Knitted neutrals are absolute heaven when there’s a bite in the air. But after a few months of being weighed down in wool, we all start to crave the light, colourful fabrics of spring. The temperature hasn’t caught up yet, but luckily, Paris Fashion Week’s couture runways for spring 2011 are in full swing. Here, the best prints we have to look forward to in spring.
Dreamy watercolours/florals
The classic spring print, floral, unsurprisingly appeared numerous times on the runways of classic designers Chanel, Valentino and Elie Saab. And if watercolour florals weren’t feminine enough, all three designers paired the print with chiffon. Elie Saab and Valentino used flowing evening gowns for their chiffon canvases, while Chanel stuck to skirts and tunics in pastel shades.
Badass polka dots
You wouldn’t have thought polka dots would pop up in Jean Paul Gaultier’s edgy melé©e of leather, lace and mohawk models. But Gaultier made polka dots a badass genre all their own. The print appeared on sexy ruched dresses complete with frayed edges and long Cruella-esque fur-trimmed coats, with dots in muted dark reds and blues. Christian Dior also sexed up dots on their runway, showing up in a dark red and black pencil skirt.
Feminine geometric
Giorgio Armani Prive’s show was like couture for the Jetsons, with lots of colourful metallics, UFO-like headwear and geometric. In a sea of futuristic imagery, making their geometric prints in-your-face would have been all-too-easy. But while their geometric was definitely bold, it stayed feminine with bright colour block skirts, sequins and gems. Geometric prints also got a feminine twist with Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel.
Diamond checks
One of the most memorable prints to show up on numerous couture runways, diamond checks ran the gamut from classic elegance at Chanel to sequined crosshatching at Christian Dior and soft, muted imprints at Valentino. Chanel used the diamond check print on an absolutely stunning silhouette “ the classic pencil dress, with a high neckline and clean lines. This one got a touch of femme and glamour with the added beading and soft pink ribbon.
