WELL EX-SHOOOES ME!

For those who know how to decode, few items tell as much about the wearer as the shoe. This S/S's collections gave us the gamut...the good, the bad and yes, the ugly. From the heels that paired with the charming, sugary, ultra feminine trend to the sneaks that supported athleticism...before you choose, it helps to know your shoe speak.


Heels are for those who pay other people to do the walking or the driving. And whereas our feminist foremothers denounced heels of any kind as hobblers of women, today's lipstick feminists extol them as an image of power. Givenchy, Calvin Klein and Gianfranco Ferre stated their belief that in the women vs. women world, heels will always spell authority. 

From left: Givenchy, Gianfranco Ferre and Calvin Klein did sky high heels.

High tech sneakers are the choice of those who walk but are really on their way to something bigger. These women pair their shoes with an iPhone and a Blue tooth. They're busy, caffeinated or raw, and know where to get the best massage, sesame noodles or vintage Chanel bags. Marc by Marc Jacobs and Y-3 were very much down with that.

Y-3 and Marc Jacobs went sporty chic with sneakers.

Women who opt for flats like Haider Ackermann's open backed oxfords, Valentino's cozy version of the espadrille or the traditional Tod's driving flats are something else. They've climbed the ladder of power in pumps but are too mature for patent or neon sneakers.
They're now exploring their inner selves. These women read a lot and burn scented fig candles. They are grounded and stay close to the pavement.

Clockwise from left: Backless oxfords at Haider Ackermann, sweet lacy espadrilles at Valentino and canary yellow Tod's  walk close to the ground.

The ugly shoe, as represented at Marni, Proenza Schuler, Chanel and Burberry Prorsum was traditionally used to make an anti-fashion statement. Today, fashionistas love to embrace styles that other ignorants might deem ugly, transforming ugly into hipness in a way that is difficult for the general public to grasp. It takes a bold spirit to trot out in these shoes with soles only a mother could love.

Clockwise from top left: Proenza Schouler, Marni, Burberry Prorsum, and Stella McCartney played the ugly card. 

Mules, as seen at Prada, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu are for attention-grabby on-the-go Cinderellas. They never know when they will step out of their mule as easily as they stepped into it. The possibility that a Prince Charming might actually hand them their wayward shoe, is what helps them put up with the shuffle required to negotiate sidewalks in the (at times awkward) mule.

Clockwise from top left: Fendi, Prada, Miu Miu and Vuitton slipped on some mules.

And then there's the photogenic bunch. Those shoes that made such an impact on the runways that fashion and accessory editors can't get enough of them. Alexander McQueen's blush rosettes, Prada's great balls of fire, Celine's play on proportions or Vuitton's metallic toes. The damsel that opts for these is what we call a shoe stalker. She's been all over the target shoe since last fall when they first appeared. She's dog-eared pages, memorized style numbers and sourced stockists. She's watched their media blitz with a precise calculated plan for the buy. Her name can be found between number 1 and 9 on the wait list and when she does get her hands on them, she spends days just introducing them to the rest of the gang in her closet. A little nuts, yes, but then again, the shoes will never tell.

Clockwise from above left: McQueen, Vuitton, Celine and Prada all had entries voted most  likely to succeed.

ORANGE YOU GLAD I DIDN'T SAY BANANA?

From left: Alberta Feretti, Matthew Williamson and Etro were among the lot of designers who saw orange for S/S12.

It's a color that has often been associated with the lowly and the offbeat - think prison jumpsuits, Hare Krishna robes and Halloween decor. Unexpectedly, the color orange is growing up and stepping out. Etro, Matthew Williamson, Giambattista Valli and Alberta Feretti all had orange moments on their catwalks for Spring/Summer 2012. In fact, orange is so popular a hue, that it's being dubbed "the color of the millennium" by the Color Association of the USA, a group that tracks universal color trends. 

Clockwise from above left: Silk-chiffon dress by Diane Von Furstenberg at www.net-a-porter.com, Givenchy 

bag at www.farfetch.com, Jil Sander shorts at www.net-a-porter.com.

So why is this color getting such good press? For the fashionable it's a 3-fold answer: 1) it works beautifully with black or grey (our perennial uniform color) 2)it's a little more serious than pink 3) it's done some social climbing from parking pylon orange to a more refined cantaloupe. In a word...orange has become the Cinderella of colors. 

Clockwise from above left: Nina Ricci off-the-shoulder dress at www.net-a-porter.com, Pierre Hardy wedges at www.kirnazabete.com, Alexander McQueen leather pants at www.net-a-porter.com, ring by Kendra Scott Otylia at www.neimanmarcus.com and one-shoulder Gimabattista Valli top from www.luisaviaroma.com

FEMME LA BOHEME

Clockwise from top left: Nicole Richie, Mary-Kate Olsen and Sienna Miller  do boho proud.

