This Spring is a Rainbow Affair
By Magda Pescariu

My first time out of the house this year I went to the post office in flip-flops, cropped jeans and a T-shirt. The shelves were empty except for a few scattered Holiday items, left as a shabby reminder that we had just passed into another New Year. The line was unexpectedly long, people still struggling to send away boxed proofs of their enduring feelings and hidden regrets. Everybody looked tired, grumpy and unkempt, like all those weeks of Holiday preparations and doctor-recommended joy had left them depleted and bereft. The beginning of this year didn’t look like a beginning at all.

(LEFT) Laura Biagiotti

Weren’t beginnings supposed to be attractive, cheerful, encouraging and exciting? Nothing of the kind radiated from the line moving at snail-pace and nobody was in the mood. In graceful revenge, the weather was clear and brilliant, an unexpectedly beautiful day like a sun-drenched pastel - a January on Prozac washed down with a double martini. Or it was just nature’s way of reminding Californians that we had it all (and maybe we should start to appreciate it a little). Anyway, the bright day accomplished its mission by me - I left the post office smiling, sorting already through my plans for the following days. Spring was coming, and -with it - a promise of revival, beauty and chance.

Back to work reviewing my notes from the last fashion shows, while combing through the trends for the new season, I realized that - how it happens so often in life - when you have it all, more will be added to it. This Spring-Summer Fashion wraps us in heavenly beauty, soft and subtle, joining the weather and nature in making up for the gloomy look of our everyday life.

The S/S 2012 Collections are a dream of creativity which juxtaposes natural charm, distinctive elegance, contemporary femininity, historical references, experimentation and avant-garde compositions. The result is seductive: l’italianità of fashion, a fashion infused with Italian spirit, with Italian desire to allure and exceed boundaries. Elegance runs in the Italian genes, but it never reflects an impulse for something trendy that it is not also durable, classical and genuine. This elegance a la Italiana is a symbol of a women’s style and wardrobe of a bygone era, and yet when it is revisited with present-day inspiration and vision, it looks modern and sharp.

The elegance we experience in the upcoming season reinterprets two great classics of romanticism: flowers and lace. Their presence, particularly if we talk about lace, acts as a cultural barometer, testifying to a woman’s sense of herself, to her level of sophistication, and even to her social status.

This season is bathed in a rainbow of colors: soft nude and creamy neutrals, pastels (rose, peach, lilac, lime-green), patinated gold or silver (think of the old domes and cathedrals), and vivid, fluorescent tropical hues (green, yellow, orange, purple, Bougainvillea pink). Black and white - separate or together- continue to suggest core elegance, particularly when lit by a touch of red.

The fabrics are delicate and supple, with a natural look – silk, chiffon, lace, shantung, soft cotton; even leather is velvety and fine. Richness and character come from patterns, tailoring, embellishments and appliqués.

(ABOVE) Krizia

Spring introduces a twirl of scenic patterns, but the undeniable star is the floral fantasy: from lovely little bouquets on soft muted pastels to tropical bold and carnivore flowers of South Pacific inspiration – everything is here. Whimsical patterns are also big this season: prints of birds, deer, fruits, feathers, tribal or animal prints - enliven blouses and dresses of minimal cut. Paisley - paired with neutral hues or matched with the darkest color in the print - decorates short and long plissé skirts, romantic blouses, sculpted bustieres, and draped one-shoulder dresses of ancient goddesses’ beauty. Last but not least, we see geometric patterns with stone embellishments and a lot of stripes, as they hold their place in fashion year after year. Horizontal stripes – on dresses, nautical knit-tops, handbags or even espadrilles meet vertical stripes – on pajama silk pants or one-piece chiffon jumpsuits, in a playful eye-game with our silhouette.

In a strange but attractive vision twist, one face of this season’s Italian-influenced fashion is Katharine Hepburn, an icon with no known affinity for Italy or Italianism. However, if we think about it, Katharine Hepburn epitomizes the modern woman of the 20th century America, outspoken and self-confident, who refused to conform to societal expectations of women. Her strong-willed spirit and sophisticated beauty have changed - through the characters she depicted in her movies - the way society perceived women, throwing away cliché after cliché. So it’s no wonder that 2012 begins with a fashion style meant for the sharp and intense women of our century, celebrating in this way a liberation process that has lasted for too long already.

Therefore, tailoring is elegant yet comfortable, feminine but square-shouldered, graceful yet standing tall, and finally, angel-looking but powerfully sexy. We have a wide selection of styles to choose from, and many practical ways to experiment with them in combinations of classic and modern.

