New york: The good, the bad, and the ugly...

A round-up of the last few NY shows gave us extremes of taste. Here are some of my delights, and distastes...

The Good: The beautiful.

Ralph Lauren took us to The Hampton's for a weekend in feminine florals clinging to the body in slinky silks and opalescent hues. The pastel trend - where if you think ' pretty cosmetic tones' you won't be far off - continues throughout to New York to be the leading trend in colour for SS12.

The full length florals reminded me of Ophelia drowning...

Lauren teamed lady-like dress with feminine suiting that even Coco Chanel herself would have loved to wear, along with 30's style Orient Express hats and broaches. It sounds like mix of looks but the show is quite simply exquisite in it's flawless finish.

Also 'good', Ellie Tahari gave us models epitomising Grecian goddesses for Spring. Gold, iridescent and pearl added a tint of opulence to incredibly simple silhouettes and clean looks. Gold collars  and cuffs along with reptile skin brought Greek mythology of Medusa and her snake's to mind. This is when men - the duo behind Tahari - can dress women beautifully.

The bad?


While there were some aesthetic elements in Alberta Ferretti's show, I couldn't get past the heroin-chic emaciated look of the models personifying the collection, I'm afraid, and it's a shame.

And the ugly.


I was incredibly disappointed in the Anna Sui catwalk show, usually a favourite of mine, i thought it looked overall: tacky. Sorry Sui! But i think 'creative' doesn't mean aspirational.

And finally Proenza Schouler: what happened? I failed to find anything i admired here. Again usually an utter favourite designer of mine, i found it harsh and unattractive.

The key trends to remember for SS12 from New York so far, are pretty pastel shades, iridescent finishes, feminine floral's, illustrative bird prints and reptile skin. Lovely, I know.