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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, October 3, 2002

Still figuring out fall fads? Forget it – spring's here

Advertiser Staff and News Services

A model wears a blue glossy pleated skirt with a beige top designed by Australian fashion designer Colette Dinnigan for her spring-summer 2003 ready-to-wear collection.

Associated Press

Just when you thought you had fall fashion all figured out, the reports are flowing in on the top designers' spring collections.

Fall spanned the fashion spectrum from cowboy fringe, denim and camouflage to frills, embroidery, laced up tops and store-bought "hand-made" peasant blouses.

Who can blame the fashion divas wandering from rack to rack? No one style rules this season; the best one cab say is everyone is on their own.

Spring — and on to summer — promises a similar cornucopia of choices.

Italian designers presenting their spring-summer 2003 collections in nine days of preview showings that ended Tuesday have raised hemlines to heights unseen in many a season.

After toying with a long and loose silhouette, heavily influenced by ethnic and peasant styles, the "moda Milanese" is back to doing what it does best: short, sexy fashion.

Micro mini skirts, baby-doll dresses, tight tops, high heels, bright colors and sheer fabrics all combine to create a hot, but lighthearted summer mood.

There's a lot of the 1960s in the new collections, with heavy use of shiny plastics, floral prints and short styles belted at the waist. A return to punk with its metal hardware, punched-out fabrics and wild hairstyles is also present.

The trenchcoat makes a huge comeback, with its traditional belt straps showing up in unusual places — up the sides of a trouser, the front of a skirt, or as a shoe ornament.

Designers are looking to the Far East for new markets — Giorgio Armani is planning a trip to China this fall — and old inspiration. Korean collars, kimono jackets, sumo pants, porcelain patterns and rich embroidery show up everywhere.

There is a metallic rather than rich feel to the collections, with their silver stiletto heels, heavy-metal jewelry and silver and gold fabrics.

The hottest jewelry item is the bib necklace, strands of glass beads which adorn the neckline and keep it from plunging.

The omnipresent single item is the tank top which can be worn from sweaty gym to sweltering disco.

The oldest retro theme harks back to Roman times with centurion mini skirts and breast plate halter tops.

Hairstyles run the gamut from stiff, streaked punk to long, curly and loose.

Footwear ranges from flat silver slippers to towering, often embroidered sandals. Punk boots are a trendy alternative.

Except for the mean lines of black lips and garish eye-shadow in the punk department, makeup is discreet.

The fashion caravan moves on this week and next to Paris for the French take on next year's fashion trends.

Yesterday in Paris, Australian designer Colette Dinnigan showed short skirts as well for her spring-summer 2003 ready-to-wear collection, including a blue glossy pleated skirt with a beige top.

Here are some highlights, in alphabetical order, of what the Italians foresee for next year's warm-weather style:

  • Armani: sensual charm from soft jackets to wide parachute skirts
  • Cavalli: gowns for the lounge lizard
  • Dolce & Gabbana: punky sexy styles with a Roman twist
  • Fendi: a summer wrapped in glamorous gold
  • Ferragamo: great tops in flimsy chiffon
  • Ferre: retro greater than Gatsby himself
  • Gucci: very short and sexy styles with a Far East allure
  • Jil Sander: minimalist
  • Max Mara: all about trenchcoats
  • Moschino: a bag full of flip, fetching items
  • Prada: glass beads everywhere from neckline to hemline
  • Pucci: traditional patterns on a contemporary silhouette
  • Versace: the sum total of bright sexy summer cheer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.