TrendSpark

Written by Guest Writer Janine Francois

‘Sugar and spice and all things nice that is what little girls are made of,’ preaches the nursery rhyme. Which could not possibly be truer? The Romantic look is back and has been blossoming across the four fashion capitals. Think, frivolous French Aristocrat (pre revolution of course) adorned with ruffles, ribbons and lace. All these embellishments create the look, but it would not be complete without one quintessential item; the bow. The bow provides, the finishing touch, it is the icing on the cake and other such clichés. In a nutshell, the bow will be at the pinnacle for this trend next season.

The bow has always been synonymous with elegance and chic. Year in, year out, the bow has featured on the runways of the Haute Couture shows; it has the connotation of bourgeois. Madam Carven paid homage to bow in her collections and this is still evident under Pascal Millet. Let’s cast our minds back to the late 1940’s, where oversized bows were at the forefront of fashion. Christian Dior 1947 “Corolle” collection, more commercially known as the ”New Look” returned to femininity and bows were used to epitome this. It seems that John Galliano must have been flicking through these archives, for the Dior Spring Summer 2008 show; bows were used as an accessory to nip in the waist.

Speaking of Galliano, his own collection was blazed with bows, especially with her better-looking sibling- the over sized bow. A polka-dot bow was tied under the chins, covering the ear lobes and perked on the heads of the models; appearing like Minnie Mouse.

Giambattista Valli too played with the bow, using it to create empire lines on her floor length gowns. Over in Milan, Moschino seemed to have went bow-crazy, dotting them on: shoulders, lapels, hips and hair. London picked up on this momentum, Biba displayed a sleeveless canary- yellow shirt that used bows instead of buttons. PPQ used onyx-black lace to create a bow across the chest of a body-con number. Across the pond, Zac Posen splashed the bow over a knee length dress spanning from the hip to the breast.

How to wear the bow is down to a matter of taste. If you are gutsy and ooze attitude, try a Madonna inspired look from Desperately Seeking Susan. You could construct your bow in your mane while it runs wild and free. Alternatively, execute perfect revenge, by making your ex-boyfriend wince with regret.

Aspire to a Marilyn Monroe, styled pink strapless dress, with a present bow that sits snugly on your lower back; as seen in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. If that is too extravagant, you could simply tie the bow around your waist to look cute and pretty, like Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face.

The prodigy that is Christian Louboutin has masterminded a pair of jet-black stiletto shoes, that has three, two-tone double bows at the back of the shoes.  Priced at £480, these shoes are flying off shelves like hot cakes.

They are currently sold out at Net-a-porter.com, where there is now a waiting list. Myla, the lingerie boutique have the most seductive pair of satin knickers in the shade of Yves Klein blue, with a huge bow that knots on the hips of the wearer. It may not be wearable, but you will never know when it may come in handy. Whilst lurking around Portbello Road, please do check out some of the independent designers, they too have caught the bow-flu.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Oh yes m’loves, these shoes are just that D’lishuous, nice knowin ya Ma! I first found out about these futuristic gladiator shoes in one of my favorite periodicals, V-MAN (THE Bible to ye lesser ones). I was so excited because they instantly reminded me of the lego-like pumps from Balenciaga that so many people were pissin their panties for.

And I know what you’re saying, “these are from the S/S 08′ season”. Yes, but this is an art peice, it’s sooo outside of the box that it surpasses seasons. It’s something that stays in your wardrobe for years to come and when your son becomes a fashion obsessed “metro”, you can give them to him oooorrr make him wait till you die and pry them from your cold, narled corpse……..I choose the latter.

Raf Simons is a Belgian born designer with a back ground in industrial furniture design. He’s the type of artist that explores fashion in a deeper more emotional way through music and art, incorporating tradition and roots, attitudes and moods. His brand was one of the 1st to begin to experiment with slimmer, more feminine lines for menswear back in 95′. His clothes and perspective are masterful, his shoes however are worthy of armed robbery, I’m plottin’ one right now…..you should see my bedazzled stocking cap, you gotta be cute when you break federal laws.

Raf vs. Balenciaga

-Z’maji, The Glam’rist

Popularity: 4% [?]

WeAreTheMarket.com gives us their inside look at the trends spotted at this shouldn’t miss menswear event.

There were some great fashion statements at the event, which was held in an unused loft space in an office building in midtown. The party was filled with a veritable who’s who in the menswear industry with all the top buyers, editors, designers, stylists and models in attendance. Below are some of the best looks, broken into trends.

NECKWEAR

RUMPLED CHIC

STRIPES

SLEEK BLAZERS & JACKETS

Popularity: 2% [?]