HOT IN SPRING-SUMMER 2010

PREEN: REAL ROMANTICS

British couple Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi honour their retro-vintage roots for Spring/Summer 2010 with a strong collection full of boldly cut silhouettes, diaphanous chiffon, layers of French lace and volumes of ruffles. The optimism and iconic imagery of the early-’90s are merged with inspirations from ancient Japanese rope bondage and Corrine Day’s earlier photography.

Launched in 1996, Preen delivers sexy and romantic fashion with original flair, individual style and bold attitude. The brand, inspired by the beauty of Victoriana and brash of punk rock, is loved by the chic-indie likes of Alexa Chung, Chloë Sevigny, Gwyneth Paltrow and Peaches Geldof. 

AVAILABLE LOCATION: ifc mall

BLOUSON NOIR: RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE 

Blouson Noir presents a sophisticated urban warrior look for Spring 2010. With safari-inspired outfits — think cropped khaki bustier-and-pant sets, loin-cloth-like draped skirts, and structured jackets with saddle-stitch finishings — designers Melanie Ward and Graham Tabor’s debut collection takes young women from the city’s subways to the desert’s savannahs.

Ward, Harper’s Bazaar fashion editor and former creative director at Helmut Lang, and Tabor, a former knitwear consultant at Karl Lagerfeld, produce Blouson Noir from New York, where they are based, and Italy. Mixing urban sass with edgy style, subtle sex appeal and fresh designs, the brand is the talk of town among the cool-chic fashion set.

AVAILABLE LOCATION: ifc mall

MICHAEL VAN DER HAM: PERFECT IMPERFECTION

After a fabulous 2009 debut with his critically acclaimed and double award-winning Central Saint Martins MA graduate collection, Dutch wunderkind Michael Van Der Ham has been hot on the fashion radar. With this season’s launch collection of modern, romantic evening dresses in bold, blocked style, he certainly lives up to his hype. For Spring, he referenced designs from different decades within the 20th century — and merged them all together. Picture vintage embossed jacquards with silk tulle, sand-washed silk satin, synthetic crepes and metallic organza jerseys. Mismatched mania and froufrou frills have never looked so exquisite.

AVAILABLE LOCATION: Pacific Place