Thursday, January 14, 2010

Spring 2010 Preview: Top 10 Collections

The turn of the New Year usually signals only one thing to fashion insiders: spring preview! While the season itself is still months away, we’ve been pouring over countless runway looks to bring you the very best in spring trends. Here, we showcase the top 10 collections from the international runways.

LANVIN

Alber Elbaz’s beautiful collection for Lanvin – possibly the strongest of the spring runways – was a masterful display of drapes and ruffles in gorgeous salmons, pinks and neutrals. Combined with the accessories, the collection was, simply put, a masterpiece.

VALENTINO

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli really hit it out of the ballpark with their sophomore collection for Valentino. The newcomers made a complete departure from the brand’s signature collections (not a red dress in sight!) and instead shifted their focus to exquisite organza and lace minidresses in a dusty palette of grays and nudes.

CHANEL

Karl Lagerfeld and his coquettish farm girls at Chanel – another of our favorites – wowed the fashion scene with their to-die-for figure-hugging jackets, full skirts, and microminis in rustic-inspired braided knits, frayed tweed, and hand-stitched crochet.

BURBERRY

Christopher Bailey’s return to London from Milan signaled a tribute to the label’s roots – the trench – albeit for a much younger generation. The iconic coat dazzled down the runway in glamorous draped versions and sexy tulle incarnations in beautiful nudes and muted pastels.

BALENCIAGA

As always, edge was the key concept at Balenciaga. This time around, however, Nicolas Ghesquiere took the concept even further, showcasing a futuristic – yet entirely wearable – collection of rock’n’roll-inspired hoodies, pants, and dresses in monochromatic tones, slightly tainted with limes and oranges.

CELINE

Phoebe Philo presented a genius collection at Celine in her much-anticipated return to the runway: minimalism was the word of the day with simple tailored pieces that were masterfully cut (at the bust, shoulders, and mid-knee) in a pared-down palette of blacks, whites, and nudes.

GIVENCHY

Givenchy’s Ricardo Tisci cemented his status as the designer to watch at the Paris shows. His spring collection – a brilliant play on proportions – melded geometric cuts and graphic prints in a severe black-and-white palette.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Oscar de la Renta’s magical collection featured exquisite full-length evening gowns (some of the only ones seen on spring’s runways) embellished, ruffled, and detailed to the core. As per usual, the designer showcased his brilliant talent in creating black-tie ready-to-wear, with pops of color throughout.

PROENZA SCHOULER

Inspired by their childhood past-times – surfing and skating – designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez presented a color-blocked, sporty spring collection peppered with aquas and blues. Full skirts and long-sleeved tops accompanied breezy dresses for a signature Proenza Schouler look that is sure to be the staple of every girl-about-town come spring.

RODARTE

Last – but not least – the sisters Mulleavy set the bar high for tribal, showcasing the strongest collection to feature the trend. With body tattoos and gothic influences galore, the Rodarte show took the line’s signatures to the extreme: incredible construction met swaths of fabric for a fierce, highly unexpected warrior look for spring.