Pastels are old news and black is so last season – right now, the runways are awash with a rainbow of beautiful, bright colour. Spring 2007 is a season of strong, jewel tones and clear, brilliant shades that lift the spirit and boost your complexion – whether it’s already warm and dark, or still a bit pale from a winter under wraps.

Romance is in the air this spring and fashion has gone a-courting with all the classical conventions. Offering bouquets of flowers appliquéd on dresses, accessories and in hair, designers started a trend that folds in clouds of frothy ruffles and general girlish glamour.

The sixties seems to be the decade that won’t die in fashion – something about swinging London, Mary Quant minis, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy keep designers coming back whenever they need a little inspiration. This spring, it’s Edie Sedgwick they are all channeling.
The rules of how to wear this in reality were written by the ladies who set this style back in the day: keep it simple and sophisticated and you can’t go too far astray.

The fitness craze has hit fashion this spring and designers are dressing the haute athlete in all manner of sophisticated sportswear. Leggings, tank tops, hoodies and warm up gear have all worked their way onto the catwalk as elegant incarnations of what we would consider casual clothes.

It’s hard to believe something so tiny could be such a big trend. Miniskirts come back into fashion every couple of years, but this spring designers are showing some of the smallest strips of fabric to still be called skirts.
Some of them fall under a sixties influence, and some are just a flirty way to maximize on the sun, but from tweed suits to futuristic shifts, get ready to show your legs – and sometimes a little bit more – as designers push the limits of the micromini.

Predicting fashion for the future is a trick designers pull off to some extent every season. Spring 2007 stands out as the season that the clothes take it to the next level, using space age fabrics, shiny metallics, and a Star Wars sensibility to capture the feeling for futurism. Go easy - for once fashion forward has a whole new meaning!

Once the domain of Catholic school girls and men in kilts, the traditional Scottish tartan has been co-opted by the fashion forward this fall. Whether it be unkempt grunge at Marc Jacobs, quirky elegance at Balenciaga, or Moschino's sexy secretary - the runway was mad for plaid this season.

After getting our fill of flowers and frills, designers are turning to a stark, "new minimalist" aesthetic for the fall as a means to detox from the excessive frou frou. Flouncey, overt feminity made way for grown up modesty consisting of sober neutrals and crisp, classic tailoring.

Whether it be drop dead elegance or layered, boho streetwear, this season, all that glitters is decidedly gold. Witness Burberry's golden spin on the classic trench, the modern update on the equestrian look at DSquared, and the formidable pairing with glam rock - most notably at Gucci where Frida Giannini channeled her inner Ziggy Stardust.

Gothic romance has crossed over from guilty-pleasure summer reading to become a major Fall trend. A long way from the goth stylings of angst-ridden suburban teens, these pieces are an elegant way to make a statement this season.

For Fall 2006, the world’s directional designers are making mothers happy by swaddling fashionistas in lots of luxurious, keep-out-the-cold layers.
Skirts and pants, shirts and sweaters, are worn all at once and piled high with hats, gloves and leggings for a look that lives somewhere between cozy sophistication and bag lady chic.

Fashion has lost its patience with the high street knocking off their headline looks, so designers are going on the offence with lots of specialized details and embroideries. Intricate cutting techniques, handiwork, and luxurious fabrics are impossible to duplicate at discount prices, making designer originals the only option for finicky fashionistas.

Spring/Summer 2006 is the season to get your inner glamazon working again. After seasons of conservative suiting and bohemian redux, the sexpot is starting a comeback.
Inspired by the archives of Gianni Versace and Azzedine Alaia, designers like Dsquared, Alexander McQueen, and Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton, are working in bold colours, bits of gold, and an aggressive sexuality cut right into the clothes.

Fashion is feeling romantically feminine this season and is expressing itself with loads of ruffles and lace. Ruffles in floaty tiers or flirty trim are a pretty way to capture the moment, while beautiful webs of lace are spun as everything from complete fabric panels to bits of trim.

In the midst of this season of neutral tones, a serious print story has sprouted. Florals are blooming on runways everywhere in a range of species from delicate rose buds at Gucci, to giant Bauhaus blooms at Calvin Klein. So, whether you’re a shrinking violet in washed out watercolour, or a hothouse orchid in a brightly coloured bouquet, get set to blossom this spring.

In a season of white, beiges, and lackluster putty shades, the colour that dominates is the most neutral of them all. Blush, flesh or nude fabrics in a range of tones are a signature of the spring/summer 06 season, and have taken over some collections entirely. So dare to go bare this season with spring’s hottest trend. The dress code for steamy summer days and nights is the next best thing to wearing nothing at all – go nude without being naked.