• 
• 

Published on February 7, 2008

Colours, floral prints, art nouveau, the "safari look", classic black-and-white and romance. These should form your fashion credo this spring and summer, says Kristen Ingersoll, fashion and entertainment editor for Hearst Magazines International.

She discussed global fashion trends at the international symposium at the Emporium World Fashion Showcase, organised last week by Harper's Bazaar and the Nation Group.

New York-based Ingersoll is responsible for the creation and production of fashion and cover shoots for the international editions of Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, CosmoGirl, Seventeen, Esquire and Good Housekeeping.

She points to six new looks for spring.

The runways of fashion capitals London, Paris, Milan and New York are splashed with colour, says Ingersoll. It's in dresses and accessories, and advertisements and fashion-house windows.

Famous labels, be it Versace haute couture or luxury sportswear from Michael Kors, are all producing clothes in vibrant colours.

"The colours take their cue from tropical fruit - the yellow of pineapple, for example," she says. Such a brave look, however, is not limited to clothes, but has spread to jewellery and accessories such as Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana bags.

Then there is the fresh, "floral wallpaper" look. "Large flowers are all over dresses, as if they were wallpaper," Ingersoll says, adding that this is a universal inspiration this season. She lists labels Missoni, Stella McCartney, Kenzo and gladiatorial boots from Balenciaga. Local label Pichita, whose impressive collection was shown at Bangkok International Fashion Week, incorporates the idea.

Ingersoll's third expression for these seasons is "art and printed matter".

"Art nouveau has a big influence," she says. "The splash of colour looks as if the wearer is the artist. It's in Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kenzo and Prada. They look like rich hippies."

Dolce and Gabbana uses advertisement prints, while Chloe uses geometrics and Roberto Cavalli boasts the free spirit of bohemian chic.

"Art absolutely goes beyond the cloth. In the new Louis Vuitton collection, Marc Jacobs has blurred its normally angular LV logo so it looks like a watercolour painting," she explains.

Ingersoll calls her next trend the "new neutral out of Africa". Its practicality, grace and "belt chic" embody this safari feel. It's equally at home at the office or on a day off.

"The new neutral is not necessarily a structured look," Ingersoll says.

She points to the carefree trench coat by Bottega Veneta, the Salvatore Ferragamo belt-dress and Giorgio Armani's chunky jewellery.

This spring, once again, designers are in love with classic black and white.

The look speaks for itself in art-deco monochrome shoes. "Shoes this season, in particular, have very chunky heels. They look like works of art," Ingersoll says.

Chanel, Kenzo, Proenza Schouler, Lanvin, Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci and Christian Dior have all gone for this smart, classic and bold style.

Ingersoll likes Kai's white dress, designed by Somchai Kaewthong.

Her closing runway theme is a "romantic and transparent" look. "The dress is light like a butterfly, with soft fabric, lots of layers and ruffles. Wearing this, you feel like a walking flower."

Ultimately, Ingersoll believes all these looks can be mixed. "There is a crossing of trends. For example, Lanvin and Valentino are transparent and romantic, colourful and bohemian."

Kenzo mixes floral prints with feathers; Salvatore Ferragamo is new neutral and romantic. Local labels such as Fly Now and Muung Doo have mixed trends - black and white and large floral prints in the former, and art and the wallpaper look in the latter.

"Everywhere I go I keep seeing these trends. You might not notice it, but here they are in this sugar sachet I found at a restaurant here," she says.

She adds it is very important to highlight local designers so people here know they can have the latest in spring and summer wear without having to purchase only international brands.

Ingersoll's fashion nous has benefited from her work with celebrities. "Unlike models, celebrities don't have a particular size, shape or colour that they can wear," she says.

"The important consideration is to choose the dress that best suits you. Shakira says she doesn't like floral prints, even though she looks gorgeous. Alicia Keys prefers neutral colour tones, while Diane Kruger loves black and white.

"Celebrities don't restrict themselves to wearing certain designers. So, the point here is that it's not what labels or what designers you wear. You might look foolish if you don't feel comfortable," she concludes.

Kupluthai Pungkanon

The Nation