SPRING RUNWAY 2013

1. Capes

The cape is such a perfect winter layeringstaple that it can be hard to imagine wearing one in spring. But capes can not only work, they can be a pleasant and unexpected surprise in the warmer months. Burberry Prorsum’s runway was the perfect example of that: capes in Duchess Satin in seasonal colours proved that the cape was here to stay, and more desirable than ever.

Salvatore Ferragamo F/W ’12, Burberry Prorsum S/S ’13

2. Oriental-inspired clothing

You known when Miuccia Prada jumps onto something, it’s here to stay… for a while at least. Prada’s Japanese-inspired runway of modern Geisha girls brought the oriental fashion fascination into the coming warmer months. And it wasn’t just Prada – the likes of Etro, Issa and Behnaz Sarafpour bought Asian influences of their own. So those kimonos and oriental-print silks you got for fall, are more than welcome to stick around.

3. Leather skirts

Leather is just for winter – said no-one ever who actually knew what they were talking about. Leather works across the seasons and those leather skirts we loved so much for the colder months aren’t precluded from working in spring and even summer. Lighter weight leathers and in lighter hues will of course be ideal, but don’t forget that you can always head out at night – once the sun has gone down – in your black pleated leather skirt even in spring.

Akris F/W ’12, Rag & Bone S/S ’13

4. Playful retro pieces

If you’ve found yourself indulging in some playfully retro pieces – like 1950s stylecostume jewellery, pencil skirts, vintage-style hats and anything that takes its cues from the bold, bright side of 1960s fashion, fear not: there’s no reason you can’t keep playing dress-ups with it. Spring brings ample opportunity to show off legs in micro-mini mod dresses, or to cinch waists and layer on the attitude like a retro bombshell babe.

DSquared2 F/W ’12, Moschino S/S ’13

5. Metallics

The spring 2013 runways shone with metallic hues: bronze, gold, silver, leather, silk, lurex… If it was metallic, odds are you could spot it on some runway or another. You’ll also find that, come spring / summer 2013, metallics will be on many a shop shelf. Keeping any metallics you’ve invested in through 2012 is not only a good idea, it’s a must.