Spring gleaning

Retro fever Thanks to the popularity of television series such as Pan Am, the fashion world is again in the grip of retro fever. Designers are scanning the decades from the 1920s jazz age to '50s couture for inspiration. 'There has been a real sense of a 1950s influence, along with the '40s. Jil Sander was exquisite thanks to Raf Simons' masterful modernism and the reworked white shirt dress. This highly feminine woman is really important this season,' says Sarah Rutson, fashion director at Lane Crawford. The look is very much based on a feminine, elegant silhouette as proposed by designers including Roland Mouret, who sent out super chic Parisian-inspired dresses with details such as flounced hems. Elsewhere, flared skirts, ?la Happy Days, made a comeback at Prada, Jason Wu and Christian Dior. Accessorise with matching shoes and handbags for a look that would make Bree Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives proud. If channelling a domestic goddess is not your cup of tea, then take notes from the hedonistic jazz age. Flapper-style dresses covered in beading and fringing straight from The Great Gatsby appeared at Etro and Gucci, while Ralph Lauren and Alberta Ferretti chose sexy sheer slip dresses with embellishments. Graphic lines and sequins brought Tory Burch's dresses to life. 'Modernise the look by pairing a beaded/sequined flapper skirt with something like your boyfriend's cashmere sweater or a biker jacket. Wear sneakers to go casual during the day or heels to dress it up at night,' suggests stylist Tina Leung. High performance Call it Olympics fever, but some designers decided to get sporty in an ultra chic way. 'It's about mixing sports, athletics and scuba influences with smarter and more formal silhouettes or fabrications. Designers took athletics gear and morphed it with daywear,' says Sarah Rutson at Lane Crawford. Some designers went all out - Lanvin and Balenciaga showed chic separates such as blouson jackets and track pants made from high-shine materials. If this interpretation is too literal, opt for sporty accents. Victoria Beckham added utility straps and exposed zippers to her dresses while Alexander Wang's parkas came with drawstrings and toggles. Stella McCartney's minidresses were souped-up with mesh, while Isabel Marant redesigned the sports sweatshirt. 'Sportswear elements such as drawstrings and piping are popular but avoid head-to-toe, boxy, casual sportswear. Add a feminine touch with details such as peplums as spotted at Vera Wang and Hakaan,' says Phillis Law at Joyce. Colours are equally high performance with electric shades of orange, blue, yellow and green. Complete the look with colourful bags and wedges. Texture and embellishment The catwalks came alive with handcrafted details including embellishments, contrasting fabrics and prints. Tribal beats were felt at Proenza Schouler, Bottega Veneta and Burberry, where raffia appeared on handbags and skirts, and tops and shoes were accented with shells and beading. But the trend is 'more about the shoes and accessories with crochet, natural finishes and wooden heel bases,' says Lane Crawford's Sarah Rutson. Prints are always a spring favourite but this time round designers such as Stella McCartney went with clashing styles worn from head to toe. Styles ran the gamut from paisleys and florals to animals, cars and vegetables. It's about creating cool combinations, so clash the same print in different colours as seen at Dries Van Noten or blow them up to new proportions - Lanvin's serpents lined the torso and slithered across the shoulders of black dresses. Christopher Kane's colourful flowers were hidden under a layer of organza on cool slip dresses. Lace also made an unusual statement. At Dolce & Gabbana, floral lace appliques created a three-dimensional look while broderie anglais and brocade added a luxe artisinal feel to the collections of Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu. 'Match delicate lace pieces with solid colours for a more modern feel,' says Phillis Law, womenswear buyer at Joyce. Designers also went mad for a bit of sparkle, which ranged from gold sequins at Roberto Cavalli to pearl accents at Chanel. Pastels Spring's colours are ultra-feminine and nostalgic as designers paint from a palette of pretty pastels. Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton created his most fantastical collection to date with stunning fairy tale lace dresses iced in mint, lemon and baby blue, while Phillip Lim effortlessly combined light shades of purple, orange and cream on contemporary, easy-to-wear separates. 'Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci also made a strong statement in pastels - there was an irony to it that made it a perfect balance. The importance of peplums adds to all of this because they create a sense of softness like a David Hamilton photograph,' says Lane Crawford's Sarah Rutson. Pastels can border on girlie, so make the look modern by contrasting them with neutrals, or futuristic gold accessories. 'Make sure you ground your pastels with contrasting neutrals such as white, beige or grey. It will break up the look, but it won't take away from the colour like black would,' says stylist Tina Leung. Other popular colours include bright shades of blue, green, red and coral. Another seasonal favourite, white, is also used to highlight clean cuts and drive home the futuristic trend spotted on the catwalks. If there's anything you should own, it is a white shirt dress as championed by Celine and Jil Sander. Don't be afraid to go all out by adding a white handbag and heels. Looks on the bright side Must-have accessories Anything made from woven leather or raffia Silver shoes A colourblock handbag 'Flatforms' Colourful exotic skin handbags Cat eye sunglasses The colourful strappy sandal Looks to experiment with ... Quirky prints - forget polka dots, and choose geckos, cars and vegetables such as zucchinis and tomatoes instead Peplums - they add a feminine touch to spring's silhouettes Summer leather - choose skirts made from perforated leather or leather shorts Pleats - super-fine pleats add femininity to spring's frocks as spotted at Lanvin and Chloe ... and those to leave behind Exposed midriffs - only for those with abs of steel Printed trousers - should be practised with caution as they can border on clownish Metallic high-tops - unless you want to look like a Star Trek extra