Russh Magazine

MUSCULAR
Like a modern day armour it clung to the form, unveiling a more architectural approach to body conscious. Here you can really see the inner workings. Leather so light and pulled taut to sculpt. A delineation of curves at Chloé. A celebration of function and physique at Céline. Part superhero, part street-walk warrior, there’s something anatomical going on. It’s a good time to stay in shape.

THE CLASH
Here comes a graphic punch. It’s a spring of stripes, spots, patterns, prints and – preferably – all together. From expressive art at Rodarte and maximal stripes at Jil Sander to ‘minimal baroque’ at Prada, disharmony never looked so good. The new generation conflict came at Missoni with their take on modern art – mixing pyschadelic with words from 90s rap songs: Rump, Shake, Honey. It’s mad but it works.

MINIMALISM TO THE MAX
You could call it Narciso being nostalgic. Or post-Calvinism. Or 90s Helmut. But these are new clothes; simple and pared back to the extreme. “You don’t have to show too much to get what you want,” tips Phoebe Philo and nowhere was this more clear than at Céline. At Jil Sander, haute couture met the white T-shirt. Simplicity this season comes in stripped-back pieces; a slip dress cut on the bias, a lean shift, feather-weight suiting. Add nothing and go.

BURNING WHITE
Spring is about rebirth and this season bought a new optimism in the iciest shades of alabaster to the warmth and luxury of ivory. White is the new nude. Alexander Wang’s anti-black collection led the charge, followed by Michael Kors’ preppy take in linen, and Rick Owens’ aerodynamic angels inspired by Picasso’s doves, and Calvin Klein’s 10 white frocks. It can be starkly minimal or decidedly elaborate, all without the distraction of colour. Such intrinsic purity requires discipline. Just make sure you have nothing to hide!

WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG
The waists were high and the hems were lingering but there’s more to this than ‘maxi’. It’s tall, lean and lanky. With a new sense of length and leg, spring’s the time to DROP IT DOWN. Floor-sweeping or ankle flashing, this new length says there’s no need for knees. Dries Van Noten, Alexander Wang and Rag & Bone agree.

SHEER
To reveal or not reveal? In a twist of wit, transparency proved demure when paired with a loose silhouette of long, languid layers. Underwear became outerwear at Richard Nicoll (without being obvious), while Givenchy’s chiffon over skirts had wing-like appeal. Ethereal. Feminine. Alluring. From Chloé to Araks, the message was clear: it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

IT LOOKS LIKE DENIM
Jean-genius. We couldn’t live without it and this season it has taken on a new structure. Stella McCartney saw a “play on denim” with polo shirts in fine knits and denim colourway. Derek Lam doubled it up but it was anything but dirty. His indigo linen made A-line shirts, flared trousers and smart tailoring. It’s more minimal and less distressed. Durable denim is working even harder

WILD
There were monkeys at Prada, swans at Mui Mui, a zebra and a panda at Louis Vuitton.
While it sounds like we’re been let out of the zoo for spring the reality is something slightly more untamed. Collections went feral with animal print – in leopard and snake – proving it’s time to escape the jungle.

PRO VINCIAL
Long days under the sun can change a peasant girl. Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian beauty was about to be married when she ran off with the trousseau, Anna Sui’s tripped through the golden fields with abandon to find Laurel Canyon, and at Fendi the rural lass turned bourgeoise in an instant. Everywhere, it was homespun. A frill, a ruffle, print. Romance. Shut your eyes and dream.

METAL MOUTH
Sometimes it takes an eight-inch heel, python and jeans so studded they’ll shred to get your head banging. Tough elegance stays with us for spring as leather and metal looks ranged from biker chic to punk couture. Burberry did high shine, Balmain, safety pins, and Balenciaga mixed in just enough vinyl to make it scream. Go on, be a hell raiser.

GO ALL OUT
It’s back. Say hello to highly saturated glamour. But as Alber Ebaz asked: “Can modernity and glamour live together?” His Lanvin girls proved it true with tight silhouettes on great bodies that screamed sexual appetite circa 2011. There were splits showing a luscious sense of the length at Stella, provocative Studio 54 girls at Marc Jacobs and at Gucci, slick sophistication that would make David Bailey proud. Jil Sander, Emilio Pucci and Halston did their thing. It’s a salute to YSL, homage to the 70s and, best of all, an invitation to party. Be not afraid of your own elegance.

SUITED
Imagine what it feels like to be appropriate? You’ll never know now the suit is the new rebellion. Wearable doesn’t do it justice. From Céline to Stella to Calvin Klein, soft tailoring in spring’s most vulnerable shades is soft but intimidating; seductive, not obvious. Reveal all or nothing. There’s nothing like a little bespoke charm to present the true paradox; no can in fact mean yes.

MAN ABOUT
In the words of Lou Dillon “I always wonder when I wake up, man or woman?” Lucky for her they live in total symbiosis as this season takes a testosterone shot in the most delicate of ways. The machismo started at Margiela with androgynous shirts, cut crisp while Victor & Rolf’s were feminine and layered. Loose pants made the grade at Philip Lim, Paul Smith and Michael Kors. At Dsquared things got laddish with schoolboy hats and shorts, and shoes at Balenciaga were Pierre Hardy-prep. Even Isabel Marant’s Parisian punk dated an American footballer. But it was Dries Van Noten who truly took from him and made it hers, with shirt-tales and super-sized jeans. And the boyfriend blazer? This time he’s a much older guy. The SS 11 look is not so much about the empowerment of the woman but the celebration of MAN-OH-MAN.

SHE'S A RAINBOW
When the Rolling Stones sang “she comes in colours everywhere” surely it was to a girl with a knack for colour blocking? Now is the time to wear an orange dress and purple parka. Brights were layered up at Jil Sander, Gucci’s jewel tones were interrupted only by gold and Fendi colour blocked on wedges to seal the deal. If anyone asks, just reply, “I’m a rainbow today”.