NEW YORK FASHION WEEK SS08

TRENDS>STYLE>Safari: Masculine vs. Feminine

Image from Casablanca- traces of it's 1930's French military style and the sophisticated yet masculine Ingrid Bergman can be found throughout spring designs. Uniform coats, men's trousers, wool fabric and khaki color add to an overall neat and clean look. Short skirts modernize and add femininity to the look.

From top left: Safari jacket and tapering pants: Rag & Bone. Khaki shirt and gold mini: Carlos Miele. Leafprint coat over button-down and men's shorts: Behnaz Sarafpour. Trousers and cropped soldier jacket over button-down: Nicole Miller. Military vest and hat with mini skirt: Proenza Schouler. Navy coat-dress with bell sleeves: Derek Lam. Military-safari coat with hat: Michael Kors.

Paul Gauguin's bold post-impressionism in Street in Tahiti
Safari also goes feminine with bold jungle prints and colors

From top left: Strapless dress: Nicole Miller. Strapless dress with feathers on bottom: Oscar de la Renta. Brown print tulle skirt and top; Exotic flower gown with ruffled bottom; Leaf print tunic style shirt and white trousers: Diane Von Furstenberg. Yellow print top and light blue shorts: Tracy Reese.

TREND>STYLE>Cinched, Wrapped, and Ready to Wear

For FW07 designers started buckling belts and tying ribbons around dresses, pantsuits and coats, and spring 08 foreshadows its continuance. Unlikely tops and bottoms are unified by a belt. Long flowing dresses are made even more ladylike as a ribbons are tied around them like a delicate gift. Cinched waists create curves and bring femininity to an outfit.

From top left: black dress with light blue ribbon: Carolina Herrera. Silver tube dress with purple bandeau and leather belt: BCBG. Gray jersey dress with pink waist/black ribbon: DKNY. Black A line tube dress with brown belt: Derek Lam. White and blue A line gown with cinched waist: DKNY. Brown jumper with built in belt: Donna Karan. Black short and stripped top with baby blue belt; Plaid mini and green top with yellow belt: L.A.M.B.

"I'm no philosopher, but it seems to me that women-and men too-instinctively yearn to exhibit themselves. In this machine age, which esteems convention and uniformity, fashion is the ultimate refuge of the human, the personal and the inimitable. Even the most outrageous innovations should be welcomed, if only because they shield us against the shabby and the humdrum. Of course fashion is a transient, egotistical indulgence, yet in an era as somber as ours, luxury must be defended centimeter by centimeter."

-Christian Dior, taken from Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster

TREND>FABRIC>sheer layers

Tulle draped over silk creates a layered look mixing color and sex appeal. Max Azria throws silk over sheer for an opposite effect.

From left: Yellow and black dress: Vera Wang. Purple dress with black tunic: Narciso Rodriguez. Brown/beige slip with black tulle: BCBG. Yellow and gray dress: Helmut Lang. Silver and peach dress with cinched waist: Max Azria.

TREND>FABRIC>Perfect Pleats and Ruffled Gowns

Seamwork this season was impressive. Carlos Miele in his brazilian themed collection was the tailor from Ipanema. Attention to detail and texture became so apparent that the lack of elaboration and pattern that was, could be overlooked. Gowns were fluid and elegant with tiers of ruffles as pleated dress demonstrated fine craftsmanship.

From Top left: seafoam bandeau dress: Monique Lhuillier. Red flower-inspired dress; Beige bandeau gown: Carlos Miele. Light pink dress with cinched waist: Temperley. Yellow dress: Zac Posen. Pleated dress with belt: L.A.M.B. Dress with pleated middle and ruffle detail on bottom: J. Mendel. Checkered vest/skirt with belt: Proenza Schouler. Blue dress: Luella.

TREND>COLOR>Gold

Last spring Max Mara showed gold lame dresses, and this spring other designers are following suit with their own version of a gold dress. Who needs the LBD when you have the LGD? With a touch less class it's a little more badass.

From Left: Sequined babydoll: L.A.M.B. Dress with cinched waist; Double breasted uniform dress: Proenza Schouler. Champagne bandeau: Temperley. Gold embellished black dress: 3.1 Phillip Lim. A-Line gown: Donna Karan. Knee-length dress: Tracy Reese.

TRENDS>COLOR>Fading together

Rainbow Sherbert ice-cream or a basic watercolor could be the inspiration for some of spring's looks. Similar to the blocks of colors, pastels and dimmed bolds are tiered, but in this case it's a very simplistic tye-died look.

Top: Multicolored pleated tube dress: Vivienne Tam.
From Left: Sunset colored dress and white/yellow dress: Diane Von Furstenberg. Yellow/khaki sleeveless top: J. Mendel. Black/purple dress with cinched waist: Max Azria. Seafoam ruffle dress: Jill Stuart. Black and White dress with pleats at bottom: Luella. Black and white satin dress: Max Azria.