Spring Cleaning- Top 10 Spring/Summer Trends

David Tlale

Yes, the time has come to spring clean your wardrobe and to do that SHF will tell you how to air your closet out by getting rid of last season’s looks and replacing them with pieces that reflect the new trends for Spring/Summer 2010.  Drum roll please- and without further ado, here are the ten key looks to invest in this season-

1. Find your romantic side- with the smell of spring comes the awakening of our romantic desires and if this time around the target of your affections does not return your amorous feelings, show him just how much he is missing the next time you see him by slipping into David Tlale’s diaphanous cream blouse with furl detailed neckline and matching cream ruffled skirt.  This is the season where you can be as girly girl as you feel without being ridiculed for your soft and playful side, so indulge in all that’s ultra feminine by wearing one of the 50’s inspired Jewel by Lisa dresses that was seen on the catwalk.  Just make sure you wear it with vertiginous heels to show that you are indeed- all grown up.
2. Keep it clean and white- this is the ultimate non-colour to pull of a chic and sophisticated look this season.  Ladies who are fond of being the boss and thrive on perfecting the art of power dressing will favour Duru Olowu’s white capri pants and matching white fitted blazer; whilst those who fantasise about being Hollywood starlets will long for the right glamorous occasion where they can walk along the red carpet wearing David Tlale’s white long silk chiffon gown with fringe beading.
3. Go to extreme lengths- there are no half measures when deciding the length of your outfits this season.  You can either keep it short and sweet and don a mini black body con dress byTsemaye Binitie, wear one of the many short structured skirts that featured in Jewel by Lisa’s collection or you can bring back 70’s glamour-chic by wearing one of the voluminous silk chiffon and cotton maxi dresses that was seen in the shows of designers like Lola Faturoti, Jewel by Lisa and Tiffany Amber.  Whichever style you decide to adopt, make sure you wear them with big and bold statement sunglasses.
4. Give it the one-shoulder- to really stay on point this season- attention to detail is key and to really show you’ve been keeping up with fashion’s paces, make sure that you invest in at least one asymmetrical outfit this season.  It was interesting to see how various designers experimented with this look- David Tlale showed that cutting back on fabric did not have to mean sacrificing on style by sending a model down in a gorgeous asymmetrical champagne hued evening gown whilst Lola Faturoti experimented with the style in a more casual playful way by offering us a one-shouldered polka dot dress.
5. Embellish with embellishments- this season designers went out of their way to give us ideas on how to enhance and beautify an otherwise simple outfit.  The more creative and DIY types will be rushing to their local haberdasheries to invest in sequins, beads and the like, however if like me you always found ways to skip your arts & craft classes- you will be reaching out for ready-made embellished pieces like Tiffany Amber’s beaded halter-neck chiffon dress and the semi-sheer voile pieces by David Tlale which were adorned with hand-sewn metallic sequins and beads.  For those who want to adopt the laid back vibe of downtown Soho, NYC, wearing one of Tsemaye’s Binitie’s vests which are customised with Swarvoski crystals with a pair of high waist skinny denim jeans will ensure that you are ready to face any concrete jungle.
6. Look like a Grecian goddess- Tsemaye Binitie’s whimsical asymmetrical yellow dress with soft draping detail will make you to feel like an extra cast member of a ‘Troy’ movie set and who needs a face ‘to launch a thousand ships’ when you can have an outfit that turns all your female friend’s faces green with envy when you wear Duro Olowu’s white drape jacket and matching skirt with various ruched lengths?
7. It’s all yellow- this ray of sunshine comes in different hues and shapes and is the colour of the season.  A lemon sherbet yellow shade was featured heavily in Jewel by Lisa’s collection, whilst Lola Faturoti favoured a bold yellow blouse with yellow flowers embroided on the neckline and matching slim-fitted trousers.  Duro Olowu perfected how the colour can be used in outwear by adding a yellow and white striped trench coat to his collection and Tsemaye Binitie used a canary yellow hue when constructing his empire waist billowing maxi dress.
8. Get an ‘all in one’- it looks like jumpsuits and playsuits are here to stay for yet another season.  Those who love to show of their pins whilst retaining their decency should look no further than the short print silk playsuit designed by Tiffany Amber, whilst others who want to hide pet peeves like cuts on knees and thick calves should invest in the ankle length print jumpsuit seen on the Jewel by Lisa catwalk.
9. Be Bold- this is not the season where you let fear hold you back.  Instead experiment and have fun with fashion by clashing your prints and colours.  If you have no idea on what the rules are, the first rule is that ‘there are no rules.’  If you are still confused, then look no further than Jewel by Lisa’s collection where there was a healthy clash of mosaic, paisley and ethnic prints.
10.  Sport Luxe is here to stay- gone are the days when wearing a hoodie outside the gym meant that you were tagged with unsavoury labels like ‘street yob’ and ‘wannabe gangster’.  Now designers are finding luxurious ways to add sport references to lady like ensembles.  Duro Olowu showed how to merge the two seemingly opposing looks by adding hoods to his chiffon print dresses thereby blending functionality and classic elegance.

SHF credits www.style.com, www.tsemayebinitie.com, www.davidtlale.com, www.tiffanyamberng.com and www.jewelbylisa.com.ng

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