the up-and-coming, part one.

while many judge runway collections as a whole, i like to hone in on separates and admire each for their own qualities. it's like hussein chalayan said, "i don't really believe in labels-- i believe in ideas." i might find many pieces i like in a collection, or i might find one. or none. in any case, i started out trying to keep tabs of runway shots, and my computer screen became easily filled. i had to cut down just to manage my thoughts and inspirations.

this is a post for the eyes.

click to see larger images!

bralettes

whether it's a long bra-top or a true bralette, a graphic and sporty piece or an elegant corset, these garments are some of the most daring. once i got used to the concept of wearing them in public, though, they transformed into the most comfortable cover-up.
these photos have one important aspect in common: all the bottoms, whether cheeky and short or graceful and long-hemmed, reach up over the stomach. as long as it doesn't revert into the trend of displaying every inch à la nineties music video backup dancer, midriff baring is always acceptable to me.


pattern and color

there are few things better in my mind than clashing-matching patterns and using rich colors. thakoon was an absolute feast for me, and although i didn't like christian siriano's shades at first, i've warmed to them. my heart is still attached to the maxi skirt, which probably helped that love for the electric mustard piece i spotted on siriano's catwalk.

texture

texture is probably my favorite part of the upcoming season. with the amount of black i like to wear, it can be difficult to configure outfits with prints the likes of missoni and miu miu. i end up with a lot of vintage leathers and suedes, jeans, cottons, laces, wools-- all in black. it's hard for me to think that it's taken me until now to really consider mixing textures of one color family. i also have a lot of pastels, so when i get hit with that good spring feeling, i can lighten things up in light silk, lace, sequins, and suede.

gowns

i can't look at collections without paying attention to the billowing gowns. sheers grabbed my eye at amanda wakeley, and though i'm not usually a fan of cake-like works, oscar de la renta surprised me with a tasteful dress of rather large proportions. i loved the recurrence of fishtail hems such as those at antonio berardi-- that's one nineties reference i've found very pleasant and versatile. the berardi gown pictured above was very reminiscent for me of the alexander mcqueen 2008 peacock dress, another brilliant piece. lastly, more colors! jenny packham and zach posen had such saturated tones, and the latter had a dress shaped like a dream. i'm consistently blown away by the craftsmanship of these pieces. perfect work.

despite my innate ability to wear nothing but black, i've incorporated lots of new concepts into my wardrobe over the past few years. due to my particularly low comfort levels, i actually had to begin with skirts and work up to concepts such as color and pattern. now that the spring fashion season has opened up, i have a whole new chance to play.


more to come soon.

all images from tumblr and style.com.