Live From... Paris Fashion Week, Day 1

Louis Vuitton

 
It was sophisticated sport-meets-safari for Kim Jones' debut at the helm of Louis Vuitton menswear, bringing the tailoring skills honed at Dunhill and his own sporty aesthetic to the luxury label. His childhood in Kenya also coloured the collection and led the designer to find further inspiration in photographer and diarist Peter Beard, whose work documents African wildlife.

“At its simplest level, it is about the idea of travel... after all, travel forms the foundation of the Vuitton brand.”  Said Kim Jones

The look: Sophisticated traveller

Silhouette: Sartorially tailored

Key items: Jones brings a casual touch to his tailored looks, with blazers and rolled pants or shorts, even lustrous silk wool evening SB suits are casually styled with collarless, open-necked shirts. There is heavy emphasis on outerwear – jackets in particular, with Harringtons and varsity blousons, quilted jackets, a four-pocket safari style and sporty hooded windcheaters as well as a classic trench coat and luxury parka in sand-coloured suede. With the African inspirations, summer heat is definitely in the air, giving rise to plenty of shorts as well as short-sleeved shirts and plain tees or sweatshirt-style tops

Colour: Classic navy and white, bright red with royal blue, sandy and sunbleached neutrals and a palette of soft earthen browns

Fabric & knit: Lightweight summer suiting, silk mohair, triple bonded silks, cashmere and vicuna wools, cotton and cotton canvas, sweatshirting, jersey, chequerboard knits in raffia, zigzag stitch knit, crocodile and alligator leathers, suede, brushed-backed chevron cashmere knits

Print & pattern: A rowing-inspired red and blue V-shaped logo, pyjama stripes, ink spots, house Damier checks reinterpreted in bright red and blue inspired by the colours of the Masai

Details & trims: Patterened quilting, notched lapels, safari pockets, drawstrings, VVN leather zip pulls, VVN leather harnessing

Footwear: Chestnut brown or tan polished leather oxfords, popper-studded leather sandals, sporty activewear-inspired sandals, two-tone desert boots

Accessories: Open-topped leather shoppers, across-body binoculars case bags, sporty backpacks, quilted weekend bags; rolled neckerchiefs, large fringed cashmere scarves, short cord necklaces featuring mother of pearl inlaid beetle pendants, knitted club ties, a 24-carat-gold thread shot tie, piped-frame sunglasses

Jean Paul Gaultier

Much hullabaloo is often made of Jean Paul Gaultier's costumic themes – we had James Blond last season - but for spring/summer 2012 Gaultier was bereft of an obvious theme. Without his punks or pirates, his collection felt all at sea in a hotch potch of looks.

The look: Anything goes

Silhouette: Tailored and layered

Key items: Tailoring is always a key component for JPG, and here he offers trompe l’oeil-effect three-piece suits comprising of tailored jackets and all-in-one waistcoats (US: vest) and trousers; evening suits are deconstructed and see tux jackets paired with coloured pants or shorts in aloha floral prints. Elsewhere suit trousers are largely full and pleat-fronted and waistcoats feature scalloped lace trims. Outerwear including jean jackets, baseball jackets and signature trench coats, arrive in tartan-printed organza and revealed printed shirts beneath. Elsewhere there are kilt-pleated shorts as well as straight-leg options, striped knit vests (US: tanks) and polo tops

Colour: While there is no cohesive colour palette, pops of royal blue, kingfisher blue and tomato red enlivened the wealth of black, navy, grey and tartan blue-green

Fabric & knit: Satin, raw indigo denim, python skin, leather, tartan, printed organza, cotton, micro houndstooth, pinstripe suiting

Print & pattern: Retro Hawaiian landscapes/postcard prints, aloha florals, signature sailor stripes, small-scale florals for shirting, tartan, an all-over repeat of Rue Saint-Martin road signs

Details & trims: Multiple pockets, scalloped-edge lace trims, rhinestones, notched lapels

Footwear: Printed hi-tops, lace-up plimsolls, suede loafers, pointed satin evening shoes

Accessories: Skinny ties, cummerbunds, tartan or striped socks, fringed tartan scarves

Viktor & Rolf Monsieur

                          

Spring/summer 2012 took on a sunny aspect at Viktor & Rolf, who moved away from their signature conceptual looks to present a collection of neat 70s-inspired resortwear based around a Mediterranean palette, with some offbeat fabric mixes and playful dolphin motifs.

