After it’s debut at the spring/summer show, the frenzy has already started building.  On your marks…….

Grazia magazine

SEE THE TOM FORD WOMENSWEAR COLLECTION HERE 

Ford convinced his most beautiful and stylish friends to model the collection for him, whilst he announced them. Beyonce’ Knowles, Lauren Hutton, Liya Kebede, Rinko Kikuchi, Stella Tennant, Amber Valletta, Natalia Vodianova, Karen Elson, Karlie Kloss, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Julianne Moore, amongst others, showcased a collection which reminded onlookers of Ford’s best collections for Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.

“There’s continuity from what I was doing at YSL at the end; that’s the customer,” Ford admitted. “It’s about individuality. Real clothes, real women. For a fashionable woman aged 25 to 75. That’s why I literally put many of my own muses in the show. I hear them say, ‘God, I can’t find that anywhere!’ “
So, does this expansion of his own line mean his priority is fashion once again?

“The day I don’t love to do it, I’ll sell it,” he told US Vogue. “Because we’re all only here for a little while, and nothing we do or make has any permanence at all. I care now because I’m doing it. I want to be proud of what I do. Which may be ten or 20 years – who knows?”

Lauren Milligan ~ www.vogue.co.uk

After winter’s dark mood, prints emerged on the spring summer catwalks. There were hot hues, striking monochrome stripes and florals in every incarnation from delicate buds to exploding blooms, as well as fashion’s newest innovation – techno prints, inspired and influenced by computer generated designs and the continued collision between technology and textile design.

Floral (Roberto Cavalli)

Roberto Cavalli ushered in a new mood in Milan. Delicate chiffons printed with rose buds and spring blooms added femininity and lightness when layered over and under tailoring, knitwear and denim. 

Techno Print (Peter Pilotto)

 
Peter Pilotto are fashion’s hottest new design stars right now. The boys wowed London Fashion week with their accomplished collection of techno prints inspired by natural landscapes – which were showcased in dynamic, sculptural silhouettes like this striking dress. This is the label on everyone’s lips for spring 2010, confirming techno prints as the print to wear now.

Tie Dye (Proenza Schouler)

The Proenza Schouler show is a New York Fashion week highlight. This season Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were inspired by scuba diving, surfing and skating – all sunny pastimes from their youths. The result? Beach inspired tie-die prints that looked modern and fresh – you could almost smell the sea.

Arrived is this ‘Fine Art’ dress, from a company called ‘Me & Thee’.  ‘Me & Thee’ are the brain child of Joanne and Brian, both trained and worked in graphics and printing for major High Street stores before deciding to venture out on their own.  Me & Thee incorporate both florals and techno prints in their collection, both of these printing techniques are to be found in our collection of ‘Me & Thee’ so check back at the end of the week to see our full collection.  One word ‘Beautiful’

View it here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/evening/prom-dresses/cat_13.html

Why not look at your local boutique??!!  We stock unusual brands that you won’t find on every high street, generally good quality and that won’t date as soon as you’re back off holiday!!!

Check out a couple of items below from a lovely company called ‘Star Mela’  They specialise in Holiday/Beach wear!!!  Beautiful embroidery, beading, bright colours and great fabrics.

The gorgeous kaftan will be a holiday staple for some years to come, in fact you could wear this at home with beige leggings or even skinnies, dress with a pair of ‘Toe posts’ and you have a great look.

Why not add ‘Laney’ embroidered dress to your suitcase?, again this sundress you can wear at home or on holiday, just add a denim jacket!!

Team with the beautifully embroidered pouch with plaited strap, this you could also use home and away, year after year.  Comes in ecru or black background.

View them here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/holiday/resort-wear/cat_14.html

As faithful readers of Citrine’s blog no doubt know, boudoir-inspired styles are having a major moment right now and it’s all about lingerie galore this spring! While your mother might not approve of these lingerie looks, ’tis the season to reveal your underpinnings—in a fashionable way, of course! Of course, showing off one’s foundation garments can be a decidedly tricky proposition, which is why it’s good to know how directional dressers like Gwen Stefani and Irina Lazareanu execute this runway look in real life. 

Of course, it’s also intriguing to see how trendsetters are interpreting the trend—especially since the subsequent outfits are so fabulous! Much like the looks at Fendi, our favourite celebrity styles are perfectly tempered and offer a combination of diaphanous tops with covered legs. The most popular way to balance a lingerie-showing shirt is to pair it with some jaunty pants, as Irina Lazareanu and Margherita Missoni recently did, albeit in very different ways. Lazareanu turned up at Anna Sui’s F/W 10 show wearing a sheer YSL blouse tucked into wide-leg trousers and topped with a tux blazer, while Missoni attended a Tar Magazine dinner in Milan last week clad in Missoni’s Sissy Tank Top and Sofia Cropped Cardigan with a pair of floral Kenzo harem pants.

