Skirt on top Trends, Spring-summer 2016
Diala Aschkar, Art Director at Orient Palms, France

Skirt on top

Trends, Spring-Summer 2016

Bohemian and deconstructed trends this season are the breeding ground for a play on skirt. A piece of sheath, half-covers or translucently covers the legs. Underneath it, either pants, shorts, or a mini-skirt showing some skin but not in a blunt way. The boundaries are blurred. The skirt on top flows sensually, with feminine movements, veiling and unveiling, protecting and attracting at the same time. The silhouette is soft and breathy, and fueled with panache!

At the Roberto Cavalli’s show, one of my favorite looks is the addition of an unexpected spectacular ruffled trail to an 80’s street-wear style - a T-shirt and a leather micro-skirt.

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Alexander McQueen’s poetic bohemian denim frock coats, are cut-open on the waist giving the illusion of a skirt on the lower part. The blue coat has Victorian flower embroideries and the white one has broderie anglaise and braidings all over. They are paired with washed and frayed denim pants.

Chanel’s airport theme is the perfect excuse for comfortable clothing translated into boho modern outfits, many having mid-calf open skirts with pants underneath. The ruffled patterned skirt invites itself into the play of mixing sporty accessories (cap, ski sun-glasses, gloves) with classic accessories (scarf bow, crewneck necklace). A crystal-studded fitted jacket with black ribbon bows - one of Chanel’s typical elements - looks less ostentatious with a skirt-over-pants combo in black leather.

A perfectly fitted bride outfit closed Julien McDonald’s show - the theme was the age-space warrior woman. The peplum playsuit trails a dazzling long skirt, and is highly embellished with embroidery and Swarovski crystals, looking like a feminine ornamented armor. The slicked back wet hair, skin gleaming and charcoaled eyeliner goes well with the sexy natural motifs exceeding on the bare skin.

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Dsquared² presented tight scuba-inspired dresses under long skirts that suggest undulating waves. The sporty-tropical combination and the neon colors simply stun.

Creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista designed a Lacoste collection with the Olympic spirit in mind and the national flags that the athletes hold or wrap themselves into. The navy sexy dress and jumpsuit with deep V-necks have skirts attached to theirs backs like flags.

This season, Albert Kriemler, Akris’s designer, has a minimalistic and geometric style inspired by his collaboration with the architect Sou Fujimoto. The mesh he uses is a fashion reading of Sou’s delicate Naoshima pavilion. And the porous white skirt with broderie anglaise is a translation of Shou’s “House of Hungarian Music” in Budapest, which white roof has openings for trees to grow through.

Barbara Bui’s tight leather pants, covered partly with nonchalant hanging half-dresses, is the epitome of the feline Parisian jet-setter. The long burgundy slip dress or the asymmetrically extended pinstriped top soften the raw sexiness of the black leather.

Anthony Vaccarello’s flowing sheath on top of a mini-skirt matches the pattern of the jacket, creating an appealing visual continuity. Same for John Richmond’s long mesh skirt which adds glamour to the black mini-dress.

Alexis Mabille displays a quirky look with the high-waisted belted shorts and vintage-like sweatshirt. The play on short-long fits well with that. The combination is girly and fresh, especially that the collections’ theme is watermelon, whence the red, pink and green colors. Yiking Yin, Léonard’s designer, wanted to break the codes of the house and played on pairing noble flowy silks and muslin with sporty elements (shorts, sneakers) creating a vivid, joyful look.

Temperley transforms its latin American folk inspiration into a boho effortless luxury. Broderie anglaise of leafage motifs are sewn over high-quality cotton fabrics. The designer accentuates this relaxed elegance with shorts and gladiator sandals.

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