New York fashion week: Spring/Summer 2011

Although the autumn season has only just begun and we are preparing to face the cold weather, warmed by the dynamic fashionable colors of this coming winter, designers are already showing their new proposals for 2011’s next spring-summer collection, taking advantage of the famous “fashion weeks” celebrated in New York, London, Milan and Paris to lead us towards a new idea of style and elegance.

The first of these world-renowned fashion parades, “New York fashion week” took place only a few days ago, from Thursday, September the 9th to Thursday, September the 16th. This year the event left its historical location of Bryant Park to move to the rejuvenated Lincoln Center.

Many famous brands took part in this fashion parade proposing their idea of women’s style for next spring-summer 2011, concentrating on the concepts of elegance and comfort, two basic elements that determine woman’s beauty, a beauty that has to be natural and not artificial.

Both the casual and the elegant look, although different in style,  should be carefully put together, be practical but at the same time chic, and they should confer prestige and luxury on the woman, no matter where she is and what she is doing.

Dresses are not overly decorated and styles are very simple, but this elegant sobriety is enhanced by accessories such as belts or handbags whose designated task is to capture the attention of the observer who, intrigued by the detail, can’t help noticing the woman in all her superb refinement.

Buttons and stitchings are abandoned by almost all the designers taking part in the New York fashion week because simplicity is the key word of their collections.

Dresses have a rectangular shape, trousers are straight and cylindrical while jackets are boxy: this is the minimalist look proposed by Calvin Klein who agrees with a simple, linear style, with no decorations or jewels. Dresses looked like long white priests’ vestments, majestically cut to leave shoulders uncovered. Colors too are very classic, given that the Calvin Klein designer, Mr. Francisco Costa, chooses severe black  alternating with milk white. Just a couple of dresses are geranium red or teal blue.

Derek Lam remains faithful to his style in his spring-summer 2011 fashion collection and he proposes very refined and elegant dresses, shoes and accessories, which dress a woman in a very sensual way. The weather of next spring-summer 2011 will be changeable for Derek who gives women really gorgeous trenches as part of their outfits, worn over elegant suits.

Accessories are essential in the woman’s look so he proposes just a few models of handbags, but all beautiful and gorgeous, which women will fall in love with at first sight. His shopper bag is flat and made from three different kinds of leather: suede in its upper section, genuine crocodile in its central section and calf at the bottom. The tote is made of suede while the shoulder bags are in metallized python leather with a metallic closure and two decorative roses and a third one made of leather with marbled prints.

The Tommy Hilfiger catwalk is inspired by a young woman who divides her time between work and sports. Her wardrobe has to include shorts, short pleated skirts and mini dresses. However, the evening look too has its own importance given that, even a dynamic woman has to keep an elegant fluid, long dress in her wardrobe to wear for a special event.

Tommy Hilfiger’s models are almost all accompanied by very luxury handbags and clutches which look chic and sophisticated but also comfortable and manageable: the perfect fusion of refinement and ease which makes every handbag absolutely special. In particular, he proposes two models of handbags: a big tote with a wide pocket in the front section and a classic, elegant pochette enriched by a snap metallic closure and by a handle that, if necessary, transforms into a practical strap.

As far as colors are concerned, Tommy Hilfiger designers agree with strong, vivid tonalities such as pink, pearl grey, beige and yellow next to classic blue, red and white, the signature colors of Tommy Hilfiger’s brand.

Diane Von Furstenberg sees the woman of next spring-summer 2011 dressed in mini suits, or in blue classic suits recalling the waves of the Mediterranean. Tonalities are monochrome and fresh, typical of the summer season. Fabrics are soft and dresses are designed in many different lengths, according to their use. Diane Von Furstenberg also proposes dresses made from fabrics with graphic prints in many variants and shades such as pink, violet, electric blue, green, white and black.

The handbag is the undisputed protagonist of Michael Kors collection focused on a sophisticated but minimal style, addressed to a woman who loves unconventional accessories.

His models of handbags are oversized or shoulder bags, practical but chic at the same time. The key bag of the collection however is a luxury beige crocodile, wide enough to hold every woman’s personal effects, absolutely chic to wear with pride on any special occasion.

For Kors, handbags should be big and if, possible, should have shoulder straps, in order to allow the woman to wear them with ease and naturalness.

Vera Wang offers an intriguing look with low waist trousers, elegant vintage styled dresses, very chic long evening dresses next to neat shorts that, according to the designer, will be the undisputed protagonist of the next cold season.

As far as the colors go, she chooses the classic shades of black and white but also more vivid tonalities such as violet, blue, red and wine red.

Ralph Lauren imagines the woman of next spring-summer 2011 as a cowgirl living in the prairie and dressing in classic saloon wear: suede jackets with fringes, big belts and wide skirts worn with lacy shirts. Evening dresses are long and crocheted or made with shiny fabrics decorated with lace and golden streaks, while shoulder bags are enriched by fringes and clasped in the hand, just like the elegant pochette. The “in colors” of next spring-summer 2011, according to what was proposed by Ralph Lauren are sky-blue, beige and white.

Do you want to discover which styles have been proposed at the “London fashion week”? Don’t miss our next article!!!!