Next Question: The big trend story for Spring 2007 is Volume, Volume, Volume.  Sleeves, in particular, are larger than life with kimono styles, which have sleeves cut in the same piece of fabric as the rest of the garment.  But what do you
think?  Tell us, are Kimono Sleeves In, or are they Out?  Cast your
vote on the sidebar!

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Color Palette:   Spring bunny-inspired neutrals in stone, alabaster, pearl, straw and chocolate dominated the runway, with slight accents of black and a sprinkle of red.

Silhouettes:  Fur generally creates volume even when cut flat and this collection is no exception.  Mendel uses this to his advantage by using structure that has largeness on the vests or tops or arm cuffs.  He used mink and cashmere to create slender tanks and cotton to elongate disc and origami-decorated skirts and pants.  Boatneck necklines  showcased delicate necks.  Slender patent leather belts further accented natural waists and left us dreaming of warm chic Spring days.

Accessories Report:  We were pleasantly suprised when the T-strap pumps (in black and white versions) with contrast fire-engine red bottoms stole the show as the models jauntily paraded down the U-shaped runway.  In addition, we noted a re-use of the thin glossy patent leather belts in white and black from Winter 2006.
 
What’s Wearable:  Omiru absolutely adored the texture and interest in the original origami shapes placed in geometric precision on a rose quartz satin faced organza dress and alabaster broadtail cropped bolero.

What’s Not Wearable:   Avoid the small puff short sleeves found on the straw silk mikado embroidered kimono jacket if you have proportionatly larger arms to retain your feminine shoulder curves.

Color Palette:  Wonderful warmth pops from this collection in the form of ecru, tan, deep golds, a particularly fetching coral, fuchsia and the requisite black traveler’s outfit.

Silhouettes:  The hourglass volume created by a large cinched waist on several of the outfits gave the collection a free-feeling flow.  Each piece contained layers and volume in a floaty, unstructured manner so that each model felt dressily undone.  We particularly enjoyed the visual balance between a loose cropped boatneck gold knit cardigan that tied in the back over a slightly nipped-at-the-waist fuchsia silk tulle and jersey knee length shift dress that gave the model an appearance of even longer legs.  We also took note of the kimono short sleeves, messy ruffles and medium weight knits.

Accessories Report:   Three cheers for a large shoe collection!  We appreciated that colors of the round-toe flats and sandals matched that of the collection.  We also saw textured necklaces created with cloth, wire and linen.  Travelling hats were also the order of the day, ranging from a "gaucho" scrunched cloth hat to a pert straw hat with tiny white veil to a large beige hat with contrast piping.

What’s Not Wearable:   Volume here, volume there, volume everywhere!  Beware of this combination (seen on the gold taffeta petal sleeve jacket paired with a fuchsia ruffle dress) unless you would like to look like a rather expensive eggplant. 

Color Palette:   Colors for this season are almost exactly the same as his Winter 2006 line, with a heavy emphasis on his love for black, black and more black.  Other colors spotted were dark silver, dark blue, cherry red and a beige-white. 

Silhouettes:  Plokhov featured a very fit and lean sensibility.  Straight leg (not tapered) pants graced the models’ legs in a variety of finishes and either tucked into boots or cut a little bit wider to fit over  boots.  One lone pair of shorts in a plaid print hit just above the knee.  Jackets with fit sleeves insisted that no bulky sweaters would be worn underneath, and long sleeve shirts maintained the same cut.  A black V-neck vest contrasted heavily with another long sleeve shirt in cherry red.

Accessories Report:  The floppy slightly pointed boots in a variety of colors (white, black, grey) hit just above the ankle and sported a delightful side buckle detail.  The versatile slouchy boot can be worn with pants tucked in or with wider legged pants covering it, meaning these boots can be still be used after the skinny pant leg trend is over.  We also spotted medium sized belts in black and white, perfect for finishing off the stark outfits.
 
What’s Wearable:  While the red may be a bit too bright for the office, we did appreciate the casual chic-ness of the zip-up mandarin collar jackets with slanted dual zippers. 

Silhouettes:  
It gets cold on the Great Plains!  We spotted a number of thin crewneck tanks and long sleeved tees layered under sweatshirts and dresses for a definitely youth-centric dressing sensibility.  The slim cut tops were combined with blousant dresses and wraps that obscured the models’ figures and showcased their long legs.  Poufs were seen in most outfits, and the occasional outfit featured undergarments from Araks’ lingerie line. 

Accessories Report:  A definite lack of showy jewelry and plain black ballerina flats on all of the models helped keep the focus on the rather romantic line of clothing.
 
What’s Wearable:  We absolutely fell head-over-heels for "Look 20" in the show–a soft white cotton pique shirt jacket with pleats layered over a rainbow oatmeal sweatshirt top, finished off with brown high waisted flat front trousers with just the right amount of flare.  We imagine strolling down the street in this outfit with oversized shades and our favorite Hermès bag in the crook of our arm.