As any fashion fiend can attest, the most delightful gift a new year imparts is the fresh fashion palette that accompanies it. As the post-holiday sales wind down and the unwanted merchandise is flung from boutiques like last season's Jimmy Choos, a surge of energy once more envelops the fashion landscape giving us that new beginning we crave during the first month of the calendar year. And never could this new beginning be so bright.
If the fashions of 2006 could be broadly characterized as "romance meets minimalism with a brief affair with gauche," those for 2007 couldn't be more dissimilar.
No doubt we've rung in a new year, but it seems an ever-progressive pack of designers have taken it upon themselves to also ring in a new generation.
Yes, it seems we've made the leap from 2006 to 2026, with fashion houses from Dolce and Gabbana to Hussein Chalayan and Jil Sander flooding their showrooms with entirely futuristic creations.
At the head of the futuristic-fashion-pack is Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, who undoubtedly drew his inspiration from outer space. From clear-plastic goggle glasses to bold metallic pants and platforms, the Balenciaga woman is as otherworldly as she is fiercely untouchable.
And it is this untouchable quality that resonates so strongly among the latest designer collections, particularly among the fabrics and materials being used. To sum it up in one word: synthetics. From plastic to Lucite and all things patent, designers are mixing laboratory-born materials with silk, leather and cottons to create a wholly unique set of garments.
We have latex tops accented with hard plastic shoulder cuffs, sky-high wedges composed of Lucite and patent leather and metallic tent dresses with plastic eyelet detailing -- a unique collection indeed.
So what underlying social current is driving this new aesthetic we see?
The knee-jerk response might be a recollection of the 1980s where designers like Herve Leger showcased geometric prints and studded leather and latex pants were au currant. But unlike the `80s, today's space-age look and synthetics are not quite as harsh and dominatrix-like as their predecessor.
What we're seeing is not overtly sexual in the way the `80s did synthetics, where patent one-piece suits were paired with hooker boots and the optional whip. Today's designers seem to employ these alternative materials in a manner that respectfully balances feminist underpinnings with a truly fashion-centric intent.
The woman of the spring/summer collections is strong, warrior-like and sexy while simultaneously seeking no validation or praise from man. This is a "sexy without the sex" set of designs, if you will -- foreplay only. This woman knows who she is and dresses for herself.
While "galactic, space-age warrior" is positively the most prevalent theme for spring/summer, non-takers need not fret. As always, designers also paid homage to a slew of unrelated styles.
Notably it seems sport is en vogue once again, with D'Squared, Marni and Jean Paul Gaultier among the top designers to showcase unique renditions of track pants, "sneaker platforms," anoraks, visors and jerseys. Sporty Spice, you are now welcome back from fashion purgatory.
Romanticists and floral pattern devotees will rejoice in the plethora of traditionally feminine designs that showered the spring/summer runways. Emblazoned onto chiffon or woven into brocade designs, floral print harkens the spring.
And the dress aficionado can take her pick from nearly any rendition ever spun on the classic staple. From shift to tent to mini, parachute and the evening gown, dresses have never been so varied and prolific.
So whether you favor the envelope-pushing paranormal or traditionally feminine cuts and creations, there is a look for every fashionista this spring -- 2007 will be a very good year indeed.
