Spring 2018 Fashion Report

Oh, this trend is indulgently delightful. Bravo to the designers who bravely created fashion for fashion’s sake this season! Like The Wizard of Oz or the chocolate powder on a fluffy cappuccino, lovely things go down easy. But why does “pretty” have to be any less sophisticated?

Marni’s new collection proves that the simply fabulous things in life can be happily, thoroughly, and enthusiastically enjoyed. A cotton candy satin skirt finds its perfect pair in a peaches and cream bodice, both dripping with watercolor silhouettes of female figures. Gorgeous and confusing craft the perfect cocktail. 

In her bold interpretation, Olivia Palermo donned a psychedelic ruby Dior dress suit that was equally powerful and playful. 

Similarly, Issa Rae shone in a lemon meringue gown by Rosie Assoulin, proving the elegance of candy-colored frivolity. Palermo and Rae both proudly wore their sunset shades with unrelenting brightness and unforgiving femininity. 

So, on and off the dance floor, twirl unapologetically in Crayola shades of teal, magenta, and mango bon-bons.

When Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque first collaged in the early nineteenth century, it was ingenious child’s play: expressive, provocative, and primitive. But truly, designers understood the power of collage for decades, long before the Cubist revolution. Couturiers folded fabrics, assembled appliqués, and layered lengths, studying the draping of textiles until a dress burst alive.

Schiaparelli’s spring couture collection achieved this patchwork spirit through a harmonious collage of juxtapositions. A princess cut midnight chiffon gown meets a flock of gilded butterflies migrating through movements of pleats. A little black dress hemmed with fringe plays host to a lapis lazuli panther and a taffy serpent. A breezy skirt of lava lamp hues winks beneath a fir tapestry tailored into a suit jacket. 

If Diane Kruger’s Paris Fashion Week Armani number was translated into a collage, it would be a balanced portrait of tranquil landscape, black accents, and swampish sequins. 

Kate Hudson elevated the collage in a Valentino getup whose white cutouts swam in a sea of onyx.

Test drive this trend by draping a microprint floral with a racy mesh, or mix a splashy embroidery with a boxy chevron. Voila!

Adding texture to any twirl, fringe is a designer and wearer’s best friend. Fringe effortlessly makes any movement, subtle or dramatic, more visually interesting. The trend tips its hat to a variety of connotations: the edgy Parisienne, the daring Flapper, the hippie Romantic… the list continues. And today, the modern wearer embraces fringe’s full storied past and all of its iterations, while making it entirely her own.

On the runway, Salvatore Ferragamo took this trend to new heights, creating cascading dresses with feather-like fringe that bounced and moved with each model’s unique stride. And a palette of peony and pearl embraced spring with open arms.

Gal Gadot proved this trend’s staying power with a glittering Givenchy gown reminiscent of 1920s New York. The fringe added a drip of metallic glam to the elegant silhouette.

Elizabeth Banks glowed in a Ralph and Russo beaded silver number with iridescently dangling fringe. Playful, youthful, and timeless, the actress exemplified sophisticated glamour.

Simply said, fringe makes everything more fun. Shimmy and stride with confidence and personality in fringe of rose tassels or gleaming beads. The more frivolous, the more fun.