More Summer Inspiration from the Runways

Here's some more coverage from the September shows of Spring/Summer '09 with a bit of Pre-fall '09 thrown in just for fun. What I like to do is see trends that popped up for Spring but also continue into Fall/Winter '09, so I can invest in higher-quality pieces that'll last me into next year, instead of buying tons and tons of Forever21 trendy stuff each month. Or you can just drool over the runway shots. It works both ways.

Just Cavalli Pre-fall, Luella, Collette Dinnigan: I love the styling of this Just Cavalli look. I don't generally think of Just Cavalli as chic, but this look is drop-dead gorgeous, and the combination of cropped-motorcycle jacket and high-waisted pencil skirt is genius. Luella is always reliable for a good dose of quirky rebelliousness mixed with a touch of extreme girliness. This dress looks like it could have been ripped off a little girl at Easter, but the asymmetrical detailing takes it from childish to grown up. And doesn't that Collette Dinnigan dress look like chain mail? It's very Joan of Arc, who I love, and a little Balmain at the same time. Who hasn't caught Balmania by now?


Ossie Clark, Jean Paul Gaultier, Miu Miu: I'm head over heels that Ossie Clark is back. I love, love, love their old stuff. I don't know if the new seasons are exactly in their style, but I'm still way into this look. Maybe not the sheer pants/tights as much, but how sick is that magenta biker jacket? Magenta is a big Fall trend, and that would be a great investment piece. I know that sheer floral dress isn't exactly practical (or modest), but it has this amazingly vintage, festival, hippie vibe that make me unable to forget about it. Maybe with a nude slip? Maybe? And I always love Miu Miu. The Roman mosaic print on that dress totally reminds me of Fall '09 Burberry, and the combination of historical print and modern cut is strikingly chic.


Derek Lam, Dennis Basso, Phillip Lim: Nudes are a big trend for Spring and Fall, and I think if done right, like in this Derek Lam dress, they can be beautiful and flattering. The gold accents and sheen here keep the dress from disappearing into the model, and the modest, but girly, shape balances out the sexy hue nicely. I'm still not over last summer's ikat print, and so I'm happy to see it reincarnated in this Dennis Basso dress. It's got a bit of a tie-dye vibe, but I think tie-dye is making a come back. Tasteful tie-dye, of course, not the summer camp t-shirt variety. And who doesn't love a good zipper detail? Zippers and sheerness in the same dress is a lot of trend, but this Phillip Lim dress manages to be both on-trend and slightly classic at the same time.


Image Sources: Just Cavalli: style.com, Luella: style.com, Collette Dinnigan: style.com, Ossie Clark: style.com, Jean Paul Gaultier: style.com, Miu Miu: style.com, Derek Lam: style.com, Dennis Basso: style.com, Phillip Lim: style.com