We've got your invitation to the new fashion season, and everything you need to know in our Spring/Summer report

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/louis-vuitton-spring-summer-2017-runway-collection">Future Perfect: Louis Vuitton</a>

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/chanel-spring-summer-2017-runway-show">Digital Intimacy: Chanel</a>

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/gucci-spring-summer-2017-runway-collection">How To Wow: Gucci</a>

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/bottega-veneta-spring-summer-2017-collection-50-anniversary">Awash In Simplicity: Bottega Veneta</a>

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/embrace-the-dark-saint-laurent-spring-summer-2017">Embrace The Dark: Saint Laurent</a>

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/fendi-spring-summer-2017-runway-collection">Rebel Queen: Fendi</a>

<a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/fashion/valentino-spring-summer-2017-ready-to-wear-collection-pierpaolo-piccioli" target="_blank">Flying Solo: Valentino</a>

Spring/Summer 2017

Spring/Summer 2017 is set to be a season to remember, what with Maria Grazia Chiuri as the first female head at Dior, couturier Bouchra Jarrar at Lanvin, Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/bottega-veneta-spring-summer-2017-collection-50-anniversary">Bottega Veneta celebrating its 50th anniversary</a> with a joint menswear and womenswear show, Olivier Theyskens back at his namesake label after a 15-year hiatus, Alexander McQueen presenting a collection inspired by its founder&rsquo;s Scottish heritage, Consuelo Castaglioni&rsquo;s exit from Marni (which appointed Francesco Risso as its first designer-after-founder) and Sonia Rykiel&rsquo;s unfortunate demise. From all that&rsquo;s occurred in fashion thus far,&nbsp;two major narratives have emerged that will define the spirit of the season: &#39;80s power and a new kind of sexy.

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RESURGENCE OF THE &#39;80s

Ah, the decade of power suits with exaggerated shoulders and tiny waists; ugly sweaters worn over brightly coloured leggings, and with neon socks, legwarmers and/or fingerless gloves; leotards, headbands and boots in one outfit; cropped tops paired with mini tutus; satin and spandex in all colours and patterns from zebras to planets; shirts six sizes too big with pants just as large; all manner of jumpsuits; prom dresses as daywear; and the crowning glory: the countless regrettable hairstyles, including side ponytails tied with scrunchies. As a whole, it looked like some bizarre fitness club on overdrive.

Subsequently, the late &rsquo;80s marked the dawn of skate culture and the golden age of hip hop &ndash; two phenomena that birthed streetwear and the notion of &ldquo;cool&rdquo;. Truth be told, these movements had anti-establishment origins. Rap music was used as call to action, while skate culture coined the term &ldquo;rad&rdquo;, short for &ndash; you guessed it &ndash; radical. At the time, western neoliberal countries, along with Eastern Europe, became increasingly hostile towards communist societies. Democracy triumphed. But today, we find ourselves in a questionable position with democracy. And being the postmodernists we are, rather than facing up to these present-day problems, we romanticise the past, hence this resurgence of the &rsquo;80s and the appreciation of its aesthetics rather than political ideologies.

And that is the reason we can now dub <a href="http://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/chanel-spring-summer-2017-runway-show">Chanel</a> &ldquo;streetwear&rdquo; (with its current youthful direction), we see Thrasher shirts everywhere (even though their wearers never read the magazine) and ugly-chic sells like there&rsquo;s no tomorrow (think Christopher Kane crocs, Miu Miu swimming caps, blinged-out Gucci eyewear and C&eacute;line&rsquo;s granny-chic clasp bag). The Kenzo X H&amp;M show alluded to popular &rsquo;80s freestyle dance, Balenciaga used George Michael&rsquo;s Careless Whisper in its soundtrack, and Louis Vuitton&rsquo;s collection looked appropriate for Blade Runner.

There is, however, a danger in constantly looking back &ndash; it begets a culture (in fashion, especially) that faces creative stagnation. As music and culture critic Simon Reynolds proclaimed: &ldquo;The avant-garde is now an arri&egrave;re-garde.&rdquo; And being part of that rear guard &ndash; that is, out-of-date &ndash; is a complete no-no in the world of fashion.

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REDEFINING SEXY

Sexy will always be in, its simplest form being the exposure of skin and the focus on breastsand butts. That was clear this season with Saint Laurent&rsquo;s mono-boob dress (echoing a famous 1973 Helmut Newton photo of Paloma Picasso, a muse of Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello for the current collection), Marc Jacobs&rsquo; daisy dukes, and Fendi&rsquo;s sheer aprons. In addition, lingerie-inspired attire turned out to be another big trend &ndash; hello lace, bralettes, and loungewear. This type of sexy isn&rsquo;t going anywhere, but it was clear at the SS17 shows that an evolution of sexy was taking place, a shift from the obviously risqu&eacute; and blatantly sexy.

In the spotlight were alternative erogenous zones: collar bones, shoulder blades, the waist, the nape, to name a few. Valentino, for instance, was highly erotic: One look that seemed like a regular buttoned shirt from the front was actually cut midway behind, exposing the small of the back while a strap hugged the shirt in place at the waist. Meanwhile, Prada&rsquo;s samfus cropped high on the forearm and trimmed with feathers, eroticised the wrist.

Then there was the sexiness of the brain, a little-explored but no less erogenous zone that was seen in more intellectual looks, like the bulky twisted dresses from C&eacute;line, which exposed the sides of the waist, and the collection of exaggerated shapes and masculine tailoring at Balenciaga presented on a diverse cast of models sporting pixie cuts, shaved heads, bobs, and long locks. Even the show notes at <a href="http://www.lofficielsingapore.com/woman/louis-vuitton-spring-summer-2017-runway-collection">Louis Vuitton</a> read: &ldquo;Lovers of intellectual complicity, they sport fanciful T-shirts that reference the heads of the 18th-century fauns decorating the fa&ccedil;ade of 2 Place Vend&ocirc;me.&rdquo; The takeaway: &ldquo;Sexy&rdquo; sexy may be here to stay but truly, smart is the new sexy.

Check out the&nbsp;SS&#39;17 Dossier in&nbsp;the February 2017 issue of L&#39;Officiel Singapore (out now on newsstands and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.magzter.com/SG/HEART_MEDIA_PTE_LTD/L'OFFICIEL_Singapore/Fashion/" target="_blank">Magzter</a>).

Spring/Summer 2017 Dossier

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