Of all the places to go in Spring 12, designers in Milan and Paris fall generally in two camps: cultural escapes or beachy locales. Of course these destinations are divided into several expressions, positioned far far away or just maybe right in your backyard. Here’s a glimpse of my favorite travel-centric themes from Milan and Paris. Dive into these and many more on Fashion Snoops.
GLOBE TROTTER. Perhaps the furthest geographical theme, Globe Trotter takes an abundance of various cultural references for a rich look. D&G does it best, fashioning an entire collection based on silk scarves.
D&G, Acne, Etro, Canali, D&G
SAFARI HOLIDAY. Luxury brands stick to a given commercial winner with a safari inspired theme. As I mentioned during runway, the safari jacket is a key takeaway.
YSL, Corneliani, Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo
RIVIERA. And now onwards to beach destination. Designers in both Milan and Paris escape to the Mediterranean with some beautiful ink blue and white patterns and tidy blazers. Side note: there’s also a strong nautical current in the air, with all the classic seafarer references in tow.
Etro, Kenzo, Z Zegna, Etro, Agnes B
HAWAIIAN TROPICS. Set to an island breeze (and frozen drink in hand), tropical patterns whisk designers away this season. Of note is Givenchy’s bird-of-paradise motif, which I’m sure we’ll see more of (hint: S12 womenswear).
Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kenzo
BLUE HAWAII. Here’s a Hawaii that’s slightly less tropical and more campy. Prada is the major force that reflects the Elvis film of the 60s which bares the same name. Part golf inspired and part Americana, cheeky Hawaiian prints take on an ultra bright color spectrum.
Prada, Enrico Coveri, Prada, Prada, Moschino
MALIBU. Welcome to the Hotel California. Fashion Snoops insiders will know that we forecasted a California theme in the not-so-distant past. In Paris both Wooyoungmi and Adam Kimmel referenced a laid-back SoCal lifestyle with subtle surf references.
Wooyoungmi, Adam Kimmel, Wooyoungmi, Wooyoungmi, Wooyoungmi
MENSWEAR 