Here come the swing skirts

DKNY has always been the master of turning out the latest must-haves from the trend reports, and this season, the label has them all: pleated minis, retro-tinged dresses, cargo capri pants, short shorts and pencil skirts. Donna Karan and her team’s infallible pulse for trends infuses the excitement, fun, and the unmistakable giddy energy to this latest collection.

This season is brimming with the happiness of tulle-lifted swing skirts, knee-length coats atop full-skirted dresses, quirky tailored tops, scarf tube tops, flirtatious jersey tanks and low-slung trousers. Pretty details abound, like polka dots, puckering, pin-tucking articulated seams and contrast, pleats and smocked pockets. Soft sweaters are worn with full skirts, lightweight jackets over short shorts. There’s a very modern and mod loose-cut navy polka-dot chiffon shift worn over cropped trousers. Skirts are obviously Karan’s piece de resistance, and she showed plenty: knee-length pleated, peppy minis, and low-slung skinny pencils. It’s a very celebratory collection, in candied colors playing against neutrals, in shades of seascapes and sunsets. It is a body of work full of hope and energy, with shapes that echo the innocene of the ’40s and ’50s but made current by its soft, easy structure.

DKNY is exclusively distributed by Store Specialists, Inc. and is available at the Power Plant Mall, 158 Designer’s Blvd., Alabang Town Center and Rustan’s Makati.