Whether you're a lady-who-lunches type or a hip young thing, the It accessory in Copenhagen right now is this festive handmade scarf from designer Rikke Mai. The Thai-sourced fabrics (they're traditional tribal attire), paired with bright yarn tassels are a fine example of the new bohemian look that is at the heart of many Danish labels. After seeing the scarf paired simply with a blouse-and-trousers combination, then five minutes later with a tank top, Hammer pants, and beaded vest, I knew I had to get one for myself. For more information, go to www.rikkemai.com.

We scoured the streets of Midtown Manhattan (OK, mainly just the sidewalk outside the American Girl store) to find out what the summer's cutest cutie-pies are wearing. Same as the big girls, it turns out: sundresses and flip-flops. Of course, there were a few looks—a peace-sign choker, sneakers sprouting pig ears—that definitely fall into the don't-try-this-if-you're-a-minute-past-puberty category. Which is not to say we weren't tempted to ask a few of the youngsters we snapped if their dress came in "grown-up" sizes—but our last shred of fashion dignity prevailed.

Last week's gossip that Matthew Broderick has been--sob!--unfaithful to the peerless Sarah Jessica Parker will strike a stab of horror in the hearts of all girls who either empathize perhaps a little too much with the travails of Carrie Bradshaw and/or used to fantasize that one day they would grow up to be Ferris Bueller's girlfriend, Sloane Peterson (i.e., pretty much every single woman in the Western world between the ages of 25 and 45.) Guys, on the other hand, are gloating. I know because I spoke to plenty of them about it this weekend—the mere fact that I have no idea about the veracity of this story naturally hasn't stopped me from discussing it with every man, woman, and (OK, not) child that I've run into lately. And while I try to avoid gender generalizations, I've been left wondering—just what do men have against Sarah Jessica Parker?

Every woman with whom I discussed this scurrilous rumor made the appropriate "Oh, my God, that's awful, what a rat" noises. Every man, however, sniggered something along the lines of "I don't blame him, his wife is totally fuggers." It's another symptom of the male antipathy to SJP that has been building up, with increasing viciousness, for some time (remember when Maxim magazine cruelly dubbed her the unsexiest woman in the world?). But this attitude actually says more about men than it does about the object of their disaffection.

Next time you set aside a day to catch up on personal grooming, add a lash-extension appointment to the waxing/brow shaping/mani/pedi routine. Having trickled down to mainstream favor from the streets of Koreatown, eyelash extensions are fast becoming as commonplace to salon service menus as blow-outs and polish changes. "My clients increase about 10 to 15 percent during summer," says Shu Uemura lash guru Soul Lee, adding that the painstaking process of gluing between 50 and 60 individual lashes into natural lash lines is hugely popular with brides, frequent beachgoers, and mascara junkies who can't be bothered to mix makeup and muggy weather. Lee, who's holding court at Barneys while the new Shu Uemura boutique is being built, says she does about three to four full extension sets a day, each of which takes approximately two hours to apply. A set costs about $400 (extensions last three weeks with optional maintenance ringing in at $150 per touch-up). According to Lee, the high price tag is a non-issue. "Once you get it done, it's like a drug. It's such a pick-me-up."

With the devastating one-two punch of being the hairstyle of choice for female athletes and Mormon cult members, the French braid has gotten a bad rap in the past decade or so. But a few recent runway nods (like Trace Reese, above) and several celebrity endorsements (thank you, Nicole, Mary-Kate, and Ashlee) have redeemed the less-complicated-than-you-think technique, making it one of the most popular looks of the summer. "It's a very easy way to have hair look styled without looking overly 'done,'" New York-based stylist Ted Gibson says. "Plus, it's a very comfortable way to get hair off the neck when it's hot outside." Humidity-fighting power aside, Gibson also credits plain old innovation for the style's resurgence, pointing out some avant-garde interpretations that almost make up for years of abuse on the basketball court. "I like to update the look by doing asymmetrical French braids, or French braids that are on the side, rather than in the center—or by really messing up the braid so that it looks sexy." Rebel.

