God there’s nothing quite like a do-over. Admittedly, JW Anderson’s second collection for Topshop was already scheduled when the first collection hit the store. None the less, it’s interesting to see how Anderson approached this second go around.
Fall has just begun. My kids haven’t even been back to school a full day yet. And I already feel like my entire fall clothing budget is spoken for several times over. While this is causing me a major anxiety attack, I suppose it is a positive comment on the state of fashion. Among other things, not only are there some great collaborations set for this fall, but the prices are even a tad more modest than some of spring’s designer collaborations. I hate to pick favorites, but … ok, why not. There are a lot of clothes I LOVE this fall, but the designer collaboration I am most looking forward to is JW Anderson x Topshop. The lookbook posted recently on Vogue UK includes 55 pieces, but these are the ones that scream to me “Must Have!” — the Irish designer, on trend with a seeming surge in fascination with all things Scottish, has some killer plaids, and he is at his best when layering patterns:
plaid tops £49.99 each
We’ve discussed shoes, printed jeans and floral dresses, but the other key item this season — the one that’s almost the easiest to wear — is the floral print jacket. Personally, I’m a fan of the light weight bomber jacket. There is also the cousin style of the pseudo letterman jacket, but the idea is pretty consistent either way. And if you ask me, they’re beyond cute. They are a little young looking, but I think that designers have tweaked the style to come up with jackets that really anyone can wear.
Sportmax Stefy Floral Print Jacket $756.00
If fall’s most mystifying trend was the mullet dress, spring offers an equally mystifying take on the idea. For spring it’s all about the peplum skirt. This is one of those trends that I am skeptical I will ever be able to get on board with. I am usually one to buy into just about any and every trend. I believe firmly in the concept so eloquently played out on Leandra Medine’s blog The Man Repeller, that women dress not for men, but largely for themselves and each other, and there is an enormous amount of pleasure to be gotten from indulging in the most preposterous of trends no matter how ugly and inexplicable men might find them. When I think about fashion and getting dress, it aspires at its best to art, not to a sales pitch for my sexuality. But a girl’s got to draw the line somewhere, and the peplum may be one of the most horrid design elements I have ever seen.
The peplum skirt was certainly a presence on the spring runways…
whether at Jason Wu
As spring gets into full swing, and the stores are starting to hold spring sales, it seems like must have item this spring and summer is not in fact floral jeans (although they’re still great, so don’t worry if you followed my earlier advice and got a pair), but the floral dress. As a certain kind of over the top Monet floral print becomes ubiquitous, it seems like everywhere I turn Erdem has suddenly become “the” brand. It may be that I only recently became aware of it and others have known the label for a while. But it suddenly seems to be in every magazine, on every celebrity, in every boutique …. And Erdem’s forte, as it turns out, is a certain style of floral print constructed into garments that seem almost sweet (kind of Mad Men style) but is tailored with a modern edge that tempers what could easily come across as awfully saccharine. Is Erdem popular because the floral thing is such a big trend right now, or did the line play any kind of a role in shaping the trend? That’s deep, right?
Erdem Spring 2012 Collection
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