Spring 2010: Trend Report

Clean energy

How best to head into the new decade? With a clean slate. Led by a resurgent Phoebe Philo at Celine, designers have rediscovered that less is more all over again for Spring, but this isn't the mannish minimalism of the 1990's. Dresses at Calvin Klein Collection and Donna Karan billowed and frilled; there were feminine takes on tailoring at Yves Saint Laurent; and thanks to Michael Kors' cutouts and Hussein Chalayan's thigh-high slits, we also saw lots of skin.

Game Theory

And you thought there were a lot of sports in the Olympics. Designers have adopted a wide world of active influences for Spring. Alexander Wang's American football collection will look even better when broken down into its individual components; Pucci's Peter Dundas has combined business with
pleasure, turning out sexy dresses inspired by his love of scuba; and Proenza Schouler has taken two well-worn references—surfing and skateboarding—and made them chicer than they have any right to be.

Marching Orders

The military influence was ubiquitous on and off the Spring runways (the flak jacket may even have replaced the leather bomber as the official outerwear of your MOD, a.k.a. model off duty). In fact, there's a danger of fatigue setting in before this trend even hits stores. One counter-strategy: Look for the more dressed-up takes on uniform dressing, from the likes of Haider Ackermann, Aquilano.Rimondi, and Mr. Sequined Camo Leggings himself, Balmain's Christophe Decarnin.

Pastoral Interlude

Raffia-embellished dresses, bell skirts worthy of Marie Antoinette at Le Petit Trianon, a literal romp in the hay—Karl Lagerfeld famously went country at Chanel. But he wasn't the only one. With gingham from Christopher Kane, pinafore dresses at Bottega Veneta, and homespun yet luxe embroideries courtesy of Oscar de la Renta, looking good this spring should be a picnic.

Pattern Play

When it comes to prints, more is definitely more this season. If designers like Dries Van Noten and Donatella Versace have their way, you'll be mixing and matching from head to toe. And we're not just talking traditional florals, though there were plenty of pretty ones at Etro, Anna Sui, and Tory Burch. Duro Olowu's tribal motifs and Givenchy's digital designs were engineered for maximum impact.

The Big Reveal

Unless you're a pop star or a fame monster, you may decide to adopt this trend sparingly. But there's no doubt you'll be seeing exposed brassieres on more than just the office flirt this spring. It wasn't only longtime lingerie lovers like Dolce & Gabbana and Jean Paul Gaultier who got in on the action on the runways; also daring to bare were Antonio Berardi, Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi, and Nina Ricci's new man, Peter Copping.