“This spring/summer 2012 Monsieur reflects a new age mood. He remains the same creative man - the sexy intellect - whose wardrobe is an authentic mix of formal and informal. Our Monsieur is on a mystical and spiritual journey and is attracted to magical symbols and serene shades. He's investigating boundaries, but within his own world,” said Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren.

The look: Summer vacation

Silhouette: Neat tailored resortwear

Key items: The collection emphasises a casual formal mix, with sharp peaked lapel 70s-style SBs and classic 70s pant shapes teamed with printed half-sleeved resort shirts and patterned polos in a mismatched palette and lightweight fabric mixes. Casual pants have a sporty appeal, with drawstring waists or a cut-off denim waistband, perfect to layer with a crisp white 4-pocket Harrington hybrid or even the design duo's unexpected lace shirt. The trench and the western jacket offer diverse outerwear options, fabric-blocked in toning shades of blue suede and denim and for evening, crisp tuxedos and bow ties offset with the incongruous mix of minimal sandals and socks

Colour: A summery palette reflecting the colours of Mediterranean resorts with washed sky blue, deep ultramarine and indigo complemented with old gold, Dijon, soft lemon, brick and warm terracotta, pebble grey, soft sage and bois de rose

Fabric & print: Mohair suiting, nylon twill, pressed cotton, chambray, denim, suede, jersey, summer checks, lace, silk, cotton shirtweights

Print & pattern: Playful dolphin intarsias and regular repeat all-over dolphin motifs worked on half-sleeve shirts or polos. Spots on a white ground, horizontal toning stripes

Details & trims: Cut-off denim waistbands on pants, drawstring waist pants, elongated plackets on polos, fabric-blocking, sharp peaked lapels

Footwear: Cleat-soled white boots, minimal X-strap sandals, piped loafers, snakeskin derby

Accessories: Straight top sunglasses with built-up bridge, socks

Yohji Yamamoto

A stellar showing from Yohji Yamamoto, who played with volume and subtle Japonesque workwear influences for a serene collection with a timeless aesthetic that spoke of a gentler bygone era.

The look: Ethnic workwear

Silhouette: Layered volume worked in trapeze-like shapes

Key items: Yamamoto's signature overscaled jackets come with patchwork backs this season, layered over easy tunic shirts, some with collarless details others with military pockets or worn belted to become a jacket hybrid. The focus of the collection comes in the form of wide-legged pants and culottes – often pleated or constructed like soft chaps to layer over wide-legged pants or slim-cuffed trousers. Mismatched pattern play adds to the layered feel along with easy duster coats, shrug-on cardigan jackets and elongated placket Henleys

Colour: Unexpected pops of brights highlight a palette of traditional darks based aound black and indigo, damson, espresso and charcoal punctuated with parrot green, cerulean blue, candy pink, poppy and mint with soft sage and sand bringing in an subtle earthy feel

Fabric & knit: Natural cottons and linen, washed finishes, silk, jersey

Print & pattern: There is a traditional ethnic feel in the subtle mismatched prints, with precise block patterns contrasted with random all-overs, micro florals and pin-prick markings like vintage batiks

Footwear: Plimsolls, flat lace-ups, work boots

Accessories: Unstructured trilbies, soft caps, scarf-like belts, narrow leather belts, striped ties

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake may be in a state of transition following the departure of Creative Director, Dai Fujiwara, but that didn’t stop the design team from pulling off a strong collection for spring/summer, full of easy Asian-referenced silhouettes, vivid colour and bold prints.

The look: Modern ethnic

Silhouette: Relaxed Asian-inspired and unstructured

Key items: Unstructured duster coats and relaxed SBs provide the perfect team mates for easy wide-cropped pants cut with soft volume, a key look mirrored in boxy shirt jackets and oversized half-sleeve shirts. Diffused panels of vivid colour add interest to crisp white shirts, bringing a subtle ethnic look into play along with the almost ikat-like stripes used on dark suitings and the drapey sarouel hybrids. Other key items evolve around layering pieces like the unstructured neck knits, simple tank tees and neat buttoned waistcoats

Colour: Soft neutrals like bone white, string and sand tempered a range of vivid blues from ultramarine to aqua and peacock with flashes of sky blue, chrome yellow and espresso

Fabric & knit: Washed cotton, linen, silk, summer checks, marld knits and jersey, striped knits

Print & pattern: An exaggerated diagonal wave-like tie-dye effect stripe, diffused colour-block panels, ikat-like weaves, striped knits

Details & trims: Drawstring hems on soft pants

Footwear: Strappy sandals, vivid-coloured lace-ups with contrast laced detail

Accessories: Small-brimmed woven trilbies

Rick Owens

A stunningly simple look from Rick Owens. He took the current mood for androgyny to the max by reinterpreting wardrobe basics - like the dress, skirt, toga and tunic - into a gender-blend asexual collection of geometrical layered pieces that crossed the traditional male-female divide.

