Fashion Articles | News | and Trend your style - Sheer fashion trend: 2009 & 2010

Sheer fabric is back as one of hottest 2009 and 2010 fashion trends, and plenty of celebrities are wearing it. But don't worry, it's not all about tight, see-through tops, and dresses that scream 'look at me' as we saw in the 1990s. Run your eyes over the Spring / Summer 2009 and Spring / Summer 2010 runway collections and you'll find sheer fabrics used in a multitude of ways: tight sheer pieces, layers, and the much sought after delicate, feminine draping.

Not limited to the usual though, 2008 also ushers in sheer skirts and pants - pair them with more modest bloomers or boy-shorts rather than a skimpy thong and you'll keep the look elegant.

And elegance really is the key to wearing the sheer fashion trend this year. While it was last at its most popular in the 1990s, it was in 2006 that it last hit our radar.

Fashion Articles | News | and Trend your style - One-Shoulder Bikinis / Monokinis

Taking their cues from the one shoulder fashion trend, one-shouldered bikinis will be the must have swimwear in 2010.

Thankfully, a standout one-shouldered swimwear piece isn't going to be hard to come by.

1.  Marios Schwab married the one-shouldered bikini with the cutaway bikini trend on his Spring/Summer 2009 runway at London Fashion Week. This particular piece also uses Summer florals taking what a risqué bikini to a girl level. It's cut and under-strapping make this a particular good piece for smaller chested girls.
2. Victoria's Secret included a single-shouldered piece in their 2008 line-up. More notable for it's side-tie briefs, this attention grabbing feature makes it a good bikini for girls whose legs are stand out.
3. A one-shouldered monokini was naturually used on Hervé Léger by Max Azria's Spring/Summer 2009 catwalk but sadly with no-where near the same sex appeal as other pieces in the collection. Read cut-away swimwear below for more
4. Under his own name Max Azria also sent a single-shouldered monikini down the catwalk, again pairing it with the cut-away trend. This particular piece stands out for it's use of a buckle clasp to join the body fabric with the shoulder. As with piece 3, smaller breasted girls are probably to avoid these particular cuts as they their black fabric will need some filling out to look best.
5. While not truly a one-shoulder monokini, Gottex's piece from their Spring/Summer 2009 collection has the same visual effect. It's clever halter neck also allows for a more revealing but and better support.
6. Finally, if you still have access to 2008 pieces; Gucci debuted their sophisticated take on the one-shouldered monokini as a part of their Spring/Summer 2008 collection.

Fashion Week: Milan

For Spring 2010, the Italians are showing us some love. The collections were romantic and demure - ruffles and tulle replace the tight-fitting styles we saw last February. Milan focused on the basics with recurring palettes consisting of beige, black, grey and white. Another constant on the runway were the short hemlines - short dresses, short skirts and short shorts were spotted on nearly every runway. Check out my top three picks from Italy before we head to the City of Lights for the last stop on the Fashion Week circuit.

Bottega Veneta

Thomas Maier presented a wearable collection with pieces made of cotton and canvas in muted shades of beiges and whites. Each piece was distinct and could hold its own, yet the collection was impeccably tied together and cohesive. The looks that went down the runway struck me as the perfect travel attire - chic and wearable, not to mention the oversize bags that would be perfect carry-ons. Maier surprised the audience by closing the show with three extraordinary (and red-carpet-worthy) violet and vivid red evening gowns.

Jil Sander

It was back to the basics for Raf Simons, the lead designer of Jil Sander. While the color palette was simple - black, beige and white - the pieces themselves were eye-catching with interesting and unexpected details including dresses that had scissor-cut patches hanging from them and wool sheaths with a sheer knit top-half. Simons' superb engineering and tailoring made this collection one to remember.

