoulder gypsy dresses as the new festival chic? Admittedly, I did initially scoff at the headscarf pirate look, but then I thought of the 3 day unwashed hair and sweaty forehead that they will come to the rescue of! It all just screams festival which is uplifting amidst these darkening and freezing winter eves. Not one of D&G’s S/S outfits wouldn’t look good with wellies.

And if you’re not festival bound next summer, then there’s still the frilly and sweeping floral maxi dresses which are perfect for wafting through the long grass in as the sun goes down, or pirouetting in by some fountains in a French cobbled square. But seriously I do bloody love those dresses… and they’d still look good with wellies.

Next Summer no nos: Prada

Vulgar. We all love a bit of block colour for summer, but there’s block colour and then there’s bright orange hospital scrubs and Hawaiian shirts…. on girls! (Not that they’re any better on boys of course.) And what’s with the ill fitting blazers, the baggy arms, the top heavy models and the thick horizontal strips that are reminiscent of Primark’s sportswear section?

I don’t understand those cuts at all, and I don’t understand the collection’s tag line: ‘minimal baroque’. Not that I’m an art buff or anything, but if this is how designers understand the baroque style then that’s worrying… thankfully, MiuMiu did baroque too, and did it good:

Yum.

Next Summer Sensations: Basso & Brooke

Now, like Henry, these two also enjoy being whimsical and bold, but they’re less about the teenage kicks and more about the geometrics – with arresting prints being the backbone of their work. Although next Spring’s collection isn’t as psychedelic as previous seasons, their aptitude for print and pattern is recognizable nonetheless.

B&B have deliberately used inspiration from things like archaic manuscripts and maps to oppose their previous digital and ultra modern prints. Apparently this was a bit of a disappointment at fashion week, but I think it’s a breath of fresh air from the headache inducing previous collections, plus, you can genuinely find some of these outfits beautiful, rather than just being fascinated and hypnotised by the optical illusions.

Next Summer no nos: House of Holland

I’ve never been a fan of House of Holland, but then…. is that a stupid thing to say? Cos aren’t you not meant to like his stuff or something?! There’s so much irony and piss taking in his collections that it gets tiring… Don’t get me wrong, I know he’s all about having fun, reaching out to the cool kids and all, but I want him to do something that’s a little less jovial and a little more wearable (and  by wearable I DON’T mean that awful line at Debenhams).

But Henry’s blasted away my anguish with his edgy S/S collection… well, almost. Oooh it’s all so preppy and slick and funky, but wait a minute, what are those disGUSTing fluffy balls hanging stupidly at the jaw line of the model’s serious face? Oh whyyyy have you done this Henry? They ruin the whole look! Was he worried that he was slipping into the role of a more serious fashion designer (and also that his collection is very similar toChristopher Kane A/W)? So he needed something that’d pump the fun back into it – and what says silliness and good times better than pom pom earrings? It was just as fun without them Henry IT WAS JUST AS FUN WITHOUT THEM!

However, I’ll let him off because those metallic pleated skirts are fantastic and I like his pointy little face.

Next Summer Sensations: Erdem

A holiday in The States has restricted the old blogging for a while, and so the next few posts are a little overdue to say the least. However, next summer is so far from the horizon that posts on S/S 2011 can’t be out of date just yet.

Every day this week I’m going to post on a S/S collection that’s made it’s mark on me. Today it’s…

Erdem

Everyone’s favourite floral master doesn’t disappoint for S/S 2010. His dresses are even prettier and there’s so much variety! There’s such a variety of shapes, from fitted bodices and flaring skirts to more slouchy designs, but they all remain flattering and delicate. There will definitely be an influx of Betty Draper wannabes clambering for dresses like this when the weather starts warming up, me being one of them.

I’ve  been a late comer to the Erdem fan base, but I can now see what all the fuss is about. His designs are so wearable and I don’t there’s a single dress or shirt or pair of trousers of his that I’ve recoiled from, and for me, there’s normally at least one in every designer’s collection. He’s even got some preppy in there (sort of) and LOVE preppy, so I now love Erdem. Bring on the hunt for a high street long sleeved floral shirt and mid length full bodied skirt.