FIERCE KITTY SWIPES BACK

While perusing some online boutiques just the other day, I found a frequently re-occurring trend that clawedat my couture-thumping heart each time I managed to stumble upon it. Fierce as a kitten, yet suave as a sultry cheetah, imitation leopard prints have pounced their way back into the summer style scene. However, be wary with these prints (or any for that matter), for there is in fact such a phenomenon some wise wanderers like to title “too much of a good thing”. Nonetheless, everything in model-worthy moderation my darling couture cats.

As per usual, the designers and style forecasters had their fierce kitty fashion on long before any of us set foot outside in leopard print Manolo Blahniks. Top couturiers such as Proenza Schouler, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian LaCroix, Oscar de la Renta, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Nanette Lepore, and Diane Von Furstenburg have been serenading the runway with safari-sweet inspirations since the Spring 2009 Runway Previews last September at New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park. Diane Von Furstenburg took the runway by storm with her fresh, bohemian safari theme, transforming the runway into a earthy jungle with top models strolling down the catwalk in flowery prints of all sorts. Since then, the fashion world has been prancing to get their paws and claws into safari-themed, jungle-cat prints to adventurously adorn for Spring/Summer 2009.

So as summer sends its warm, gentle breeze streaming around the corner, the time to re-up our summer wardrobes has finally fallen upon us. With this darling new discovery of the finest feline prints, I know what few items I will be in search of to add to the closet that summer so excitedly demands I have. Hence, the items I have chosen to feature at the top of this post are my favourite finds from our dashing new discovery, and are ideal pieces to imitate for the sunny months of summer. Check out the few items (with clickable links) below to take a look at a few leopard-themed items to have yourself looking as fierce as a kitten this season. May your new finds prove to be just the catnip you need to send you into your rip-roaring summer safari!

FOR YOUR WARDROBE:

1. Gryphon New York Leopard Print Dress.
2. Forever 21 Chic Leopard Pencil Skirt
3. Manolo Blahnik Leopard Pumps
4. French Connection Leopard Leggings
5. Kate Moss Topshop Leopard Print Scarf
6. Urban Outfitters Leopard Ballet Flats

Back to the Future: The Eighties Revived

The eighties are back. And not just in an acid-bright, drummer boy jacket kind of way. No, this is a fully-fledged zippered, jumpsuited, bandage-clad eighties revival with but a touch of lace.

Arguably one of the most influential decades of modern-century style, the eighties are giving us a taste of what has not yet been lost to the 1900's. An era that based their fashion moves on rebelliously against-the-trend fashion statements, while some envision horror at the return, fashion designers happily sigh at the idea of new fashion prospects. The eighties give us more to work with when it comes to texture, color, and shape. After all, the eighties was purely the age of experimentation, so could it really hurt to play the change card in the rapidly progressing modern world we live in? Hardly. Why throw away a shot at freedom of expression and the ability to take artistic license to a new level? After all, it's high time I invest in a pair of stringy platforms and a big-shouldered blazer plentifully bestrewn with thick, belt-like straps.

One fresh designer from the runway, Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, was the daring designer who made the return to the eighties so appealing to the fashion world. Decarnin drew his inspiration from the iconic style of Michael Jackson: acid-washed jeans, full-length jumpsuits, and drummer-boy jackets with oversized shoulders and crystal embellishing. At the collection's debut, Madonna tunes happily exploded throughout the room while bored-looking models waltzed down the catwalk. Other designers like Michael Kors, Phillip Lim, and Les Chiffoniers also drew some inspiration from Michael Jackson, while Erdem and Christian Lacroix have found Cyndi Lauper to lead them down their creative genius paths of design.

But alas, how long will the style stick? Far longer than the summer, I can tell you that much. Style experts and trend forecasters left, right, and center have been predicting the trend to surpass the sunshine season and hold strong into autumn. So stock your summer wardrobes while you still can! Key items to look for will be lace leggings, the aforementioned acid denim washes, bright accessories, and strappy shoes. Look for big shouldered items, like the blazers and jackets by Dolce and Gabbana, as well as Phillip Lim's statement cadet jacket worth attaching to your closet hanger. Naturally, electric blue, vibrant lime, acidic yellow, and explosive orange will be overwhelming the runways, so make sure to bring your favourite pair of aviator-lensed RayBans. And for those of you who cringe at the thought of shoulder pads and jumpsuits, stick to geometric prints, denim, sportswear, and bandage dresses as shown below. While designers are designing fun pieces to revive the spirit of the eighties, keep it alive in your world too. Perhaps Playstation said it correctly the first time around, "Live in your world, play in ours." Couldn't have said it better myself.