Here's the thing about breakup outfits: I always thought they were dependent on context. You know, you finally get rid of that unemployed sponger who your best friend always told you looked like Gollum and you run out to get a fabulous new self-congratulatory outfit; the bastard leaves you for the aforementioned "friend" and you bury yourself in several layers of your father's old sweaters and tracksuit bottoms left behind by your ex-ex-ex-boyfriend. But it seems that I have been mistaken. Well, at least in the modern world of celebrity—and really, what more important world is there? This has been an interesting month for watchers of recently single celebs, mainly because the most prominent ones have been, for better or worse, the biggest style influences of the decade: Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.

In keeping with the city's DNA, Berlin fashion week was short on frivolity and folly and focused on realistic street style instead. But designers were still eager to top off their collections with decorative flourishes, most often with whimsical hats. Dirk Schönberger's jeans collection for Joop! included the usual fetish fabrics such as latex and vinyl, as well as an unexpected series of massive plastic caps and visors reminiscent of Anish Kapoor's sculptures. Susanne Wiebe completed her ladylike line with Ascot-worthy creations made from twisted tulle. Models at Basso & Brooke carried enormous cloudlike concoctions down the catwalk, while Sisi Wasabi, the designer of Zerlina von dem Bussche, sent models down the runway with elegantly exaggerated fezzes crowned with single curling feathers. All in all, we'd say Berlin designers didn't let the more serious elements of their fledgling fashion week go entirely to their heads.

With all the early Oscar buzz surrounding Heath Ledger's performance in the highly anticipated new Batman movie, all eyes will be on the Joker when "The Dark Knight" hits theaters this week. But if the comparisons between the late Mr. Ledger's portrayal of the comic book supervillain to Jack Nicholson's "Clown Prince of Crime" from 1989's "Batman" starts to enter film-nerd territory, know that there is an easier way to decipher the differences. Plain and simple: Their makeup is different—and according to Poppy King, color expert and author of "Lessons of a Lipstick Queen: Finding and Developing the Great Idea that can Change your Life," that's all you need to know in order to unlock the distinctions between the characters' inner psyches.

One of the most convenient theories ever coined for both fashion and financial writers with pressing deadlines and depleting ideas is that the height of hemlines is somehow a prophetic statement about the economy. High hemlines equals high earnings; low hemlines equals low earnings. The idea that financial buoyancy would make women wish to dress like prostitutes is one that seems based more on hearsay than hard facts, but nonetheless, the theory has stuck.

For much longer, though?

At the Breeders concert that Topshop co-sponsored at McCarren Park Pool yesterday, "the beat was a-bumpin' and the girlies was hot," to borrow a phrase from the Beastie Boys. Williamsburg lovelies drove "all the young dudes" (sorry, we're on a song lyric binge) to distraction in hipster daywear staples like rompers, gladiator sandals, denim shorts, and vintage sundresses. Also in the trend mix? Heart-shaped sunglasses à la Sue Lyon in "Lolita" and the shoe that refuses to die, the jelly. And let's not forget that the Billyburgettes deserve props for knowing how to dress on a dime. American Apparel, H&M, and Forever 21—or, as more mature shoppers call it, Forever 28—were all well represented. No doubt Topshop will be, too, when it opens its first U.S. outpost in Soho this fall.

Over the past few weeks, we've been noticing the re-emergence of a vintage accessory on the L.A. scene: the portable decorative ashtray. Rather than repairing outside for a smoke, nicotine lovers are discreetly puffing away indoors and hiding the evidence in their handbag-sized ashtrays. Which goes to show that if rules are going to be broken, they should be broken with style.

There's a new trend emerging from couture fashion week and, for once, the word "new" before "trend" should be read literally. It is one so shocking, so daring, so completely surprising, and yet so totally logical that it even merits the phrase "heretofore unseen." It is…practicality. Not, it has to be said, a word that is generally associated with couture. Couture, so the clichés usually go, is supposed to be a "laboratory" for designers, a place where they can indulge their every artistic whim without having to worry about funds and commerciality. In other words, want to show how you can make an oversize kimono accessorized with platform sandals so high they look like blocks of wood rather than shoes? You go for it, kiddo. Always dreamed of making a coat out of fox's heads and crystals? Why the devil not?