The look: Androgyny

Silhouette: Long and draped or multi-layered

Key items: The tailored SB gets a makeover in elongated proportions, with frock coat hems and an inset panelled revers to layer over the simplest A-line floor-skimming dresses and straight-cut maxiskirts with a back split hem. Long tunic tops and tunic knits complete the look, worked with funnel necklines, engineered gradated stripe placements or a vertical band of printed linear motifs. Toga-like drapes add soft volume to the look, creating an alternative dress hybrid, while skinny leggings and a slim padded coat silhouette had a more masculine appeal

Colour: A monastic palette that revokes colour in flavour of asexual black, white, charcoal, pebble, string, sand and a hint of ink

Fabric & knit: Flat suitings, melanged and slubbed effects, sheened mohair suitings, papery cotton, cotton, lightly padded effects, raw silk, silk shantung, jersey, compact knits

Print & pattern: Gradated vertical panelled stripes, abstract angular grid lines in white on black

Details & trims: Soft ruched unstructured hemlines, triangular cowls on cotton tunic shirts

Footwear: Unlaced military boots in black or grey

Accessories: Neckerchiefs, dark sunglasses with a straight-cut built-up bridge

Alexis Mabille

For spring/summer 2012, Alexis Mabille unveiled a new collaboration with intimates label Hom. as models peeled off their clothes to reveal the goods. The apparel collection riffed on the perennial nautical story, with sailor stripes and chain motifs adding an on-trend touch with sporty influences.

The look: Sporty nautical

Silhouette: Athletic and top heavy

Key items: As part of the collaboration with Hom, Mabille offers a new range of underwear and swimwear, including briefs, short boxers and mankinis, as well as V-necked tees, striped socks, hooded dressing gowns in satin or waffle cotton, and jersey track pants tapered to a skinny ankle cuff. For the main collection bottomweights include slim-fitting cargo pants, some cuffed at the knee as long shorts, wide pleat-front shorts and straight-cut tailored pants; tops are sporty, with oversized sweatshirts, a zippered baseball jacket/track top hybrid, bibbed granddad tees or vests, and hooded shirts – some with drawstring waists; tailoring is largely slim-fitting comprising 1SB jackets and those straight-leg pants, while outerwear highlights offered a belted mac and trench coat, and a grey marl jersey pea coat with striped revers and low-placed DB buttons

Colour: Grey, black, white and navy

Fabric & knit: Jersey - bonded, cotton, silk, Lycra stretch; grey chambray, linen, cotton, gingham, checked shirting cottons, satin, ciré, waffle cotton

Print & pattern: Typographical slogans, trompe l'oeil chain, Breton stripes in varying scale and placements

Details & trims: Contrast revers, white shirt collars and cuffs, bib-fronts, striped edging trims, cargo pockets, V-necks, drawstrings, feature stitching at the knee, low placement DB buttoning, hoods

Footwear: Jute trimmed canvas espadrilles

Accessories: Bandana scarves worn around the wrist, large link chain bracelets; across-body chain-strapped mini bags, canvas shoppers with knotted rope handles; animal print belts

Dries Van Noten

Other designers may be touting rock 'n' roll looks or carefree resort dressing for spring/summer 2012, but Dries Van Noten was preoccupied with the funtionality of outdoor clothing for next season – specifically waterproof clothing for men who spend their time hunting, shooting and fishing.

The look: Protective

Silhouette: Covered-up and functional tempered with lean tailoring

Key items: Outerwear is the focus of this collection, with variations on a theme for functional parkas, anoraks and zipped-through cabans all worked with a multitude of pocket details, contrast bound trims, drawstrings and funnel necklines. Layering is another key theme, with wide-legged shorts worked over straight-cut pants or leggings, crisp white shirt tails peeping from the hemlines of parkas or tailored jackets. Tailoring is slick and lean worked in sheened fabrications with 6DB jackets and low-slung pleat front tapered pants, while easy tunic knits come in dry-handle textured yarns and a profusion of stripes add a touch of pattern play for casual shirts and pants 

Colour: A palette of intense summer darks confirm midnight blue and deep aubergine as key colours for next summer, here offset with espresso and sand with vivid accents of industrial orange and chrome yellow

Fabric & knit: Technical nylons and coated fabrics are the order of the day contrasted with silks and fluid satins, crisp cottons or rustic linen-like textures, sometimes in one garment as in fabric-blocked ciré with linen effects. Knits add texture with dry-handle yarns in plains and stripes

Print & pattern: Stripes worked as panel details or as all-overs

Adam Kimmel

Adam Kimmel’s spring/summer collection may not have been groundbreaking in terms of setting trends or defining conceptual new aesthetics, but where this designer scores is that he produces clothes men will actually want to wear.

