Spring 2011 : Trend Report

On » Tuesday, January 4, 2011 // In » STYLE BITS

Right off the runway New York City, London, Milan and Paris, ELLE brings you the season's biggest trends - from Asian-inspired tailoring, to translucent layering, this is whay\t you'll be wearing this spring.

Blue Jean Baby

Chambray, denim’s lighter cousin, had a strong showing on spring runways. Designers from Celine to Thakoon showed this relaxed, true-blue fabric, usually reserved for California cool girls, in tailored suits, dresses, or scrublike silhouettes.

Derek Lam

Stella McCartney

Building Blocks

Patterns took a cue from Rubik’s Cube this season, with strong strokes of bubble-gum brights and rich jewel tones creating bold color blocking on shifts, dresses, and tunics.

Gucci

Aquilano E Rimondi

Eastern Front

Traditional Eastern influences abounded this spring. Runways from Haider Ackermann to Dries Van Noten to Reed Krakoff showed elongated tunics and vests paired with loose, cropped pants, Chinese and Japanese prints, and kimono-style wrapping.

Haider Ackermann

Reed Krakoff

Into the Wild

Designers indulged their primal instincts far beyond fall’s basic leopard prints. Animal shapes, jungle themes, and feathered skirts proved that fashion’s animal magnetism is still going strong.

Giambattista Valli

Viktor & Rolf

Lace Race

Lace was everywhere, but the message was more daring than “doily.” Full-body lace in sophisticated, feminine silhouettes is fresher than anything you’d find in Grandma’s trousseau.

Dolce & Gabbana

Valentino

Sheer Bliss

Designers played peekaboo this spring by layering transparent separates over solid underpinnings, with varying levels of modesty.

Rag & Bone

Alberta Ferretti

Down to Business

Modern, monochromatic takes on men’s suiting were very visible this season, but classic proportions were abandoned in favor of futuristic cuts at Gareth Pugh, dress suits at Margiela, and fluid satin shapes at Bottega Veneta.

Maison Martin Margiela

Lanvin

That 70's Show

Retro bohemian staples like peasant blouses, floor-grazing skirts, and wide-leg trousers reminiscent of Ali McGraw in Love Story carried collections from Etro to Salvatore Ferragamo. This is the new bohemia: cleaner, crisper, and much sleeker than its flower-child predecessors.

Fendi

Etro

Punk'd

Tomboy toughness was translated across a very broad spectrum: Masculine met feminine at Balenciaga, while Balmain got a little grittier and more deconstructed.

Balmain

Burberry Prorsum

Prints Charming

Houses from Christian Dior to Miu Miu engaged in pattern play for spring. These hypnotic geometries and watercolor blooms would look great as wallpaper—but they’re anything but wallflowers.