But something is definitely changing.

Many questions come to mind after seeing the photos from Leah Wood's wedding to Jack Macdonald last weekend. Number one: Was Keith Richards' Edward Scissorhands-meets-Björn Borg look wise? The answer probably depends on whether you think a pensioner in a headband looks rebellious or ridiculous. But the question that's even more to the point is surely: Why on earth would anyone invite Kate Moss to their wedding anymore? If there's any day on which you'd want to be the center of attention, that's it. So why invite the woman who, deliberately or otherwise, always grabs everyone's attention? Moss turned up to the Wood-Macdonald nuptials looking gorgeous in a full-length Chanel dress that was such a light shade of gray that it looked dangerously close to bridal and sporting the most photogenic of accessories: a rock star boyfriend in a rather fabulously anachronistic suit, and a cherubic daughter (in fur, no less). As an outfit, it beat even the formerly unbeatable white shorts suit with fedora she wore to Katy England and Bobby Gillespie's wedding in 2006. And the fact that Moss turned up late, arriving after the bride, surely did not help Leah's mood.

But Moss' outfit raises the interesting conundrum of what constitutes suitable wedding-guest attire these days. At Beyoncé and Jay-Z's wedding last month, guests were instructed to wear white, thereby overturning everything your mother told you about wedding etiquette and suggesting that Moss may not have made such an attention-seizing faux pas after all. Or perhaps not—by getting all of her guests to dress in the same color, Beyoncé not very subtly ensured that absolutely none of them would stand out. At Jenna Bush's wedding earlier this summer, guests stuck, predictably but wisely, to the more traditional, anonymous fare (who would want to annoy the Bush clan in Texas?). But the real question is what the dress code will be at the two most anticipated if as yet unconfirmed weddings this summer: Brangelina's and, yes, Kate Moss', rumored to be held on the Isle of Wight in early September, supposedly at a music festival. A pregnant bombshell and the world's leading trendsetter are not women to be trifled with. In both of those cases, I'd wager the one rule is really the only one that still stands: Don't take attention from the bride. Or else.

Though there are another seven months to go before she potentially crosses the White House threshold, much has already been made of Michelle Obama's wardrobe. She surprised the fashion crowd with the Isabel Toledo tunic she wore to a New York fundraiser this week, and in an earlier piece titled "She Dresses to Win," the New York Times quoted André Leon Talley on her "black Camelot moment." But a key point has been missed, I feel. The excitement has stemmed from one particular dress: the purple shift she wore in Minnesota two weeks ago. Now, "The Color Purple" may have been a fine movie and a finer book, but the shade itself, well, that hasn't had such a good time of it. Until now, that is.

The most elegant evening gown in YSL's current collection is a one-shouldered purple dress (and, FYI, Banana Republic has done its own pretty impressive version). In "Sex and the City: The Movie," Carrie wears a purple shift that's very similar to the one worn by Michelle and even more similar to one worn by SJP on the TV show, back when it was still good. (In fact, it was worn in one of "SATC" 's finest episodes, in which the women mock a baby shower in the suburbs and celebrate their independence, as opposed to doing the precise opposite, as they do in the film. But I digress.)



This new purple—more of a violet/purple mix than full-on grape-ish hue—is the color of the season. But what does the resurgence of this shade, one so associated with pomp and circumstance, suggest? Well, some have claimed that it reflects the Obamas' ruling aspirations (very royal, all that purple), but I think that may be stretching it. Or is it an Alice Walker reference, suggesting, well, what? The emancipation of a black woman? That Michelle likes to write letters? The support of Oprah? Again, the word "stretching" comes to mind. One could make an argument for the influence of Alber Elbaz, whose work at Lanvin has proven that women are not averse to wearing bright clothes. I suspect a different influence, however: Paris Hilton. Hilton and the rest of her posse have pretty much requisitioned all strong, paparazzi-pleasing feminine colors: pink, of course, but also attention-grabbing red, trashy and flashy yellow, even Kermit the Frog green. Thus, a new hue had to be found. Hence the rise of grown-up, quasi-regal purple. So there we go: Michelle—classic, fashionable, and a reader of In Touch magazine. That couple sooooo have my vote.

