The Black and White of it.
Its that time of year again where my brain is on the threshold of a full fashion meltdown! I’ve spent the last month glued to style.com and vogue.com. First came the resort collections, then LCM, followed immediately by the rest of the mens collections and while they hadn’t even began to wind up we saw the beginning of the Haute Couture shows. My mind is overflowing with opinions, favorites, trend forecasts, must haves, ones to watch and even the odd ‘What were they smoking when they thought that sounded like a good idea??’... So now that my mental mainframe has had a chance to catch up with itself and the bi-hourly downloading of shows and lookbook releases has finally come to a halt, seriously, computer says no more... I decided its past time i started to share these thoughts before they’re lost somewhere between my desktop, my caffeinated state of confusion and my grey matter and surf away on yet another brainwave that failed to manifest into some semblance of productivity....
So lets start with Resort 2014. This may be a little on the delayed side but give a girl a break, my brain was hurting and the weathers been so so good... The resort collections are growing in size and influence year on year. This year saw 200 plus designers showing over 2 months and with these collections gracing our shop rails for the longest period of time they truly do set the tone for the trends to come. In otherwords invest in resort pieces and they’ll see you right through from November until the end of next summer, you may suffer slight frost bite in December and January, but thats what you call value for money!
Before I get stuck into the nitty gritty of trends and favorite collections, believe me there are more than enough of both, lets take a look at the BIG picture. An overall colour palette for the whole of resort 2014 is immediately apparent, it has filtered down through almost every designers mood board and the verdict was unanimous.... there is no denying that black and white, be they combined in a monochromatic nature or going solo in a simplistic yet classic statement are what Resort 2014 is all about. So ladies relax and rejoice because to a certain extent, but with not too much of a stretch, the monochrome ensembles you’ve invested in this season will still be on trend this time next year. Hallelujah!! Fashion and practicality have teamed up for a recession busting 2014!!
The allure of the simplistic colour negatives, so to speak, is understated and modern. The sultry seductive and sophisticated blacks contrast starkly with the refreshing confidence and graceful knowledgeable air of stylish blank whites. Its almost like a whole new master class on a classic colour palette taken for granted and seen as a ‘safe’ option for far too long. New interpretations of old classics are present throughout resort 2014 and its quite apparent that the right attitude and carriage are required to pull them off and theres no longer such a thing as a safe little number, after all the lady maketh the clothes and it takes a lot of personality to pull off a clean blank canvas. Don’t shy away tho or let yourself be intimidated by this new modern modesty, its not too modest with the return of the micro, but find confidence in the simplicity and thats how you’ll let the clothes do the talking.
The above looks 1, 2 and 3 are from Damir Doma, 4, 5 and 6 are Balenciaga and 7 is Balmain. Below are some of my favorite black and white looks from Resort 2014...
First is Alberta Ferretti's body skimming cocoon with intricate cut out lace detailing. Valentino's subdued sex appeal in a complete cover-up black floor length dress. Anne Valerie Hash does sport luxe tailoring with sheer panels. Chado Ralph Rucci's over-sized over-cool vision. Chalayan expertly executes a full black waistcoat dress. Karl Lagerfeld presents relaxed cruising in a black and white print at Chanel. The next three 7, 8 and 9 are Chloe with a master class in simplicity. Number 10 is Elie Saab grown up youthfulness with an off white body grazing micro dress. The next two 11 and 12 are Elie Taharie layering in different textures and fabrics. Ellery with a beautiful silhouette and textured cropped pants. 14 and 15 are from the ever cool Maison Martin Margiela. Marni does sophisticated and womanly with a hint of a nunnery in 16 and 17. Rochas presents classic resort in brilliant white. Heidi Slimane nails the little black dress for Saint Laurent. In 20 and 21 Sportmax tackles suiting fabrics and assymetrical hems in white and black. Stella Mc Cartney does black and white in the hopeful, springtime femininity that only she can in 22 and 23. Next, 24 is a hint of granny chic from the Olsens at The Row. Finally 25 and 26 are from Zero + Maria Cornejo, prints and textures do the talking in the designers simple and timeless signature style.
So whats your take on black and white, are you getting tired of it already or are you dying to try it in a whole new way?? I am!!
