FASHION 2007: THE ROMANCE OF THE FUTURE

Part 2 Multicultural Chic

Global glamour brings the patterns from Africa and Oceania to the new cuts of today. Moroccan tile prints were exotic on the jet-set minis at Gucci, where Frida Giannini says she "created a balance between something very graphic and modern and something very romantic."

Abstract African and Japanese origami looked sleek on the slim A-line dresses at Miu Miu.

Fringes decorated Miuccia Prada’s soft leather dresses as well as her bags. A skirt was made of painted bottle tops, an ingenious recycling of art originating from the Third World.

At Vera Wang, the geisha took center stage with voluminous ceremonial pomp and lots of handcrafted detailing from beading to bunching, ruching and ruffling.

Japanese influences in London were of the anime variety: Giles Deacon had furry, Totoro-inspired cocoon dresses while Gareth Pugh had Skeletor silhouettes.

Graphics Attack

From black and white waves at Chanel and diagonals at Maison Martin Margiela to concentric African ovals at Miu Miu and the spare red circles of the Japanese flag at Comme des Garcons, there’s no doubt it will be a graphic 2007. There were also faces on shimmering shift dresses at Lanvin and surreal hands reminiscent of Elsa Schiaparelli at Tuleh.

Haute Sportif

The world just keeps going faster, so you need not wonder why sportswear is here to stay as daily urban wear. That being a given, let’s make it haute the way Dries Van Noten does it: Sharp and graphic, mostly in black and white except for a surprise splash of colored sequins edging a parka or laid over a skirt. Sneakers have a more glamorous reincarnation with lace-embossed heels or white wedges.

Dragging ’80s icons like athletic mesh and stretch jersey, Consuelo Castiglioni of Marni creates what she calls "sportswear with an interpretation, as a good combination with my femininity." She has wonderfully sculpted cotton tunics and dresses that are loose at the back but belted in front, worn over cropped leggings. Patterns included circles, half-moon shapes and color blocks to give the sporty clothes a modernist edge.

Androgyny

With futurism comes the melding of the feminine and the masculine, which the Japanese designers do best. Yohji Yamamoto’s tuxedos were softened with asymmetric pleat accents running down the side of trousers as well as lace and embroidery peeping out of jackets.

Junya Watanabe had signature tailcoats, nip-waist dandy jackets and lean boy-cut pants done in splendid gray and black baroque printed paisleys and beige gabardines appliquéd with white lace.

Rei Kawakubo at Comme des Garcons segmented her high-belted jackets into fragments and reconnected them with in-fills of sheer mesh or delicate over-layers of organza and plastic.

Moody Romance

When all is said and done – and hey, it’s spring – we still want a little romance. Marc Jacobs gave us a big dose of that at Louis Vuitton with his oh-so-light, pastoral looks – delicate, painterly layers that worked the 18th-century/modern-street-chic hybrid – which he accessorized with flower garlands for the hair.

Alexander McQueen had a poignant take with his elegiac vision of decaying grandeur exemplified by Edwardian tailoring and curvaceous gowns with exaggerated hourglass figures, thanks to hip-padded carapaces. The formerly aggressive McQueen is showing a period of grace, evoking a lost world of gentility. A profusion of flowers spilling out of hats, brimming from the bodice and leaving a trail on stage gave the collection an exquisite, botanical beauty which could very well herald a bright fashion season ahead. Romance still has a future, it seems, and the future will always have romance.