Maybe the accusations finally got to them. After all, there are only so many times a designer can hear criticisms of the "recycling," "overly familiar," and even occasionally "copying" ilk before he begins to suspect that he might not get away with that "homage" to the sixties again this season. Perhaps that explains the latest trend to come down the fashion pipeline: Reinventing the Wheel. Sleeveless jackets, clutch bags as big as flat-screen TV sets, strange ballet flats that curve like U's instead of conforming to the usual shoe shape and lying flat—not since the glory days of three-legged trousers, circa London fashion week 1999, have designers demonstrated such determination to coin not just new trends, but whole new kinds of clothes. And while in some cases the squeak of a barrel scrape can definitely be heard, that YSL elongated jacket "sans manches" looks pretty splendid and is ever so convenient for our climatically changed post-global warming world. As proof of its success, forget about searching for pictures of Kate Moss wearing it—Topshop has already knocked out a version. You can't get more proof of its acceptance into the style pantheon than that, surely.

Some trends slip down easily with the masses: tunic dresses, oversize sunglasses, giant It bags. And then there are trends that only appeal to those who wear fashion goggles, those amazing glasses that make the implausible look desirable—magically morphing, say, dresses with stiffened, puffed shoulders from an alien's version of eighties shoulder pads into a gorgeous mix of modernism and retro referencing. Ugly shoes fall squarely into this latter category. Shoes that look like Transformers, shoes with teapots for heels, shoes with no apparent heels, and the ugliest (and currently most fashionable) of them all: gladiator sandals—fabulously casual to the fashion-goggle wearer, orthopedic and/or geriatric to everyone else.

Although there is something perverse in spending $500 (OK, closer to $1,000) on shoes that are, well, ugly, there's a delightfully honest quality about the trend. A conventionally attractive choice—say, quasi-invisible strappy stilettos—might make the wearer look sexier in an "Oh, yes, I naturally glide through the air like Tinker Bell" sort of way, but if I spend half the month's rent on a pair of shoes, I want people to notice them. OK, maybe this "noticing" comes in the form of them asking, "Why are you wearing my Great-Aunt Gerta's sandals with your jeans?," but at least attention has been paid.

Though the Brits have long had an affection for the cute, quill-covered animals, most Americans' exposure to hedgehogs is limited to Sega's early nineties hero, Sonic. Lately, though, designers seem to be finding inspiration in the spiky creatures, because they're popping up in some unexpected places. A few that have turned up on our radar:

Le Sportsac is introducing a hedgehog print for Fall that features two rather friendly specimens falling in love on the nylon (top left, available in August, www.lesportsac.com).

Clothier Madewell gets to the point with a well fitting tee emblazoned with a graphic line drawing of an Atelerix albiventris—and the shirt is ultrasoft, even if its inspiration isn't (bottom right, about $30, in stores this fall, more information at www.madewell1937.com).

And perhaps most fabulously, the dangerous-looking animal gets the luxe treatment from Bulgari, cast as a statement ring in rose gold, complete with ruby eyes and a black diamond nose (top right; more information at www.bulgari.com).

Want to know more about this adorable muse? Check out Hedgehog World for photos and information on the domesticatedAfrican pygmy variety, kept as pets here in the U.S. of A. Disclaimer: After your faithful correspondent perused the photo galleries, it was only a matter of time before I had to have my own (Elvis, bottom left, about $225; similar models available at www.hamorhollow.com).

