SPRING 11 COLLECTIONS
From Dolce & Gabbana’s serene white story to Prada’s stripes, catwalks looks are conveyed with a youthful twist and River Island’s unique handwriting
« RIVER ISLAND WOMENSWEAR
The look River Island has diluted catwalk trends with aplomb for spring 11. From Dolce & Gabbana’s serene white story to Prada’s stripes, catwalk looks are conveyed with a youthful twist and with bucket loads of River Island’s unique bold and sexy handwriting. A nomad story features flowing
maxi skirts in ethereal chiffon with paper-bag tops, while a white story includes broderie anglaise mini shorts and crop tops with oversized cut-out detail on white pencil skirts. A Gucci vibe comes to River
Island in the form of a brights story, while technical, easy-to-wear sporty pieces also stand out. Particularly fresh is a slub jersey T-shirt with suede sleeves that plugs into the spring 11 trend for mixing fabrics.
Key pieces l Chiffon maxi skirt with feather print l Sheer, bright purple blouse with breast pocket detail l Leopard-print harem trousers l Calf-length pencil skirt with cutaway detail
Right for the market? This is a triumphant effort from River Island and the retailer has been both bold and clever with its catwalk interpretations. As a result the range offers plenty of choice for the core teenage River Island shoppers alongside a more sophisticated and ambitious offer for its older customers. The collection stands out from its
rivals and it is refreshing to see a retailer showing such a high level of confidence with its designs.
RIVER ISLAND MENSWEAR
The look River Island delivers a raft of clear menswear trends with safari, preppy tailoring and sportswear leading the way. The collection is stripped back
with minimal embellishment and surface application. Instead, fabric treatments such as crumpled-effect cotton and acid-wash denim add interest, giving the collection a rugged and distressed appearance. The collection is awash with
sandy, desert tones blended with olive greens and grey. Safari is the biggest trend and this is reflected in the muted palette, but also in the silhouette via cargo shorts, linen trousers and a khaki utility vest. There is minimal use of prints, with stripes and the occasional check shirt making a showing.
Stripes are used in interesting configurations and are placed well on garments – contrasting collars and cuffs on shirting is one example.
Key pieces l Sand-coloured crumpled mac l Hooded leather gilet l Chinos with rope belt
Right for the market? A level of consistency in the River Island handwriting pulls the collection together. Trends are tiered in both an accessible and directional way, meaning a broad range of customers can buy into the looks. Standout design details such as a skinny rope belt and wooden sew-through buttons on blazers add the impression of value.
» December 3 2010 Drapers 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84