ELECTRIC YOUTH

SALOM LOOK

In our hyperkinetic, interactive, blogosphere reality, the only use for a rulebook is to tear it up. So, from the same dynamic energy that brought us punk and grunge, comes Electric Youth – a trend that shuns prescriptive cut and colour to embrace the nonconformist, cool kids who never want to ‘fit in’. Thumbing their nose to standard fashion, these young style rebels are found in cities worldwide creating a fresh look every day from the street up. With a magpie eye for unique details, anything goes for this tribal gang as long as it's worn with a bold, brash and super-confident, devil-may-care attitude all its own.

GLAM CHIC

CATWALK LOOK

In fashion, as in life, where two contrasting elements meet, the most interesting creations are born. This intersection of ideas is where one of the most seductive trends for Spring/ Summer 2013 emerged. Mixing masculine tailoring with feminine materials, Glam Chic gives us a smouldering new take on modern luxe. Yves Saint Laurent’s iconic tux is reinterpreted in a cropped length, while a fluid cut trouser suit oozes languid sophistication. With boudoir slips, camisole dresses and bandeau bra tops, the luxury here is all in the materials as satins, organza and silks appear in a restrained palette of nudes, oyster and peachy pinks all set against a handsome backdrop of midnight black

MONO MODS

SALOM LOOK

It may be gone but the playful reach of the 1960s with such enduring icons as Pierre Cardin, Mary Quant and Twiggy ensures it’s nowhere near forgotten. This season saw the decade’s bold vibe flex its graphic influence in unmistakable monochrome interspersed with the odd splash of bright colour.

Designers channelled inspiration from the early sixties with shapes synonymous with the era, graphic stripes, polka dots, spots and checks. Silhouettes echoed the desire for unadorned simplicity with A-line and pencil shapes as well as tailored trousers in flattering cropped lengths – giving the mono mood plenty of room to really swing.

WHITE ANGLES

CATWALK LOOK

If ever a culture embodied the fine art of restrained elegance, then the Japanese quietly position themselves centre stage. Running with the inspirational baton from last year’s Oriental Express, Spring/Summer 2013 saw many designers taking their aesthetic cues from the masters of sculptural shapes, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo. In a trend devoted to form and structure the focus is kept exclusively on rigorously simple lines with a palette that is minimalism itself – white, white and more white! Kimono references are put through a modern filter in wide cropped and panelled tops, asymmetric skirts and exaggerated shapes with more than a nod to origami folds and pleats. CATWALK LOOK (01_white_angles)