Doll's Eye View: NY Spring/Summer 2020 Trends

There was less New York Fashion Week, this season which was probably a good thing. Between the great big, floppy silhouettes, yards and yards of flounces, ruffles and flaps contrasted by many, many terribly ordinary "been-there-worn that" styles..... there was not a lot to love. Right now, there is something called "maximalism" where stylists are mixing the 1970's, 80's and '90's into a single ensemble, I call.....one hot mess. I had to send the girls back to New York a second time just to come up with enough looks for this report. My die-hard fashionistas braved traffic jams and crowded subway trains in search of a few morsels of fashion they thought they could live with..

Lady Sings the Blues

Blue is big, especially when inspired by vintage fashion. Look for light blue denim, indigo, 70's tie dye, batik and dip dye...

Summer Breeze

What caught our attention in particular was the mix of tie-dye and jeans. Katoucha wears her own version of Pam & Gala's look. There really isn't anything fancy about this, just a simple, long sleeve top and matching straight legged pants pushed up to the knee and topped off with a classic jeans jacket with a fluff of feathers on the cuff. 

When you remove all of the over-the-top looks from New York Fashion Week, a lot of what is left looks more autumn than spring. But this group features cut-outs, lace and lattice fringe that we imagined would look like summer itself on a nice, warm, breezy day.

Liu couldn't resist this dress. She loved the almost tissue paper feel to a simple, crisp white dress slashed into ankle grazing strips. The dress itself is made from cotton voile. The pattern is the simple foundation pattern without the dart stitched down. The trim is a double layer of the same cotton voile cut very carefully into 1/8" strips. You can use a little Modge Podge or white craft glue on the edges to keep them from fraying.

Modern day "She-ro"

In the spirit of Marvel superheros comes our female fashionista warriors. I'm not really sure why this is spring/summer, but we were intrigued by the harness and the belts worn over jackets.

For Samantha, we created this in three parts. The long sleeve dress with funnel neck has an asymmetrical hemline ending in garter. I cut this dress out of a thin, navy jersey. Instead of stocking and boots, we simply gave her navy stocking boots (which look less winter). Over it all is a simple, (black) jersey sarong skirt and a black leather criss-cross harness belt which fastens in the back.

Botanical Gardens

Ah....finally....spring is in the air! Me and the girls LOVED these dresses with their oversized floral prints, incorporated bows and bare shoulders. Even when the designer opts for basic white and black.....he tops it with a floral lined maxi-coat! This is how we wished the entire fashion month would resemble!!!

Le Bandeau

 

Le Bandeau.... it's a tiny little bra top....really a big "band-aid" looking bare midriff top paired with trousers or skirts. Hmmmmm..... the problem for me is that the look doesn't look complete. The model is just too....well.....naked. I began with the look on the right. Before I completed this dress, I took a look at dolly's dress and felt there simply wasn't enough "fashion."

Instead, I decided to make the look on the left. The skirt is a better example of a sarong skirt, but the top was just too simple. So for Sofia, I added a "twist" to my bandeau. Still though, the look didn't look complete, so I added a Chinese satin brocade kimono coat to the mix.....

In Stark Contrast

Relax, you're in style! Simple, easy with a graphic slant, the girls like all the black and white (or silver) color blocking that is going on here.

Dorian's version of this Brandon Maxwell ensemble consists of a one shouldered top, a slim skirt and a great, bit sash that wraps around the waist and descends diagonally across the hips into a long train. Again, nothing really extraordinary here, just the ease and elegance of a classic style.

On the Straight and Narrow

Again....nothing to sit up and cheer about, but rather, easy glamour girl column dresses that draw attention to a beautiful body underneath. These are the type of go-anywhere dresses that never goes out of style.

Pampered Princesses

Not every evening look is slim. Full skirts, fit-and-flare.... here is another way to celebrate night time glamour with girly verve. We loved the pleated bandeau top worn over a super-full gathered skirt. But we also thought the cut-out embroidered cotton lace dress in blue made for an interesting play of a classic silhouette.

Pretty in Pink

Ah....another breath of springtime (not to mention Barbie's fave color)! So soft and tender. Think pink! While you can opt for something structured like the little pink pant suit, be sure to take advange of the softer side of things by opting for silky, flowing, airy, body flattering fabrics. If I had the time, I would love to make this entire group.

But I settled on this extraordinary gown by the house of Oscar de la Renta. This is my girl, Stella...a 16" Tonner (Antoinette Spice) doll who had been "sleeping" in the cellar. She came upstairs to get a pair of boots made for her but also reminded how I had promised to make more clothes for her and her friends. The strapless foundation as well as the over-skirt are made of a peachy-pink tulle. I did not have anything I could use for the embroidered flowers. Instead,I cut out floral medallions from a piece of lace and stitched them in strategic spots over the front of the dress.

Next stop: London! We can't promise you a lot. With everything that is going on with Brexit and the like... it is a not an easy time for British fashion. But count on our girls to come up with a few of the more interesting styles that appeared on the catwalks there! See you in a bit!

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