Westfield Group
The advantage of being based in the Southern Hemisphere? We can take our inspiration from the catwalk and interpret it into how we are dressing right now, not having to wait until next year like all those based north of the equator, who are heading right in the middle of the chilly winter months.
WHAT'S NOT
Fashion had its moment with weird proportion. Not since the early 60s have we had to tackle such singularly unflattering forms: the truncated tulip skirt, the billowing baby doll (as seen here at the Giambattista Valli show in Milan seen top left), the bandeau mini that wraps like a gigantic bandage around one's bottom and the drop waist sleeveless mini. Enough already! Relocate your waist and hips and do your best to delineate one from the other.
The best way forward is with a conservative, comfortable and ultimately flattering day dress in a huge wild floral or a brilliant shade of pink or yellow….which brings us to:
WHAT'S HOT
Colour 'block' combinations that are savagely bright and subtle at the same time take a little artfulness to get right: hot Bollywood pink and preppy mustard (like the Etro outfit seen at the Milan Spring/Summer 2008 show on the bottom left), pearly grey and lemon yellow cobalt blue and apricot. But it can be done by buying summer basics in completely unlikely shades. An office pump in lipstick red, a trench in New York taxi cab yellow, a pencil skirt in emerald and a silk shirt in shocking pink, worn to show.
This trend is great to take you right through to summer. Your new shopping mantra is colour me sexy. NOTHING is monochrome anymore especially the classics such as ballet flats or even cocktail dresses. Wrap your head around the little lime dress and put black on the back-burner.