The blazers and jackets are tailored, with accentuated shoulder line. Cardigans and caftans are asymmetrical in length, with winged sleeves in an “East meets West” approach. All pants have a raised waist, jeans included; thank goodness, because the bare-midriff makes a sudden come-back, surprising us out of our messy “winter diet”.

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) Versace, Etro, RoccoBarocco

Exactly à la Katharine Hepburn, high-waist flared pants, with loops for a skinny and shiny belt are a favorite look of the season. They are paired with high-heels (to accentuate the flare) and with delicate blouses supported by small shoulder pads. Even shorts have high-waists for both accepted lengths: long to just above the knee (boyish-styled long shorts) or very short, layered over black thin leggings.

Summer skirts are mid-knee length or sweeping the floor, in pastel colors or floral prints. The dress continues to hold a central place on the fashion stage with stamina and imagination: sexy silk-robe or wrapped dresses; one-shoulder style with folds, pleats or drapes in reverence to ancient Greece and Rome; an angel-looking sheer dress (with bishop or angled sleeves and buttoned-up soft shirt-collar). The little black dress of this season is classic, supple and elegant as well: A-line at knee-length, the sheath of the ’60s, the timeless wrap or the V-neck, long number.

Our casual look is preppy-sweet and sporty-feminine: cropped jeans at different lengths (from the middle of the calf down to the ankle), nautical T-shirts or girly blouses, and leather motorcycle jackets in pastel colors (smoothie rose, lime, yellow or orange). The jackets may also be worn over feminine dresses, with dainty floral prints or paisley. Crochet - made of the finest silk cashmere and linen yards blended with gold and silver threads - is a big surprise this season. It is present mainly in vests and bathing suits, but it shows up on accessories as well (handbags or shoes) in macramé version.

The shoes are beautiful, with a wild look given by floral appliqués, vivid prints or shiny metallic accessories, but not too practical or merciful. We swing between extremes: towering stilettos and very high platform pumps or flats (ballerina-shoes, gladiator sandals and espadrilles). All shoes are fancy, in bright, shiny or pastel colors (silver shoes are all the rage), embellished with flowers, ropes, feathers, ruffles or fringe. They are also lacey and sleek: lace pumps with rounded toes for a tailored suit or a great pair of jeans; lattice-weave, mesh, caged or cut-out booties; gladiator sandals in antique gold or silver color, with lace straps wrapped around for a romantic look; espadrilles with stripes, in lace, plaid or nautical navy & white design; ballerina flats in lacquered lace-pattern, with bows and feathers accents. And at the end of the day, when we call it quits and long for the comfy sofa, the kitten heel saves our feet and preserves the classic elegant look, without any noticeable compromise.

In terms of handbags, from the clutch (best in white and medium size) to the soft hobo tote – everything works. The trend however is for the rigid handbag (clutch-style), mid-size, with hand-straps (short), in bright colors (red-flame, purple, cobalt blue, pink, emerald green, orange, sea-blue, lime), exotic skins (ostrich preferred) or lace. We come across the same accents we’ve seen in shoes: floral intarsia or leather flower appliqués, laser-cut lacey patterns, big stones or metallic decorations (including oftentimes chain-straps).

(LEFT) Laura Biagiotti

We hear the same statement of “remarkable and colorful” from the jewelry realm as well. Gold is dominant this season, showcased in big and bold pieces so intricate that they look unique, a precious heritage of luxury and style from an unrepeatable era. An impressive necklace, bangle, cocktail ring or a pair of dramatic earrings is enough to hold up an entire fashion ensemble. Ethnic beading, exotic big stones, natural elements (leather, woods, feathers) add avant-garde quality to the jewelry design. Pearls are in to authenticate all things lace, and they reflect the same luscious and luminous rosé we embrace in all the fashion styles of this summer - the color of sunset on the Venice lagoon, as seen through a glass of Perrier-Jouët fizzing idly with nostalgic wit.

You understand now why I thought of this spring as being a rainbow affair. It carries into our lives the persuasion of hope and possibility, which is not lost on us. We know too well that there is no rainbow without rain, yet - in the midst of the most terrible storm of worry in our lives, drenched to the soul in fear, frozen and numb - we find solace in knowing that rainbow is reachable and one day life will be beautiful again. As the poet-prophet said once, “We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting.” I like to believe in spring revealing that the waiting is over.

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