The Career Clutch Comeback

 from left to right, all from SS 12: Celine, Lanvin & Prada

The career clutch is returning this season. Judging by the above shots, Phoebe Philo, Alber Elbaz & Miuccia Prada have definitely put an effortlessly cool and modern spin to multicolor leather paneled envelope clutches and portfolio clutches. 

Once known only as an evening go-to in the 70s, the envelope clutch has grown to become an everyday staple. The Spring's palette of lighter hues and textured leathers add a modern touch to this piece. While the latter is purely designed to beautify its wearer's ladylike demeanor, the portfolio clutch serves a dual purpose: an accessory that once held paper files in the 60s and 70s now rides the wave of iPad-friendly accessories and carries the newest technological devices. Wait until you see this fine innovation, as ever-slimmer silhouettes have emerged, with envelope flap closures for Lanvin or sleek zippers for Prada. 

Often tinted in sandy beige or soft pink for Spring, these contemporary must-haves have yet to raid the streets. I'd be curious to see how well they become adopted as every fashion insider's arm candy. What do you say? Do you want a piece of that candy too?

Alerte Rouge: give into the arm candy

My visual appetite has definitely been satisfied to say the least, since Tommy Ton's Jak & Jil comeback. If you ever questioned the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words", you may very quickly settle your doubts with this one. The pop of rouge captured in this shot was definitely intentional--not only to create an aesthetically pleasing scenario, but also to reaffirm an already existing trend that is slowly but surely taking over the streets of major fashion cities. This trend--or craze should I say--is nothing more but that of a little red bag playfully hanging on every fashion insider's shoulder, or as shown above, held like a delicate treasure for those more emotionally involved with their wares. 

Ladylike, tomboy material or school girl friendly, the little red bag is easily suited to your personality. Celine's Box bag will be your arm candy at your favorite luncheons and soirees, while Chanel's Boy edition will affirm your ability to be ultra funky yet chic. Lastly, Chloe's small Marcie leather satchel will bring out the mischievous little girl in you and only give you more attention with its cute curves. 

from left to right, the little red bag: by Celine, Chanel & Chloe

Although the choice is quite tough, I'm sure you have a favorite already. So tell me, which one are you leaning towards? 

Head-to-toe prints: the fabulous evolution

To continue on our little dissection of prints--and not to mention my insane excitement for the coming of Spring (although Winter has barely even hit us yet--*sigh*)...I will focus on a trend that emerged in the late 1960's and that has hit the hot spot for 2012. You named it, head-to-toe prints are in! What had been considered a no-do for a while is now hitting all the runways.

Photo courtesy of Vogue

I am particularly lusting over Celine's floral ensemble, from the 2012 Resort collection. A Flower Power shirt and pants could very well be screaming "I am a dainty girly", but here a bomber jacket is paired with the ensemble to add the touch of dandy that makes my heart melt. I won't be dissecting this outfit without making a reference to Marimekko, the Finnish company that made a huge mark in 1960's and 1970's fashion with the introduction of brightly-colored printed fabrics and simple styles, used both in women's garments and in home furnishings. Applying graphic designs to textiles was a first in this era--a method also adopted and reinterpreted by Emilio Pucci with his psychedellic designs, and later Alexander McQueen with his Spring 2010 RTW collection.

A good example of Marimekko’s legacy is the Green-Green fabric (also in black orange shown above), created in 1975 by Japanese designer Katsuji Wakisaka. As stated by Marimekko, Wakisaka’s “refreshing take on color, basic illustrative technique and inspiring imagery produced popular patterns which helped revitalize the Marimekko brand during the 1970’s."

Refreshing is definitely an appropriate term to describe our little preview of the Spring's collections...