Pastel Trend

To mistake the pastels of this season as infantile or frivolous, would be a grave error. The soft hues on the runways for Spring 2014 were anything but pushover. Making a statement, pastels were shown in head-to-toe looks in strong silhouettes, leaving no question that the pale colours were all business.

Balenciaga and Antonio Berardi both showcased rose tinted skirts and dresses with matching jackets, giving a new meaning to power suits. Both designers focused on an exaggerated silhouette, with Berardi opting for a rounded shoulder while Balenciaga went for sharp shoulders and an equally sharp flared skirt. Balmain continued its affinity for a bold shoulder with matching a skirt suit in a loud pink houndstooth print and chunky chain belt.

Light blue, the colour of the season, was given some serious weight through various textures. Baby blue snakeskin at Barbara Bui, in a cropped bomber with matching bag, gave the shade depth and street cred. Chloé on the other hand, went for max impact a billowing blue bias-cut dress that, while ladylike and refined, commanded attention.

On the flip side, Alexander Wang showed that androgynous doesn’t have to mean blacks and browns, using instead a frosty pink to his masculine collared shirt and matching boxers.

Sheer has without a doubt been one of the hottest trends of late and was kicked up a notch in Burberry’s pastel lace shirt and skirt combo. The combination of two typically feminine motifs, lace and the skirt suit, was undercut with the risqué nature of the sheer fabric and matching hot pants. Only a storied English brand like Burberry could make sheer lace look polished and hip. A similar effect was achieved at Christopher Kane, with a minty sheer skirt and also as Erdem with sheer white accents.

On the lighter side of things, white, a colour normally reserved for weddings and tennis courts, tends to get a bad rap as bland or prissy. Both Acne and Victoria Beckham sent out looks in white with strategic slashes, both illusion and real, to demonstrate the versatility and edginess that the virginal hue can have.