Images left to right, Celine, Chloe, Prada, Stella McCartney, Dolce and Gabbana
So the sun is finally shining and it may be that we are finally in the throws of summer. But sartorially speaking, it's all about Autumn/Winter, and with the sales finally making room for some new arrivals it's time to look ahead and see what's instore.
One thing that will quickly be come apparent about the coming season, is that Autumn/Winter 10/'11 has the potential to define more than just a seasonal shift as it is achingly apparent that designers across the board have chosen to pare down their design,s ditching any hint of flamboyance and returning to a cleaner, crisper silhouette.
What I mean, quite simply is ... that this is the season of the purist, think grown up clothes for grown up women. Gone are the statement pieces, the overtly embellished, the acid colours and the bold prints. And in their place, chic, luxe separates in muted, neutral tones. Tux jackets, tailored trousers, A-line skirts, silk blouses, funnel necked coats in leather, cashmere et al.
Driving this new wave of minimalism, most notably, was Phoebe Philo in her second collection for Celine. Here each and every piece could be characterized as flattering, simple and sexy, or as Philo herself puts it 'Strong, Powerful, Reduced.'
Championing the look as she was, she was still far from alone in this camp with Stella McCartney, Chloe, Louis Vuitton and Prada offering up collections that channeled the same aesthetic. Even Dolce and Gabbana ditched the frivolity in an effort to reconnect with the female form, and as such delivered a stunning collection of classics.
There is some danger that classic and simple translate into dull and boring however that is
far from true in this instance. None of the excitement has been lost, just the fuss. What you do get is clothes that exude an assured confidence and sexiness that comes, not from gimmicky accents, but from expertly executed tailoring and draping as well as the precision placement of pockets, splits and slashes.
Unsurprisingly this has been a season that has really struck a chord amongst the international fashion press, who have been hanging out for the industry to reconnect with its fundamental values afters, as Sarah Mower puts it ... 'a decade spent sucking up to celebrities and, increasingly, pumping out pseudo luxury made in China.'
Whether or not we can ride this wave of classical modernity into the new season and beyond is anyone's guess, but we have just ten short weeks until the international round of Spring/Summer 2011 shows begin, when we will truly be able to gauge the impact of this tour de force. What is for certain, is that Philo's return to fashion, so far, has been nothing less an epic.
Photos: Chris Moore/www.catwalking.com