If you are inspired by the lingerie looks here check out our lingerie inspired dress below:

View it here http://www.citrine-online.co.uk/evening/prom-dresses/cat_13.html

WWD.com

“I’m really happy with how it’s going,” said Richie. “The collection is inspired by the Sixties and Seventies – I’m a big fan of that era; the music as well as the clothes – and I like the idea that clashing, in prints and colours, just didn’t exist then! It’s also inspired by the kind of clothes I like to wear. I think in summer especially, when it’s hot, you just want clothes to be loose and easy. I wouldn’t design something I wouldn’t be happy to wear.”

The designer – who was sporting her new engagement ring along with a Winter Kate floaty top, skinny jeans, ankle boots and trademark floppy hat – admits she does find the media obsession with what stars wear in their everyday lives “a little bizarre” but insists it doesn’t impact the way she dresses.

“I’m just really busy, you know?” she smiled. “My kids are two, and five months, and I’m working a lot as well as looking after them. I don’t have a lot of time to think about what I’m wearing. It’s funny because if they looked closer they’d see I’d probably been wearing the same jeans and tank top for the past four days, just with a different layer over the top.”

Taken from interview with Vogue.com

Explore fashion’s new obsession with deep blue, in every shade from the hottest lapis to the darkest navy.  Ruffles, pleats and embellishment, mixed with bold tribal-inspired jewellery, bring depth, daring and dynamism to springs coolest hue. ‘Parillai’ has the tribal print with the lux of silk, team with toe posts for a great holiday outfit.

How to wear it:

*give luxe pieces a primal edge with a tribal collar

*midnight blue takes on a yet darker allure with the sexiest sky high shoe boots

Finish it with our over the shoulder pouch bag by Mimi Berry in Cloud Blue, or even a scarf tied nonchalantly around your hair to protect it from the hot sun on holiday.  (you could add conditioner in the day and hide your hair under the scarf, hey presto beautiful shiny locks at night!!)

While there are loads of spring trends we cannot wait to explore (extreme wedges, and digital prints, oh my!) we couldn’t help but notice that some of our most-watched dressers have been venturing off into exotic territory and wearing a trend that we have affectionately termed Asian Fusion fashion. Though some of these pieces seem like they could be souvenirs from a trip to the Far East, the current iteration of this look is actually anchored in the American and European fashion communities. Specifically, the style sprung from talents like Marc Jacobs and the inimitable Vivienne Westwood, both of whom sent brilliant brocades, deft draped garments, and gloriously printed pieces down their S/S 10 runways.

Check out our very own Asian Headdress pictured below:

We wanted to dole out a few pointers on how to wear these eclectic and decorative styles. While Marc Jacobs and Vivienne Westwood’s runway shows offered extreme head-to-toe looks (the Kabuki makeup on the models certainly adds to the theatrical aura), we particularly like the fresh way these four fashion-philes are wearing these Asian-influenced pieces. By mixing a cheongsam-style top or a kimono-sleeve jacket with closet staples like silk harem pants, jeans, or chic winter shorts, these pieces are getting decidedly modern fashion cred.

Excerpts from Who, What, Wear

Scorching shades of red stormed the catwalks this season, drenching S/S10′s most covetable pieces with hues of vermilion, raspberry and coral.  Dive in with bright, clashing accessories and just a touch of contrasting black for a look that’s bold, brilliant and bursting with power!!  Have a look at our ‘Gypsy05′ organic cotton maxi dresses that are made in a solar powered factory in downtown LA!! 

Lauren Conrad of ‘The Hills’, pictured here, has it in every colour!  Want to look like a goddess??? You will in this dress, it’s gorgeous and good to the planet too.  (Also available in yellow and shades of grey)

How to wear it:

*romantic ruffles and soft draping jersey add texture

*highlight searing flashes of scarlet with accessories in fun clashing     colours or warm with luxe gold

*pair a long dress with a contrasting jacket for simple evening elegance.

Finish with a clash of colour with a sequin clutch (Check out Accessorize for them), add a bold gold tribal collar or cuff!!  Bright red lipstick would be too heavy, go for a red lip gloss instead!!

Of all the trends for Spring/Summer 2010 that were evident on the catwalks of the world, my two favourite were Nude and Underwear as Outerwear!!  Nude ruled at Lanvin, Antonio Berardi, Stella McCartney and Fendi, replacing black and grey as our colour staples.  Preen, Dolce & Gabbana, Stella McCartney and Dior.

For day team khaki or cream pants or jeans and a soft leather jacket; for evening how about a sexy draped shoulder dress or how about the ‘Garan’ dress below, Nude and Underwear as Outerwear in one look.  Dior teamed their lacey slip with a short trench coat to great effect. 

How to wear ‘Nudes’:

*team lighter more feminine pieces with modern tailoring such as a work suit.  

*experiment with the full palette: mix different tones.

*buy jackets and tops that complement YOUR skin tone. 

How to wear ‘Underwear as Outerwear’:

*stick to a palette of black, stone, nude and taupe.

*mix with tailored pieces by day.

*add suede and leather in neutral shades for an urban feel and to play down the feminine connotations.

Team with matte lipstick in coral.  A dusting of bronzing powder adds a subtle hint of colour and prevents you looking washed out!