The uptight urbanite - sleek, french manicured and not a hair out of place, has a serious fashion rival to contend with this summer. The "Femme La Boheme" is moving from the fringes of fashion to take center stage. Unlike her ponytailed, twinset wearing sister, this girl is care-free and adventurous. Make no mistake, she's not a messy hippie flashback...big difference here. It's less unwashed and more world-travelled. Marni, Burberry Prorsum, Barbara Bui and Missoni all ran their boho beauties up and down the catwalks. Our gal channels Nicole Richie, Sienna Miller and Mary-Kate Olson all at once. 

Isabel Marant Jasia smock top (left) from www.net-a-porter.com and Winter Kate Gypsy Rose tassel vest (right) from  www.theoutnet.com

To that end, you will most likely see her wearing pieces from Winter Kate, Elizabeth and James, Matthew Williamson or Isabel Marant. Think peasant blouses with jeans, shawls and maxi dresses, smock tops and shorts, and beachy, tousled hair that reveals the cheekiest pair of bohemian earrings peeking through. At her most restrained she's in a relaxed Theyskens Theory blazer, worn open enough to show a splash of neon underneath. Fringes and patchwork are her friends, and appear on anything from skirts to bags. Go ahead, walk on the wild side and interpret your own version of this free spirit with full poetic license. 

Samura turquoise and coral earrings (only $39!) at www.fantasyjewelerybox.com (left); Theyskens Theory jacquard blazer at www.thecorner.com (right)

Anna Sui fringed tote at www.stylebop.com (left); Lu Flux patchwork shirtdress (right) at www.farfetch.com.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF EAST EGG

Oh grow up Mr. Nick Caraway! The era of dreaming is far from over…as long as there are catwalks there will be dreams of trends to come. One of the biggest of these for S/S12 is dressing for a Jay Gatsby party. Designers from Roberto Cavalli to Ralph Lauren to Alberta Feretti were all about beating Baz Luhrmann to the punch (he’s redone the epic film in 3D with Leo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan).

Clockwise from top left: Flapper girls at Alberta Feretti, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Oscar De La Renta, Sonia Rykiel and Gucci.

Beading, fringing, and rally ready sportswear are all great ways to embrace the trend that listens for the roar of the Twenties. Think decadence and then some… gold flapper dresses, cloche hats, skirts in sumptuous fabrics that hit mid knee cap, perfect for a few turns at the Charleston. Blame it on princess Kate (no not William’s wife, the OTHER Kate (Moss that is)). Her Twenties inspired wedding in July really gave the trend street cred. That Galliano dress and perfectly pinned veil were the stuff of flapper girls’ dreams. Just be careful to keep it inspired by the era as opposed to full on costumed. Contrary to Gatsby’s belief that one could repeat the past, some things are better left interpreted through lenses of the present.

From left: Kate Moss and Jamie Hince do a Twenties style wedding in July 2011. Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCario and Carey Mulligan are Nick Caraway, Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's redo.

PYJAMA PARTY

Get your pyjama dressing cues from Noel Coward and characters like those found in Private Lives.

If you want to be fashionable this spring/summer, get up, out of bed and put your pjs on. Pyjama dressing is a very big trend for S/S 2012. It’s more of a slouch chic than a full on nightwear gig, and although the phrase itself seems to be a bit of an oxymoron, it’s the ideal description for the new laid-back approach to dressing down. It’s less Jerry Seinfeld’s mother (a lot less) and more Noel Coward character. Think loose, baggy and body-friendly – these pieces have not lost in the tailoring department. It’s a simple silky tank with wide trousers as soft as pyjama bottoms. Alternatively, the bottoms may be ankle length and bold in pattern - something that begs for a library backdrop accompanied by a pipe and a brandy. Finish the look off with a smoking jacket (Hugh Hefner style) and you’re done.

Clockwise from top left: Haider Ackermann, Richard Nicoll, The Row and Stella McCartney master slouchy chic.

It’s a look that’s at its best when the colors, like the fabrics, are super soft: cloud whites, summer sky blues, oatmeal beiges, pistachios greens, and candy floss pinks. Accessories are best kept minimal, save a smart leather banded Roman numeral watch and a strand of pearls or three. The coordinating shoes are slipper style flats or flatform sandals and the only attitude permissible says yes I’m a tad floppy but certainly never sloppy.

Clockwise from top left: Dolce & Gabbana velvet loafers from www.net-a-porter.com,  The Row pyjama pants from www.net-a-porter.com, Alexander McQueen embroidered suede loafers from www.matchesfashion.com, Top Shop suede slipper-style loafers from www.topshop.com, Haider Ackermann pants, tank and bathrobe style topper from www.119corbo.com .