The look: Rugged and sporty

Silhouette: Lean but fluid casual/formal layers

Key items: Sporty outerwear is always a strong look from this designer and for summer 2012, parkas, a waxed cotton caban and rugged blousons come layered over simple zipped-through jackets and tops, to team with boyish knee-length shorts or slouchy zipped hem pleat-front pants. Zips are a recurring theme, trimming leather colour-blocked Harringtons, splicing the neck of a striped polo top or tracing the front of an easy all-in-one, while sheened suitings bring a slick look to SB tailoring. Half-sleeved resort shirts provide the blank canvas for overdyed florals or a micro skateboarder print,  soft fine-gauge knits come with the playful contrast of coloured welt trims, while a basic T-shirt gets a fashion makeover with a rainbow-coloured psychedelic logo

Colour: Black, midnight, espresso, mole, taupe and bone white with old gold and poppy highlights

Fabric  & knit: Waxed cotton, nylon, leather, drill, silky shantung effects, two-tone mohair suitings, melanged fine-gauge knits, jersey, washed linen and cotton.

Print & pattern: A grid-like pattern on dark grounds, fleck-like all-over motifs in black and white with a micro skateboarder motif, overdyed floral

Details & trims: White exposed zips, contrast welts, contrast hoods

Footwear: Work boots, simple canvas slip-on deck shoes

Accessories: Mirrored eyewear, colourful printed scarves

Read more »

Live from...Milan Fashion Week, Day 4

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani got busy with print this season, offering an exploration of macro and micro scales worked in his signature tonal blue-grey palette. These may not be the boldest prints out there next summer but this is ultimately wearable pattern play for the Armani customer.

“The use of print creates an interesting visual effect that elongates and streamlines the silhouette, which is offset by the contrasting jacket with its soft lines and natural proportions." said Georgio Armani

The look: Casual elegance

Silhouette: Relaxed tailoring, fluid volume, lightweights

Key items: Tailoring is the cornerstone of the Giorgio Armani label, and for summer 2012 suit jackets and blazers feature raised button placements allowing the lower closure to flare slightly; there are 2 and 4DB jackets, 1SBs and soft structure casual blazers in lightweight fabrications for a casual off-duty touch; there are three principal pant shapes  - tapered and neatly cropped, tapered with volume created by an asymmetric wrapover front detail and a new jodhpur derivative with a tightened lower leg, creating exaggerated volume at the crotch; outerwear highlights include a series of flyweight silk nylon rain coats, a fitted wool biker jacket and double-breasted pea coat with curved closures, and a perforated suede snake-effect zip-through jacket; neat crew-neck sweaters arrive in glossy glazed finishes and chequerboard patterns

Colour: Signature steely greys and blue in a tonal range; jet and onyx darks with chalky pales and alabaster pink with crisp resort white

Fabric & knit: Summer-weight suitings, flyweight silk nylon, denim effect silks, gauzy sheer shirtings, semi-sheer knits, washed silk, seersucker, chequerboard knits, dense cashmere wool blends, crisp cotton and poplin, perforated suede, embossed leather and croc leather

Print & pattern: Pattern was Armani's core theme for the Giorgio line this season, offering painterly horizontal stripes and faded and degradé chequerboard pattern on sweaters, bleached flecks and spots on an evening jacket, suit and shirts in diminutive spots and geometrics, neutral-coloured dogtooth and optic zigzags

Details & trims: 3-button pant cuffs, asymmetric wrap-front pants, glazed and lacquered metallic finishes, high button placements on tailoring, bound blazer trims

Footwear: Velvet slippers, suede deck shoes and casual lace-ups all with a woven jute trimmed sole, desert boots, laceless shoe-sneaker hybrids, formal oxfords in stained leathers

Accessories: Patterned silk ties, silk neckerchiefs in midnight blue, bookish optical, luxe leather totes and multipocket nylon kit bags

DSquared

Dean and Dan Caten took their DSquared boys on a European Grand Tour this season – stopping at the Nordic Fjords, Mykonos beaches and churches and galleries of Florence before hitting up the London music scene dressed as punks and mods.

