Although many of us are gearing up for spring and summer, designers across the globe are wrapping up their fall 2011 presentations. It's hard to think about what you'll be wearing as the leaves are changing a couple of seasons from now, but thanks to the internet, you can now see what will be in stores long before the garments ever hit the racks.
Today marks the end of Paris Fashion Week, and previously designers in
cities like New York, London, and Milan also gave it their all through showing their collections to the masses. Weeding out trends is no longer the job of a select few in the press; you can now view entire collections in both photos and videos on websites like Style.com and make your own opinions. Though the cities mentioned above generate tons of coverage, many other cities host their own fashion weeks including Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Rio de Jinero, Los Angeles, Moscow, and more. Here in Brooklyn recently, there was even a fashion week promoting local designers for both Brooklyn and Williamsburg (a neighborhood within Brooklyn).
Though the ready-to-wear shows can seem over the top at times with dramatic makeup and hair, they're not only for the fashion-forward. I like to browse fashion shows for ideas on color schemes or even tiny details I can incorporate into my own sewing. For example, I love the color blocking in the Kinder Aggugini photo below, which is something I would enjoy both sewing and wearing. Many times I will be inspired to pair fabrics together I hadn't thought of before or even see colors in an ensemble that may make a beautiful quilt by perusing the show photos and videos.
Below are just a handful of highlights from the shows in New York, London, Paris, and Milan. As I was going through and saving my favorites, I found way too many to choose from to just name a few. Do you have a favorite designer you look forward to seeing every season? Or do you have a season or city you enjoy looking at more? Does your community host their own fashion show? If so, post the link in the comments to share!
London from left to right: Paul Smith, Kinder Aggugini, Burberry Prorsum, Erdem, and Temperly London
Paris from left to right: Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Lanvin, Yves St Laurent, and Chloe
New York from left to right: Thakoon, Rodarte, Chado Ralph Rucci, Marc Jacobs, 3.1 Phillip Lim
Milan from left to right: Prada, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Aquilano.Rimondi, Gianfranco Ferre