DREAMS OF SPRING

Wishing for warmer weather has me dreaming up vacation clothes and designing my Spring/Summer '10 collection in my head, since I'm too busy right now to even pick up a pencil. Those wide-legged high-waisted green pants (see below) are still calling my name, and I think the 1930's will be a full blown inspiration this time around. Specifically 1930's/40's archeology digs in exotic locales. An expansion on last spring's not fully realized (in my opinion) "Transatlantic" collection.  I was having a hard time focusing and only ended up with 6 or 7 looks.

Whereas my focus a year ago was on luggage, modes of transport and Gibson Girls, this time around I'm thinking forward 20 to 30 years and more about the locations themselves.

What would be your ideal costume for this climate?

Mine would consist of pastel satins, flowing cooling cotton layers, mosquito netting and sweet silky cloche hats to keep the Sahara wind from blowing my curls all over the place.

But there is a wild card. I was recently romanced by the Golden Eagle Nomads photography series by John Delaney. A friend in New York introduced me to his work a couple of weeks ago, and the photos keep reappearing in my daydreams. I've always had a strange draw to the traditional costumes of Mongolia and Russia (though Russia might have to wait a season or two for me to tackle). 

Delaney's photographs are sharp and inspiring, and though fur and thick fabric doesn't make any sense for Spring/Summer, I enjoy bending boundaries. We'll see what happens with this in the mix. I certainly don't have any idea.

Just to clarify though, overall I'm thinking The English Patient. Not Indiana Jones.