Spring is finally here, if not in your country, at least, it is in the shops. Flowers are invading all the departments, and not only in the garden center. Flower prints everywhere, the worst nightmare of persons who hate them, persons like me. I like flowers, but in their natural environment, nature. And very
a propos, what makes me smile the most is the main theme of Spring/Summer 2011. The beach is out, exotic countries too. No, from upscale magazines to the most posh brands, the trendy place to be seems to be ... countryside. No cows, no haystack, but it is nearly here. The
Chanel's campaign picnics in an orchard, in those of
John Lewis, it's teatime in a gazebo and many others choosed a vegetal background. This Spring, we will all move from cities to the pastures ...
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| Dress Rodarte Fall 2011 (Style.com) - shoes Alexander McQueen Spring 2011 (Style.com ) - cuff Aurélie Biedermann 375 euros - earrings Honorine Jewels 780 euros |
Other brands and designers went further in the "Back to the Garden"'s theme. The
D&G woman looks like a real countrygirl and even the very elegant
Valentino launched a limited collection called "Garden Party". The clothes of that line have got a very romantic print which reminds watercolours. For the accessories, straw is the key material ( real or imitation ) : bags and especially hats, such as
Stetson's. The fields are an unlimited source of inspiration, as wheat is honoured by many designers :
Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton of course, but also in jewellery and in the Fall collection of
Rodarte, the brand which turns up.
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| T-shirt Lila Hudson at Pixie Market $137 - eye shadow Shu Uemura £16 - bag Valentino 980 euros - necklace Marion Godart 45 euros - headband Topshop £4 |
Why this sudden attraction for the countryside ? Is it a reference to the Original Garden, the garden of Eden ? Is it a wish of fertility after crisis times ? Or, modeled after those celebrities, actresses, designers and models such as
Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz, Gisele Bundchen and
Stella McCartney, who proclaim their "green attitude" ? At all events, green is the new black. In many catwalks, models were wearing grass-green eye shadow (
Dior, Loewe, Alberta Ferretti ). Flowers are the It accessories, as headbands or necklaces, but also fruits and various plants such as clover.
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| Red dress Carolina Herrera Spring 2011 (Style.com) - dress Simeon Farrar £210 - ring Topshop £12,50 |
Last year,
Miu Miu was the first to use the swallow as a print. Now, the iconic bird of Spring is everywhere, even in my garden ( those 5 cute little fellows in the picture above were photographed by me )and soon, all the animals of the contryside would be well reprensented too. But I will raise objections against cows. I HATE cows, so please, don't put them everywhere.
All those clothes, accessories and pictures are tempting us, and at
Vogue Paris,
Emmanuelle Alt and her team have realized our dreams of liberty and nature with their photoshot with Gisele, in pure white on a country road ... So, like
Joni Mitchell, let's go down to Yasgur's Farm, join a rock'n'roll band, camp out on the land and set our soul free ...
