Connect The Dots

To avoid being cliche and run of the mill when executing dots and stripes in a collection, it is very important to achieve the right scale and color combination. Ann Demeulemeester delivers a winning collection that brings an aire of sophistication to a very relaxed and unconstructed silhouette.
When combining linear geometrics, there is a fine line between eye-catching and optical chaos. Such pairings of this taboo combo were diplayed perfectly at her Spring 2009 show in Paris (Above).

The Dot and the stripe are textile clutch prints when executed properly and based on the fabrication, they can serve as key wardrobe pieces for every season. The neutral base (Above,Below) makes for very wearable items and maintains a clean tailored line that is serious and mature.

Dignitary Style

All the world is watching the stylings of Michelle Obama since she has made a stand to support American designers and especially those who are ascending to new heights with their collections. The French have their own sytlish first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who has her eye on a fashion new-comer, French designer Alexis Mabille. He isn't afraid to take chances while he is building a name for himself and carving out a niche with the fashion elite by showing during Couture Fashion Week in Paris.
Mabille creates a playfully sophisticated conversational look (above) that is somewhat kitchy, but the effort to put some originality in the novelty of a nautical theme is absolutely adorable. A muted & tonal fractual print (below) is used on one of his evening looks by using an abstract applique to create an elongated hombre effect that is elegant and scintillating.

Polka Couture

Now whether you know it or not, polka dots are a print.  They have been around for longer than anyone can seem to remember and seem to find their way on to the boards of inspiration every season.  They are classified as a "geometic" in textiles but for some reason they seem to have the same endearing qualities of a floral print and the recognizable components of a conversational print. Dots are a major key item for Spring '09 in every facet of the market from nightgowns to ball gowns. In these looks from the Christian Lacriox Couture show, they take on a silhouette of sophistication and elegance because he creates a moment of motion by accenting with a smaller scale. 

Face of Fashion

I polled the show-hoppers from Paris Fashion Week this season and there was no contest in declaring Sonia Rykiel as the hands down favorite for "Best Show." In a "grande hommage" to celebrate her 40th Anniversary, several major designers submitted looks using the history of the house as an inspiration. Jean-Charles de Castelbajac actually used Sonia's image and trademark hairstyle, the quintessential cornerstones of the brand, as a sculptural tribute to create one of the many showstopping looks that literally flooded the runway with exuberance. Though a bit dramatic in concept, the garment gathers the kind of iconic attention that has surrounded the house for the past 4 decades. The Prince Prints Report says congratulations & Happy 40th Anniversary to Sonia and Thank you for being an inspiration to us all.

Inside Out

Above, Alexander Mcqueen, as he does season after season, never disappoints when it comes to being devicefully manipulative of the female silhouette. He took Paris by storm this season by taking the very hip skeletal trend and created a look of machine-like precision that relates beautifully to the human form. The translation takes on an architectural mood that is stunning as it is clever and ingenius. Below, an equally amazing display of this upcoming trend, is the walking lifesize X-ray from Narcisco Rodriguez's collection that seems to expose the subtle power of femininity as it would be seen from the inside of today's most influential women of fashion. These almost radioactive looks were by far the most prolific diplays of positive and negative print engineering to hit the runways in quite some time. Now this is the science of textiles at its best!