fashion crack: 2012

Female Dandy

Since my childhood I had always been inspired by jackets and coats being worn by my grandfather and father. I always wanted to dress like them rather than those frilly frocks that my mother made me wear. And thus this desire to dress like a man still played strong on me and served the purpose of inspiration for my design collection for Autumn/Winter 2013.

I define a Dandy as:

Having manners

Never giving in to anything completely

Always having an air of independence and self-possession

Confident

Being different in ways that are striking and aesthetic

Being strong mentally, but never gloating

Aesthetically, I define being a dandy as:

High Collars Calf-length pants Pleats Ruffle and bow blouses

Cropped slim-cut jackets in both a double or single breast

Waist coats and tailored vests

Fob chains Monochrome with a splash of color

Frock coats and tail coats

High-waist pants and skirts

Ties, bow ties, scarves and hats

Oxford shoes

Riding boots

Top Fashion Trends Spring-Summer 2013

1) Sixties

Spring/Summer 2013 will be best viewed in glorious Technicolor. During Fashion Week, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors and Moschino all paid tribute to Sixties girls like Twiggy, Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin with mini-skirts, A-line dresses, graphic checks, patent Mary Janes and delicate motifs worked in bright colors. Pop pieces for a fresh, bold look.

Louis Vuitton, Moschino and Michael Kors

2) Stripes

Fashion Week was unanimous: Summer 2013 will be striped. Whether skinny or fat, minimal or psychedelic, stripes every which way produced graphic silhouettes on the catwalk. Color-wise, black featured heavily, with white at Balmain and Dolce & Gabbana, or clashing red and green at Michael Kors, and again at Dolce & Gabbana.

Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain and Marc Jacobs

3) Checks

Backstage at Louis Vuitton, designer Marc Jacobs told us that he had been inspired by the columns in the work of French artist Daniel Buren for his Spring/Summer 2013 collection. This highly graphic look also popped up on Balmain's Harlequins and in a mind-bending optical illusion for Marc Jacobs own collection.

Marc Jacobs, Balmain and Louis Vuitton

4) Oriental prints

Traditional Eastern prints are given a Western spin next season, with hints of Hanoi, Beijing and Tokyo coming through in Asian-inspired collections. Discover fire dragon, lotus flower, peony and hibiscus motifs in prints which hail from the other side of the world.

Etro, Emilio Pucci and Prada

5) Tuxedos

Masculine/feminine androgyny continues to inspire designers, and we certainly haven't seen the last of the tuxedo. A classic trend revisited on the runway in black and sometimes in white, for a Newton-like silhouette.

Lanvin, Christian Dior and Céline

6) Ruffles

With designers adorning their pieces with concertina pleats, the ruffles trend juxtaposes next season's sharp rectangular silhouette, creating a super sensual effect. Next Spring/Summer ruffles will be fluttering about the neckline, waist and cuffs, as seen at Gucci, Givenchy and Chloé.

Chloé, Gucci and Givenchy

7) Hawaii

Peeping through last season, Hawaiian prints will come into full bloom in Spring/Summer 2013. Think hibiscus flowers, birds of paradise, whimsical hummingbirds and palm leaves: with designers taking a trip to Honolulu, our wardrobes look set to become the backdrop to a tropical landscape.

Proenza Schouler, Isabel Marant and Kenzo

8) Safari

Designers are taking us on a safari-style adventure next season, where we'll be in hot pursuit of fierce beige and khaki prints for both day and night, the countryside or the urban jungle.

Emporio Armani, Kenzo and MaxMara

9) Kimono

From the Samurai to the Geisha, this season saw a particularly strong Japanese influence with the appearance of the re-constructed kimono in many collections. From structured leather lines at Gareth Pugh to Haider Ackermann's fitted suit, fashion went East with Prada also showing a dress that took us straight to the Orient.

Gareth Pugh, Haider Ackermann and Prada

10) Metallics

As seen on the runway at Burberry, Christian Dior and John Paul Gaultier, shimmering metallics set the tone for next summer. A dazzling trend spotted on trenches at Burberry, bustier dresses at Dior and slip dresses at John Paul Gualtier.

Burberry, Christian Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier

11) Pleats

From nude pleats at Valentino and discreet folds at Stella McCartney to voluminous, flowing crepe at Chloé, pleated fabric is one of Summer 2013's stand-out trends. Long seen as a good-girl style, delicate folds are gaining fashion ground in all their sheer, feminine glory on next season's runway.

Chloé, Stella McCartney and Rochas

12) Dots

Fashion goes back to Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1950s polka dot dress, evoking a highly feminine delicacy and sophistication next Summer. The classic black and white polka dot duet is the ultimate detail for a discreet contrast in a minimalist look with an elegant edge.

Giorgio Armani, Chanel and Haider Ackermann

13) Gold sequins

Gold shines bright for Summer, as next season's jackets, dresses and pants are sprinkled with shimmering metallic sequins. The sexy mirror effect looks set to heat up the dance floor when the glitterball gets going.

Fendi, Saint Laurent and Ralph Lauren

14) Twins

Best friends or evil twins, this Fashion Week we were seeing double with some of the biggest names sending their girls out two by two. Louis Vuitton, Julien David, Giorgio Armani and the closing duo at Saint Laurent look to have been inspired by 1967 French film The Young Ladies of Rochefort.

Julien David, Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani

15) Fringing

From the Roaring Twenties Charleston dresses, to 1970s disco dancing queens, fringe-accenting is making a comeback for Spring/Summer 2013. It's out with the leather cowgirl tassels of Fall/Winter 2012-2013 and in with delicate, sleek trims that will sway with you long into the night.