From decorated breasts to bare stomachs; Kermit green and ginormous hats, the spring 2013 runways were overflowing with bizarre trends. See the highlights.
AP Photo (left); Getty Images (2)
This season, breasts were on full display—but not in a Kate Upton kind of way. Actually breasts weren’t really showing at all—they were just decorated in all shapes and forms. At Carven, a piece of the cup was cut out of a high-necked, long sleeved dress. Alber Elbaz took the most artistic route at Lanvin by superimposing a statue’s bare bust onto a dress with anatomically placed precision. And Giles Deacon went the farthest by beading an exploding blue firework around model Cara Delevingne’s left-aligned friend.
In a way, this season’s dominatrix gladiator heel kind of reminds us of those ‘Jenny from the Block’ Timberland-inspired heeled boots that were all the rage back in 2002. For spring, several designers created a mashup between ancient Rome and (though it pains us to use this reference) Fifty Shades of Grey. One part BDSM, one part ancient warrior, the shoe of the season is strappy and primal. Altuzarra presented a pair (designed in collaboration with Gianvito Rossi) as part of his collection in New York, as did Versace in Milan, and Jean-Paul Gaultier in Paris.
Usually green comes down the runway as a colorful accent, but rarely is it everywhere. But for some reason this season, designers were all about it—not so much with money or the environment of course—but in the more literal sense. Conservatively cut head-to-toe green clothing was all over the runway—perhaps in homage to Kermit (because really there’s no other explanation). Rising talent Creatures of the Wind was one to kick off the green trend in New York, which then traveled to Milan, popping up on runways like Etro, Gucci, and in Paris at Stella McCartney.
Just when you thought hats couldn’t get any bigger: this season’s fedoras were so wide they looked like umbrellas. Paris played home to several oversized millinery creations from Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, and the most outlandish of all—an enormous plastic version by Chanel.
Perhaps in an effort to be economical, designers created warm-weather pieces that could serve both as clothing and an air-conditioning tester. Labels such as Marios Schwab, Rodarte, and Nina Ricci took the most extreme approach by draping string trim all around a series of gowns, creating a stringy effect.
Here’s one reason to hit the gym: at the spring 2013 shows, the tummy was all out. Designers took the midriff in a new direction—lowering waistlines and abbreviating hemlines, bringing the midsection front row and center and making last season’s bra-top and high-waist skirt pairing seem tame. Louis Vuitton’s show was full of ab-baring fare, as were the selections at Miu Miu. And in London, Jonathan Saunders was feeling a bit of TLC nostalgia—pairing a low-riding sequined skirt with a triangular bra.
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Ruffled curtains—what's NOT sexy about that? Designers pumped up the ruffle on steroids and included them in a variety of supercharged evening looks. Chloe's take was sweet and pink all over, while J.W. Anderson fashioned a single large frill into a bandeau top. Balenciaga took the Angelina approach with a serious slit.
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“Stripes! It's a trend!" people were overheard cooing at New York Fashion Week’s Lincoln Center tents. What was the big deal? Were they removable? Free with purchase? No, in fact, they had just changed directions. Where last season’s stripes lay almost strictly horizontal, spring’s stripes were vertically aligned—groundbreaking, we know. But regardless, vertical stripes were a tipping point for rejoice amongst the fashion clan who are heralding it as one of the season’s must-have new looks. Just be grateful—at least this stripe is slimming! Marc Jacobs essentially plastered them all over his collection, while Dolce & Gabbana fashioned them into a little minidress and Balmain used their elongating properties on a pair of stovepipe pants.
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