The look: The Euro traveller

Silhouette: Sporty layers and skinny tailoring

Key items: The Scandinavian look comprises sporty, activewear layers built with utility jackets and parkas, chunky sweaters, checked shirts, spliced jean jackets and bombers, casual shorts, slim-leg jeans and casual chinos; the Grecian beach gods wear a variety of shorts and swimwear including dropped-crotch jersey sports shorts, speedos, short resort shorts and tight swim briefs; For the Florentine pitstop there are smart tapered chinos with fold-back cuffs worn with a denim shirt, knitted tie and leather bomber for a young take on Italian sartorial styling as well as a plethora of casual blazers worn with cropped coloured jeans; the London look fuses musical influences from punk to Mod with tight-fitting zippered biker jackets in red leather or a denim jacket with spliced leather sleeves, Teddy Boy blazers with black lapels and slim-legged tailored pants

Colour: The colour palette is a game of two halves – first up are clashing brights of orange, blue, fuchsia and green worked against a lot of bronzed skin, then latterly a combo of red, white and black with denim blue

Fabric & knit: Signature distressed dark denim, coloured denim, cotton chino, treated cottons, gingham and plaid shirting, sweatshirting, jersey, suede, washed leather

Print & pattern: Breton stripes, recoloured camo, a parrot graphic, kitsch T-shirt slogans and doodle graphics, stars, tiger heads

Details & trims: Sporty drawstrings, pieced fabric panels, pyramid studded lapels, biker zips

Footwear: Walking boots, colourful activewear-inspired sandals, casual loafers, pointed lace-up shoes in patent leather

Accessories: Skinny knitted scarves, lightweight woven cotton scarves, blunt-ended knitted ties, skinny ties, straw trilbies, trucker caps, knitted beanie hats, workwear gloves, alligator belts, gold key chains, square aviator sunglasses, geek chic opticals

Ports 1961

A well-edited collection proved simplicity works for chic summer style at Ports 1961 yesterday.

The look: Streamlined resort chic

Silhouette: Neatly tailored

Key items: 4DB suits with a longer-length jacket and full but straight-legged pant, 1SB suits are pinched for a slight flare; outerwear offers crisp sleeveless trench coats and simple fly-front car coats; semi-sheer knit sweaters are layered over patterned shirts or T-shirts, while short-sleeved summer shirts arrive in glossy ciré or smooth suede; elsewhere there are tailored shorts and polo shirts for that true resortwear style

Colour: Manila-toned neutrals with crisp optic white; intense ink blue and classic black provide the staple darks

Fabric & knit: Cotton summer suiting, semi-sheer knits, ciré, suede, leather, silk

Print & pattern: Optical lines and waves

Details & trims: Peaked lapels

Footwear: Luxe leather cross-strapped sandals, smart white leather derbys

Accessories: Chain-handled clutch bags, thin leather belts with clip fastening

Read more »

Live From...Milan Fashion Week, Day 3

Alexander McQueen

Without naming any particular names, Sarah Burton drew inspiration from English rock, channelling the rakish charm of iconic frontmen. It was a natural fit for McQueen's signature tailoring and dark flamboyance, but also tapped into the emerging trend for a rock 'n' roll renaissance seen elsewhere in Milan this week.

The look: Rock gods

Silhouette: A mix of lean tailoring and occasional easy volume

Key items: The opening looks are the leanest and meanest –  a pair of elongated straight-cut suit jackets with sharp shoulderlines is paired with straight-leg pants cropped before the break of the boot, their clashing checks and stripes setting the tone for the looks that follow; there are velvet blazers pinched at the waist with single buttons, softer shaped jackets albeit still in that longer length and wide pyjama-style pants. The sometimes foppish flamboyance of the rock god translates into shirts with flyaway neck ties or a long fluid trench coat worn with dusted plum-coloured pants and a printed silk shirt, while the offbeat sartorialism of the English rock star arrives as mix 'n' match three-piece suits; occasionally there is also a hint of early 60s mod styling, with the snug-fitting bomber jackets and nautical striped sweaters

Colour: Optic black and white with shots of red and yellow, tempered with dusty pinks, chalky neutrals and inky midnight blue

Fabric & knit: All the rock 'n' roll favourites are present – velvet, silk, lustrous patterned jacquards, lurex metallics and chest-baring semi sheer knits

Print & pattern: Bicolour humbug stripes (vertical), gingham checks in clashing scales, photoreal flames, diffused stripes

Details & trims: Lurex stripes, a creeping floral embroidery, shell trims

Footwear: Pointed ankle boots some with spectator toe caps, dusty suede Chelsea boots, slippers

Accessories: Foppish floppy hats, structured fedora with velvet ribbon and upward feather trim, round sunglasses with black-tinted lenses and glossy black frames, shell-studded belts

D&G

Print and pattern were at the top of the agenda for Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's showing for their D&G label. They ploughed a furrow through their scarf drawer, combining traditional silk foulard patterns in clashing combinations and relaxed summery silhouettes.

