Fashion shows present new looks for spring season

Marcella Venizale Assistant A&E Editor

The first month of 2005 has already proved eventful for the fashion world. Not only have we just seen the commencement of the spring haute couture runway shows in Paris as well as the women’s ready-to-wear lines, but the men’s fall and winter 2005 collections have also been recently showcased in Milan. The New York Fashion week will be held Feb. 4-11, as well.

Many of the men’s collections seemed to be a response to the outsourcing of fine textile production to China. Italy has traditionally been the center of this industry, but has since seen its small mills relocated to China. Well-established design houses such as Armani, Miu Miu, Gucci, and Valentino, plus debuting designer Roberto Menichetti have provided reissues of styles dating back to nearly the Renaissance period, when production local to Italy was king.

The viewing of the present through the lens of history seems to have become a necessary ideal for the fashion world to embrace.

Extremely cropped jackets and tight pants made of luxurious materials such as velvet, of which the country was once the leading producer, and large and intricately detailed leather belts were seen in nearly all shows.

In women’s fashion, we’ll now be able to see if the trends forecasted on last year’s runway will be lasting or as serious a flop as the poncho. The emphasis for the upcoming spring season seems to be on femininity, soft fabrics, bright colors, piled-on accessories, and elegantly tailored outerwear. Throwbacks to more proper, ladylike fashion have been done to death and this season seems to be turning back the clock to a more youthful look.

Both Marc Jacobs’ signature line and sister label Marc by Marc Jacobs made use of the season’s lively color scheme. While the Marc Jacobs line was defined by balance, Marc by Marc Jacobs was more chaotic. Different prints and tropical colors seemed erratically combined, but on a closer look revealed careful precision: mix two pieces the wrong way and the entire look would fail. In this case, outfit assembly was as important as the clothes themselves.

Both Proenza Schouler, designed by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, and renowned French fashion house Chloe, designed by Phoebe Philo, have had a noticeable focus on elegance and softness. While Proenza Schouler’s color palette was not comparable to Marc Jacobs’ in terms of intensity, richer colors, such as mint green, lavender, gold, and brown, were used to accentuate silk, velvet, and wool pieces. Having entered the fashion world very recently, the label has already produced collections which have earned them a strong reputation.

Chloe is such a legendary label, once favored by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, that a lot was riding on the success of new designer Phoebe Philo’s concepts. She has managed to establish a kind of casual elegance with loose silk skirts, tuxedo pants, and a signature dress, which can be dressed down for everyday or dressed up for a night out. This combination of practical and formal has made Chloe a wardrobe staple.

When he first entered the scene, Zac Posen was touted as the designer to watch, and although his collection was not flawless, it did affirm his ability to design comfortable and lean-lined sportswear pieces, as well as intricate evening gowns. He has also been honored with being chosen to sign on with Givenchy as head designer, but he denied the request to focus on his own line.

So how can a student on a budget work some runway-inspired pieces into his or her wardrobe? In the past year, retail stores such as H&M have recruited big-name designers like Karl Lagerfeld to design collections for their stores. While the clothes may not be the same quality as Lagerfeld’s Chanel collection, the cheaper version shares some of its main characteristics. The Marc by Marc Jacobs line is also less expensive than the signature line, and the clothes better suited for everyday wear.

For accessories, skip H&M’s boring choices for Banana Republic, which has come out with a more intricate and colorful jewelry line. Costume jewelry and bright plastic pendants for earrings, necklaces, and bracelets will likely be popular as well, and these pieces are usually very economically priced and easy to find.

Zara, Spain’s answer to H&M, is also an inexpensive alternative. Their clothes are similarly modeled on runway fashions, but their stores lack the clutter that can frustrate H&M shoppers. H&M has also extensively developed their men’s selection, and options for men are now as equitable as the women’s choices.

So, even though this winter has been a cold mess so far, spring will soon be here with its vibrant colors to liven up our wardrobes.