Although it seems ridiculous for many of us to start thinking of flowing skirts and dresses – what with three feet of snow outside the door –the time has arrived to look forward to Spring 2009, and how the runway shows overseas will influence our closets.

The shows in Paris and Milan are my picks as the keynotes for Spring 2009 trends – and many have emerged that not only reflect the time that we’re in, but forecast the things to come. With the economic forecast looking grim, fashion is reflecting a slightly austere outlook.

The first trend to emerge that reflects the austerity of the day is in the hair and makeup choices at many international runway shows. Designers at Costume National, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Chloé, Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, and Burberry Prorsum chose simple, uncomplicated hairstyles, with scrubbed-down natural makeup on the models.





Photo credit: Dries Van Noten/Greg Kessler


Photo credit: Bottega Veneta/Greg Kessler


Photo credit: Chloé/Greg Kessler

The second trend that can be found on runways worldwide this spring, and graced the Paris and Milan shows time and time again is the cinched-waist silhouette. Designers at Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Burberry Prorsum, Costume National, and Chanel shelved the empire-waist dresses and voluminous tops for well-defined waists every chance they could get. (Styling tip: don’t stress is your closet is stocked full of maternity-esque clothing like mine – rather, keep the clothes and invest in some new belts to define your waist).


Photo credit: Bottega Veneta/Marcio Madiera


Photo credit: Miu Miu/Marcio Madiera

The next trend coming from the Paris and Milan shows is ‘gold baby gold’ -- woven right into the fabric of the clothing itself. Exemplified elegantly by Dries Van Noten, Prada, and Burberry Prorsum, the gold trend is less ostentatious then the ‘bling-bling’ craze of years past (with the exception perhaps of Prada’s hard-to-miss, molten-like gold dresses).


Photo credit: Dries Van Noten/Don Ashby & Olivier Claisse



Photo credit: Prada/Marcio Madiera

Rounding out the list of my picks for Spring 2009 trends are:

1. The continuation of menswear tailoring, seen at Dries Van Noten and Yves Saint Laurent

2. Wide-leg trousers at Louis Vuitton, and;

3. The statement necklace, which retains its stronghold as choice neckwear, as seen at Dries Van Noten and Burberry Prorsum.


Photo credit: Burberry Prorsum/Marcio Madeira

by Heather Loney