The look: Summer resort

Silhouette: Unstructured volume

Key items: The relaxed mood of the show permeates the soft drapey pant shapes worked in silk foulard or washed linen, often sporting a denim waistband – a homespun look, which also impacts on pieced and patched denim shirts with mismatched pockets or silk foulard panels and jersey sleeves. Drapey blousons and bombers in richly patterned silks partner soft silk shorts, distressed denim jeans and marled grey or silk foulard tees. Denim effects and washed linen ground the collection for soft unstructured suits, maybe teamed with semi-sheer knits, while a parade of foulard patterned swimwear adds the final flourish

Colour: A multicoloured extravaganza with a grounding of washed denim blues and warm nutmeg browns

Fabric & knit: Silk foulards, washed linen, leather, denim and denim effects, washed drill, jersey

Print & pattern: Extravagent scrolling scarf prints worked in clashing combinations

Details & trims: Cut-off recycled denim waistbands, elastic welt trims, drawstring waists

Footwear: Hand-stitched moccasins in foulard printed or brightly coloured suede

Accessories: Raffia trilbies, foulard printed hats

Gucci

Frida Giannini drew on the sort of  young bohemian aristos-come-rock stars that inhabited Saville Row and private members clubs like Scotch of St James in the 60s and 70s for her spring/summer inspiration. The result was a beautifully crafted collection that played with traditional values and gave them a modern youthful twist.

The look: Gentlemen’s club

Silhouette: Classic with a modern twist

Key items: This collection was built on classic wardrobe pieces, revamped with modern detailing in the snap hems on skinny pants, the collarless necklines on soft jacquard shirts, piped pockets and covered buttons on neat SB tailored blazers, thermoseal details on lean colour-blocked cabans and safari jackets or the micro check lining on a washed nappa coat. Pant shapes veer from easy rise and pleated to ankle-skimming and skinny, teamed with marled or melanged knits and a raft of luxe leathers from quilted bombers to smooth Harringtons and sinuous shirt jackets. And for evening those dashing young dudes are perfectly suited and booted in graphic checked tuxedos, blazers and silk faille pants or rock-star gold brocades and sexy lurex knits

Colour: Sand neutrals, inky blues, steel greys with pops of brick red, aubergine and sky blue for shirtings. Black and white or old gold for evening

Fabric & knit: A twist on the traditionals with pied-de-poule suitings, micro checks, Prince of Wales checks – new in waterproofed nylon – black-and-white checks, suede, washed nappa, velvet and brocade. Textured marled knits, lurex knits

Print & pattern: Woven checks rather than print and pattern

Details & trims: Contrast top collars, piped flapped pockets and covered buttons, thermoseal details creating graphic contrast on casual jackets and outerwear, back vents, buckled tab details

Footwear: Classic crocodile loafers with horsebit buckles, contrast heavy-sole derby lace-ups

Accessories: Maxi travel bags in crocodile or rawhide and canvas. Leather framed sunglasses

Versace

   

There was an experimentation with volume and proportion that felt new for Versace this season, as Donatella played with shrunken uppers and new fuller bottomweights, which, after winter's severe and strict offer, felt better for it.

Add to that Donatella's bold injection of summer colour and several of the house signatures - such as baroque motifs and Greek key prints - and the show steamrollered into a fresh and successful position.

The look: Italian stallion

Silhouette: A new focus on volume

Key items: Jackets including a plethora of bombers and bikers in a variety of fabrications feature narrow waists drawn taut around the torso to create upper volume, while pants and long shorts feature triple-pleats to bring this same sense of volume to the bottom silhouette. Tailoring also feels fresh, with new proportions seeing broad DB suits with low-breaking buttoning or elongated SB suits drawing the eye downward. Elsewhere key pieces include sleeveless tanks in glazed wet-look knits, a suede-panelled Western shirt and a slimmer trouser shape with bondage style buckles running the length of the leg

Colour: Donatella wreaked havoc with summer's colour card, going all out with shocking brights of azure blue, canary yellow, bold Kelly green, coral red with hot pink, and salmon, worked against steel and slate greys, sandy neutrals and rich tan leather; watch also for crisp resort white and lustrous black as key anchors

