Arbiter Elegantiae: Carolina Herrera

Fashion Forecast: The Karate Kid

One noticeably new trend this Spring seems to be wrap-tops with kimono-style necklines (and in some cases with belts). While some designers pulled this look off rather well - Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera - others seemed to take it from interesting inspiration to over-the-top comical (Alexander Wang, Celine). Anyway, you'll have to judge for yourself, but it's safe to say wrap-tops have a special niche in this Spring's lineup. All photos from http://www.style.com/.

Carolina Herrera

Vera Wang

Alexander Wang

Celine

Fashion Forecast: Blossoming

So I thought I would take a break from chronicling the colours of Spring 2011, and instead feature one of the omnipresent prints: florals. Florals are a Spring tradition in fashion-world, and this season saw them reinterpreted. The small prints of last year were - for the most part - replaced by a style reminiscent of a botanical encyclopedia. Carolina Herrera, Dries van Noten and Dolce and Gabbana followed this form, while the florals from Alberta Ferretti could have come from a Renaissance painting. Alice + Olivia and Oscar de la Renta both chose a Betty Draper style '60s floral pattern, while Donna Karan and D&G were more evocative of the '70s. All photos from http://www.style.com/.

Carolina Herrera

Dries Van Noten

Dolce and Gabbana

Alberta Ferretti

Alice + Olivia

Oscar de la Renta

D&G

Reem Acra

Donna Karan

Fashion Forecast: Scarlet Letter

For Spring 2011 runways designers opted to use a decidedly bright palette. One colour in particular which stood out in many designers' collections was bright red, ranging from scarlet to crimson to blood orange. Reds infiltrated the clothes and accessories of Christian Dior, Carolina Herrera, Helmut Lang, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs, Valentino and many others. Below I've included examples of red in the various shows, all photos courtesy of http://www.style.com/.