Mixing Prints

It seems as though lately many of the hard and fast rules concerning fashion dos and don’ts we’ve previously upheld as laws are being overturned. Need I remind you of the resurrection of the clog or our newly minted enjoyment of denim on denim? I didn’t think so. So in the perhaps old but rather indomitable tradition of giving the ugly duckling a fierce makeover and sending her out into the world to bag the most popular boy at school, comes the mixing of prints—as in wearing a blouse in one print and a skirt in another. It comes as no surprise that, as a rather reliable portent of the next big thing, Proenza Schouler was one of the first brands to feature the look in its Resort 2011 collection. Although I am overjoyed by the thought of mixing but not matching, I am also of the opinion that it will take a particularly discerning fashion eye to pull it off. While your chosen prints do not have to match, it is of the utmost importance that they compliment each other; and therein lies the difficulty. One thing’s for sure, this look should make for some very amusing failed attempts.

By Jessica Best

Erin Fetherston Resort 2011 Collection

In recent years, Resort has become an important season for fashion editors and junkies alike. This means designers offer more pretty apparel for you to choose from during those winter months when you have enough money to shop and travel to warmer climates.

Case in point, Erin Fetherston, who I truly adore after her Fall 2009 Runway Show. Still on a high after the Juicy Couture appointment, Erin's Resort collection was grown-up, chic and sophisticated. With a slight Parisian influence, there were cigarette pants, sweetheart neckline dresses and one chic creme blazer with black lapels. The favorite piece was a one-shoulder metallic cocktail dress, which is a major part of the designer's DNA.

The collection for Erin Fetherston was a completer in and of itself, whereas most resort collections serve as transitional looks from Fall to Spring or extensions of designers' Fall lines. "The idea is that this collection is a self-contained wardrobe," says the designer. Let's add a slash to that creative consultant.

-Tamera Blair Darden

Runway: Christian Dior Resort 2011

On May 15th, the Christian Dior Resort 2011 Collection walked in Shanghai, China. Aside from being the first time the fashion house presented a collection in Shanghai, the fashion house also celebrated the re-opening of the Dior store and the launch of their new fragrance, Escale a Shanghai. While one may assume John Galliano was influenced by the Far East, the designer took a different route, bringing the sixties bee-hives to China.

Ruffles were all the rage, whether tiered or strategically placed. In contrast to last season's bare all and lingerie philosophy, there was more coverage and believe it or not, 3/4 sleeved jackets and coverups. Another contrast? The emergence of pretty pastelle colors in hues of white, pink and lilac from neons of the eighties revival. This collection is definitely for the pretty pin-up girl at heart.

-Tamera Blair Darden