Fabric & knit: Light summer suitings including Prince of Wales check and dogstooth, crisp neat cottons, printed silks, perforated suede, slicked leather, mesh, open stitch knits, engineered knits, wet-look glazed knits, sheer patterened knits

Print & pattern: Greek key placements, optical Greek key repeat, signature curlicues and baroque leaves

Details & trims: Gold eyelets in placement formation, medusa-head buttons and medallions, multiple buckles

Footwear: Leather sandals decorated with Medusa-head medallions, multi-strap patent gladiator sandals styled with socks, smart suede loafers

Accessories: Smart leather holdalls, hugely oversized totes, squared sunglasses with metal greek key detail across the flat topline, ribbon key chains

Nicole Farhi

Nicole Farhi returned to the men's runways with a sparsely styled collection of clean minimal silhouettes, with an emphasis on functionality, teamed with innovative fabrications. The result was ineffably modern and clinical with a lightweight fiunctional feel.

The look: Modern minimalism

Silhouette: Clean simple unstructured layers and neat tailoring

Key items: This collection emphasises fabric innovation and functional detailing through strong tee-shaped tops and simple half-sleeved shirts overlaid with clear plastic, teamed with straight-cut basic pant shapes. Bonded Aran effects bring a tailored blazer shape up to date, while casual double-zip jackets and trench coats conceal matching mesh inners. Knitwear veers between simple textured ladder stitch tunics to a V-neck cabled tank layered over a ciré tee. This key silhouette is also worked in Neoprene with a contrasting mesh back, while mesh shorts take on an airy summer feel and functional parkas and double-zip casual jackets provide lightweight outerwear options


Colour: White dominates for a clean clinical feel, teamed with sandy neutrals, pale pebble greys, taupe, ink and black with accents of bright yellow and sage

Fabric & knit: Innovate fabrics have dominated the last few seasons at Nicole Farhi – the sort of fabrics you need to touch and feel before their compexity becomes a reality, with papery cotton, Neoprene and bonded effects, clear plastics, cire nylons, airy mesh, smooth flat jacketweights contrasting with canvas

Details & trims: Detailing takes on a new emphasis, with mesh inners, contrast fabric facing, knitted welts, double-ended zips, binding trims

Footwear: Contrast sole derbys with exaggerated rands

Accessories: Plastcic clip harnesses, sou’wester hoods

Etro

Provence and the Mediterranean coast proved fertile ground for Etro's spring/summer collection, providing a landscape of opportunity for different looks, ranging from nautical to bohemian intelligensia and Riviera playboys.

The look: A year in Provence

Silhouette: Louche, layered and unstructured

Key items: Easy oversized trench coats and soft duster coats are the perfect lightweight throw-on coat shapes to offset softly structured SB and DB tailoring layered over paisley shirts and tunics, or even sporty nylon cagoules in an offbeat sporty/formal mix. Textured knits are a key item for next summer and here they are worked with easy plaid shorts and printed paisley pants. There are nautical connotations too in the piped-edge SB blazers and striped knits, while colourful pattern mixes and relaxed separates speak of a more artistic look at play

Colour: The Provencal landscape colours a palette spanning warm earthy neutrals and sand-toned pales through to an ocean of marine and washed sky blues, with vivid accents of mimosa yellow, poppy red and lavender

Fabric & knit: Linen forms the core to the collection, coming in muted micro checks, windowpane plaids and washed plains, along with two-tone suitings, mohair, Madras plaids, cottons, nylon or ciré, silk, suede and textured cotton-blend knits


Print & pattern: Paisley is a signature of this house, and for spring/summer 2012 it is worked in warm muted colours or in bold bicolour combinations in a dark motif on a white ground, which looks new and fresh. Paisley motifs even scroll in faded tatoo-like patterns across fine-gauge knits. Elsehere, simple coin spots proliferate across shirts and even suiting, while multicoloured checks clash in mismatched combinations 


Details & trims: Nautical piping or contrast-bound edges

Footwear: Tasselled or kiltie-fringed loafers, classic loafers


Accessories: Wide-brimmed unstructured straw hats, flowing scarves, woven or plaited leather belts, striped knitted ties, Paisley printed leather totes, leather bags

Iceberg

Achieving the ultimate smart-casual mix was the aim at Iceberg, where cardigan-jackets replaced tailored blazers and traditional wool suitings such herringbone and dogstooth arrived crumpled in thin summer weights.

