Simply Abu Dhabi II

SIMPLY FASHION by jordana lynch 131 SIMPLY ABU DHABI Versace Women Spring/Summer 2011 - Opposites Attract. This season’s Versace collection for women is all about a playful game of proportions and opposites: short vs. long, high vs. low, plain vs. patterned, dull vs. bright, and fabric vs. flesh. High waisted skirts cut over the knee are combined with extremely short jackets that finish under the breast. The result: a look where a line of skin is visible between the skirt and the jacket, and where shoulders are rounded to give them a fresh emphasis. Indeed, the shoulder achieves a new prominence within the collection and in many pieces is revealed, and framed, attaining the status of a new erogenous zone. This is often achieved through the use of decorative back-belts (martingales), which feature throughout the collection. These martingales, with decorative buttons, join, embroider and shape the padded shoulders of dresses and tops, breaking up the expanse of nude back and gently and elegantly referencing fetishistic straps. The martingales, which also decorate high waisted skirts and the sides of dresses, are realized in contrasting materials – varnished and patent against non-shiny fabrics. And in our game of opposites, the idea of contrast is key. Many dresses feature inlays in PVC that break up the lines of the silhouette, making it look more sinuous and adding the impression of motion. Solid colours too – whites, red, splashes of turquoise, and blacks – are interrupted not only by revealed areas of flesh seen through PVC inlays or sculpted shapes cut into fabric, but also by prints, which appear in the splits of skirts and on fringes. The basis of many of these prints is the Versace Greek fret motif, which is here used not as a logo device, but as a decorative pattern. The free and easy use of this graphic device, usually so rigid and geometric in its application, adds a sense of fluidity to the prints, with their playful use of colours. Other decorative highlights include the juxtaposition of materials, as in the cocktail dress where macramé is mixed with cadis in rubber, and the extensive use of fringes (often of different lengths within the same dress), which bring flowing movement to dresses, and allow a striking display of patterns, especially when printed fringing is placed on top of patterned fabric. The accessories follow the same theme of opposites with purses and bags (sizes are small to medium) created from contrasting materials. The inlays and decorations are bright where the main material is dull, or dull where it is bright. There are also small bags designed to be carried over the shoulder that feature the Greek fret motif as decoration, and not as a logo. Some bags use metal mesh with Swarovski crystals to create a play of light. Burberry reveals Sophie Kennedy-Clark aand Matthew Beard as April couple. Burberry announces new cast members for April, Sophie Kennedy-Clark and Matthew Beard as part of its dynamic ad campaign for Spring Summer 2011, where new British cast members are revealed each month. Shot on Brighton Beach by Mario Testino, British actors Sophie Kennedy-Clark and Matthew Beard will feature across print and online media for the month of April. Launched with January couple British models Cara Delevingne and Jacob Young, featuring Jourdan Dunn and Sacha M’Baye in February and Tali Lennox and Tara Ferry in March, the campaign reinforces the brand’s synergy with British landscapes, weather and emerging talent. “We wanted to create a dynamic campaign that reflects the diversity of our broad global consumer, revealing new British cast members each month, all with their own identity, embodying the different attitudes of the Burberry guy and girl. We shot the campaign on Brighton beach to celebrate the great British outdoors and our history of supporting emerging talent and to bring to life the emotion behind protection from the elements.’’ Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer The campaign showcases the high impact global monthly flow of new Burberry product and accompanying innovative content, used seamlessly and consistently across all of the brand’s online, offline and in store touch points. The campaign shows the full breadth of the Burberry offering - Burberry Prorsum, Burberry London, Burberry Brit and Burberry accessories, all of which can be explored on Burberry.com with multi-faceted content experiences.