Blumarine Spring '11'

By Karen Welcome

Colour was all over the runway for Milan Fashion Week 2010. From Emilio Pucci’s seventies silhouettes to Raf Simon’s couture-inspired maximalist looks at Jil Sander, spring 2011 is shaping up to be a melting pot of colour and wild prints. Canadian designer’s Dean and Dan Caten sent a bevy of beauties down the runway in small floral prints for DSquared2, while D&G sent out long dresses with magnified floral patterns. Christopher Kane’s graphic skirts and dresses were a big hit at Versus, as were the kaleidoscopic knits at Missoni.

At the opposite end of Milan’s technicolour dream, were the romantic white and black looks trimmed with lace at Dolce and Gabbana. Designers Giorgio Armani and Bottega Veneta also adorned their models in a simple palette of black and gray.

Milan’s spring collections were not competing for glamour. Instead they showcased looks that can be worn with ease. To prepare for spring 2011; stock up on long dresses with a romantic feel, clothing with colourful graphic prints and finally, structured camel suits and jackets are also great pieces to have. However, the most important accessory this spring is a great smile, Milan’s runways have shown us that all you need to do to pull off these looks is lighten up!

Scenes from Dolce & Gabbana and Missoni Spring 2011 collections.