The look: Smart-casual

Silhouette: Comfortably lean, unstructured

Key items: The knitted 2B blazer is undeniably the star piece, as snug and comfortable as a cardigan but with definite tailored constructions. These are teamed with casual pants – either flat-front or with a double-pleat creating roomy volume at the crotch - both options rolled or cropped above the ankle. Summer styling relies on layering contrast-coloured tees with cutaway or irregular necklines, while a few sporty outerwear options including yacht jackets and flyweight nylon parkas are typical of the brand. Suits are deconstructed to achieve that smart-casual tone – a pair of Prince of Wales checked trousers exited with a snug-fitting Western shirt, its matching DB jacket arriving in the next look

Colour: The palette is built on tonal ranges of blue – from sky and ultramarine through to navy, and grey – from ash to slate – that are punctuated with flashes of bright pillarbox red and sunshine yellow

Fabric & knit: Cotton, silk, marled jersey, fine-weight suitings, pique knits, silky nylon, Prince of Wales check, herringbone and dogstooth wool suitings, thick double-faced wool, knitted Breton stripes, chunky knits, cable stitches, smooth leather

Print & pattern: Overdyed denim-effect treatments in black or blue, dip-dyed jacket edges

Details & trims: Untrimmed edges, cutaway T-shirt necklines, coloured waistbands, coloured knit strips on the inside of jacket and cardigan closures, contrast colour drawcords

Footwear: Casual blue or grey suede lace-ups with rubbed/stained toes, chunky crepe-soled kiltie-fringed suede loafers

Accessories: Bookish optical, faded leather holdall, tricolour leather satchel, a coloured nylon utility bag

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Canadian Sexy Actress Sarah Chalke Wallpapers

Sarah Chalke (August 27, 1976) is a Canadian actress known for portraying Dr. Elliot Reid on the NBC/ABC comedy Scrubs, "Second Becky" Conner Healy on Roseanne, and Stella Zinman in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. She most recently starred in the CBS sitcom Mad Love, which aired during the spring of 2011.


Canadian Sexy Actress Sarah Chalke Wallpaper


Sarah Chalke Desktop Wallpaper


Sarah Chalke Beautiful Wallpaper


Sarah Chalke Cute Wallpaper


Sarah Chalke Sexy Pose Wallpaper


Canadian Celebrity Sarah Chalke Wallpaper


Hot Beauty Sarah Chalke Wallpaper


Sarah Chalke Shows Back Wallpaper


Sarah Chalke Sexy Smile Wallpaper

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Simple, modern shapes: Esch House Quilts

When we first came across Esch House Quilts, Debbie Grifka had just revealed a quilt called Ephemeral Elegance.  A few months later, the quilt became an award-winner, receiving a blue ribbon in its category at the 2011 AQS show.  Often using solid colors and simple shapes, Debbie Grifka's modern, minimalist quilts are fresh and original. Here are a few of her great designs.

Madeline, by Debbie Grifka, at Esch House Quilts

"Madeline" is made with Debbie Grifka's newest pattern, "Spell It Out", which is available in 5 quilt sizes.  A full alphabet of letters in upper and lower case are included in the pattern, so you can personalize the quilt by spelling out any text you want in the margin !  The modern baby quilt is shown below.  You can read about "Spell It Out" here, and about "Madeline" here.

Shadow Boxes, 60 x 90", by Debbie Grifka, at Esch House Quilts

This bold, graphic quilt with its simple-to-piece shadow boxes would be beautiful in any color scheme, and can even be made with fabric scraps in medium and dark values.

Third Street Quilt, 12 1/2 x 48 1/2", by Debbie Grifka, at Esch House Quilts

Debbie Grifka designed these houses for easy construction.  She says:  "I have always loved house quilts, but the blocks have too many pieces -- so I simplified mine to just six pieces."  In addition to this table runner, you can see a wonderful quilt made with the blocks on the Esch House Quilts blog.

Image credits:  Images are shown with the generous permission of Debbie Grifka at Esch House Quilts.

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Happy Canada Day!

We will be getting dressed up in our red and white and heading out to the Canada Day festivities later.  It is a beautiful sunny day here -- perfect for celebrating the 144th birthday of our wonderful country. 

My son will be wearing this T-shirt I decorated.  I grabbed a couple of leaves from our neighbour's maple tree and whipped this up using acrylic paint.  It took maybe 15 minutes to do and it is really cute!

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(That quilt block above is one I made last year for a blogland neighbourhood swap. Now Karen of the Selvage Blog has it.)

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I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

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Posted by Riel Nason on The Q and the U

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