Yes, we know this is supposed to be about L.A but we thought we would get a condensed version of our recent trip to the Riviera, Paris, and London. The info here goes along with the new set of pix in the PhotoBox section of this site.

Ahh!! The sounds of oncoming fashion on the quay in Saint Tropez, the “rues” of Le Marais, and the trendy streets of Covent Garden. This trip was as usual a go-ahead for existing trends to continue with updating, as well as a spotlight on newer items ripe for initial introduction and further development. This time of year Europe remains a “must” destination for identifying the newest in junior/contemporary trends.

Saint Tropez looked great with its over 300 apparel, accessory and jewelry stores... the largest cluster of stores of any city in the most popular resort areas of Europe. The merchandise in these stores are les dernier mots for the S/S season’s fashion.

One of the broader aspects of the season was the ascension of the “young luxe” category which can be defined as casual items that are highlighted by the uninhibited use of embellishments that include sequins, beading, rhinestones and glittery embroideries. Embellished pieces were seen from early morning to late evening as there seemed to be no right time for these sparkling items. Items seen were: simple camisoles, transcultural pieces such as the jellaba (or djellaba), or the new printed mid to above the ankle circle skirts.

There were plenty of other trends to hang your season on. Some of them are reoccurring ones and some are new. They were:

Trends

The Transcultural trend is the newest in street looks. It is a blend of all things ethnic combined with street looks from other cultures. For instance... a jallaba with a denim skirt, an Indian tie-dye top with miniskirt and cowboy boots. They are mixed together for no reason other than to satisfy the personal aesthetic of the wearer. It can be said to be an updated and “summer-ized” version of a gypsy or bohemian look. Transcultural items include ethnic embroidery, sparkling embellishments and tunics.

Femme Tropez can go hand in hand with vintage but it is primarily an ultra femme or lingerie look that is highlighted by the use of muted shades (including nude) of satin, ribbons, rosettes, hook & eye details, flounces, and lace trim. It fills the niche left open and can also be thought of as “glam-vintage”.

Circle Skirts, one of our favorite items, was pushing the possibilities of that popular 50’s full skirt to an elegant mid-calf to above-the-ankle fashion-must-have. These skirts look the retro part and are definitively newest when printed with scenic borders, often over ombré, and embellished with sequins. A real winner!

The Luxe Embellishment trend is a real show stopper and has a lot of longevity in it. These embellishments appeared on every category of item and included anything shiny from sequins to Swarovski crystals.

Denim was very HOT in every category. Every wash was seen. Vintage washes were still strong but bleaching was on the rise (including salt washes) and often had bleach-protected seams for a new graphic effect. Denim bottoms were found printed, embroidered and embellished. Ripped, torn, frayed and distressed looks were a strong street look and should not be overlooked..

Color

1-white is most assuredly the resort color “numero uno”. You rarely see it in the fashion capitals like Paris and London but down in the resort towns it reigns supreme.

2-browns... very fresh when teamed with aqua. This is generally a transitional color but somehow, this year, it has made its way onto the frames of seaside visitors to a noticeable degree. It is not a major ground shaking development but bears noting.

3-sunlit brights... this is not the newest in color intelligence as there are always these summer shades. If there was an outstanding note in this palette it was the return of orange from clean and crisp to warm and spicy

4-street drabs... these colors fill the void that was left in the aftermath of our overdose on khaki. Now the replacement are also, like khaki... grayed, muted, and drab. The blue tinged gray, and a very grayed coral are our new favorites. All shades of gray remains the cornerstone of this palette.

5-seafoam, coral, aqua, blue... true resort colors that work hand in hand with white. Coral seems to be the new pink (which we did not see a lot of), while aqua is certainly the resort replacement for blue. Seafoam shades were new to the resort scene and gave a cool ecological tone to the seaside promenades.