Fendi

Let me state the obvious here: Karl Lagerfeld is a genius. For Spring 2010, Lagerfeld is bringing out Fendi's romantic side (a side, I might mention, we have not seen in quite some time). The collection featured silk and tulle dresses in pastel hues - take note of the soft pleats and masterful drapery on these - thigh-grazing skirts and lovely cropped jackets. But Lagerfeld didn't just stop at clothes, he finished off the looks with a dazzling assortment of accessories - transparent clutches made of Perspex, and sky-high, ribbon-tie heels complete with a lucite platform.

Fashion Week Special: Chanel

It's no secret around here that I am totally and completely in love with Chanel. My love affair with Coco's eponymous line began as a young girl when I first laid eyes on my mother's black, quilted 2.55 handbag - and with a click of those interlocking C's, I was hooked. From that moment on, Chanel has never failed to inspire and surprise me. And the Spring 2010 collection unveiled by Karl Lagerfeld in Paris yesterday is no exception. Set in the traditional Chanel venue of the Grand Palais, models emerged from a barn and walked through the hay-covered runways clad in tweed jackets and thigh-skimming A-line skirts. Lagerfeld's impeccable attention to detail was apparent in every single ensemble - from the colorful knit flowers strewn across the jackets to the interlocking C-tattoos that graced the legs of the models. At it's best, fashion is a story, a narrative - and no one tells Chanel's story better than Karl Lagerfeld.

All photos via Style.com

Pass The Bubbly Please

Ah. The New Year is upon us - where did the time go? One more reason to celebrate with friends and loved ones, and one more reason to dress up and look fabulous. I'm sure you have all found your dresses already but I just passed by the store window of BCBG the other day. BCBG has always attracted me, there is something simple and ethereal about their dresses, and their cutting (for me at least, is superb).

Their dresses make you feel almost old hollywood glam or simply modern chic. I know they're rather simple, definitely something you've seen before, but talk about excellent draping! I don't know, there's something about them that makes me fall in love.

Love the velvet bodice of this dress!

This dress is actually much more beautiful in person.

Aughhh...I need to get this - look at that sleeve detail!

So simple, so lovely (especially the colour). Hm, I will advise you not to wear a headband that the model demonstrates...

Ok, kind of generic I know, princess cut blah blah blah. But the material! And a colour that would look great on all skin tones.

What are you doing for New Year's? &equally important, what will you be wearing?

Go Crazy

Ohhhh I did something totally insane and spent money on a pair of boots that look like this:

Yes. They will be here tomorrow. Wonderful Guess "Maeve" boots. Kind of gothic but I can't wait to wear it with my chiffon dress with tights and leg warmers, a black blazer, and some crazy coloured scarf.

So now for some outfits that I would gladly wear. Because we all have Lacroix, Moschino and Schouler lying around in our closets.









SO EXCITED. SO IN LOVE.

But not nearly as excited or as in love with the fact that Barack Obama is now our President!!

Ivana Helsinki

I was recently contacted about fashion/art brand, Ivana Helsinki. I saw some of the most stunning dresses i have seen all season. The brand represents a completely new Northern Style called 'Fennolk'.
Paola Ivana Suhonen is the designer behind the fashion pieces, starting from her dark naive mind-landscapes, northen legends and sagas, doing prints, graphics, shortmovies and everything involved with the visuals.
She runs the family-owned company with her older sister Pirijo. The whole production philosophy is based on ethical and ecological choices and there are a lot of handmade details and traditional Finnish handcraft methods are featured.
Here are some photos of the stunning pieces in their latest fashion collection.

The collection focuses on folklore and flirty cotton dresses, trousers and capes and Lapland hand-knitted oversized cardigans and dresses.Autumnal colours and graphics are drawn from dark northern legends and western romantics – whilst more whimsical prints show a slightly more sinister recurring ‘scorpion theme’ on closer inspection.




What do you all think of Designer Ivana Helsinki and the pieces from the latest collection?
you can find out more about Ivana Helsinki here.

ISABEL MARANT. SS/010.

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also
I want to tell you about a photo competition to raise awareness and funds for AIDS victims. Jimmy Choo, the famous shoe designer, hopes that you can help them spread the message by taking part. You can enter the competition here