And then, the deluge. When Lauren Santo Domingo returned from her honeymoon with her hair chopped to chin length, she appeared to give women the world over permission to lose the locks they'd been growing out since, like, ever. The bob is upon us. Blunt will always rule the day where bobs are concerned, of course, but lately an alternate style has emerged. In the past month or so, Gwyneth, Liv, and Anouck have all shown up for photo ops in slightly unkempt, softer bobs, a look forgiving enough of unruly hair to tempt even the biggest bob-phobe. "Well, fashion's so interested in the shoulder right now; it makes sense that girls want to show that part of themselves off," says stylist Ashley Javier, who's found himself cropping plenty of tresses recently. "And plus, when there's so much that's floral and super-feminine, it's nice to have a cut that's a little sharper, more polished and serious. But the key is to find the right bob for you. If you have curly hair, you need to watch out for a cut that's too blunt, on the one hand, or too layered on the other." And as Javier goes on to note, fans of the last great tress trend need not fear the chop: Bangs will work with a bob, too. "I think bangs got us to the bob," he muses. "I mean, it's like one day women woke up, looked at all their floozy-woozy flowing hair, and thought: Enough of this mess."

More proof that the middle of the market is disappearing: J.Crew has a $3,000 jacket for sale, its priciest item to date. Part of the label's higher-end J.Crew Collection, the tortoise sequin jacket, as it's called, is an "opulent creation completely covered with shimmering French sequins—each one a unique shade of tortoiseshell, each sewn by hand to silk chiffon using a classic couture technique. Sound like a stretch for a brand that made its name reinterpreting WASP classics? Khakis and button-downs are clearly no longer the steady sellers they once were: The company is also selling fine jewelry, and come fall, will be opening a New York shop entirely devoted to Collection pieces.

The buyer: Averyl Oates, fashion buying director, Harvey Nichols

What did you invest in heavily for Spring?
Christopher Kane is proving to be one of the city's most promising talents, and we have been overwhelmed by this season's performance. Customers have loved his biker jackets in both cashmere and leather, and the sheer ruffled dresses have also had a fantastic reaction.

What's been your biggest seller so far?
One of the season's highlights has to be shoes. Customers were calling in early requesting for their names to be wait-listed on key styles as soon as shows were posted on Style.com. Fortunately, heavy increases were projected on Lanvin, Balenciaga, Chloé, and McQueen, so we could ensure that our customers were kept satisfied. The Dries Van Noten Masai beaded sandals made a new record as the most requested style, and the intriguing upside down shoe from Marc Jacobs barely hit the shop floor before they all sold out. Our newcomers Nicholas Kirkwood and Alejandro Ingelmo have been very well-received, and we have had to increase our Fall buys in order to keep up with demand.

What had the longest waiting list?
Generally we have an extremely high demand for Lanvin. Despite significantly increasing the buy for Spring '08, we struggled to satisfy all of the customers on our waiting lists. Again, the items the Harvey Nichols customers were crying out for were the on-trend brightly colored dresses, such as looks 21 through to 23. Lanvin jewelery is incredibly popular, and customers are lining up to get their hands on the show pieces; it's challenging to fulfill such a significant waiting list.

What are your customers asking for when they come in?
As well as loving the trend for bright colors, sheer and floral fabrics have been in high demand. Most of the floral Balenciaga catwalk pieces have been pre-sold, as well as those from Giles and Dries Van Noten.

I'll readily admit to having an eBay habit. One of my favorite recent purchases is an accordion-style catalog, probably from the sixties, of the work of Niki de Saint Phalle, who is currently the subject of a retrospective at Tate Liverpool. Born in France and raised in America, Saint Phalle, who modeled for Vogue in her teens, was much influenced by Antonio Gaudí. I've always admired the small Saint Phalle sculpture in the office of our executive fashion director, Candy Pratts Price, and now—after a bidding war and an obliging eBay seller—I have a small memento of the artist's work as well.

Jasmine Serrurier reports from the Milan Furniture Fair.

Thursday, April 17

Bottega Veneta

True to the house's formula, "When Your Own Initials Are Enough," Tomas Maier's home collection for Bottega Veneta is anti-logo and doesn't follow color-by-numbers head-to-toe-to-home mantra that so many designers adhere to. The uniting thread, no surprise, was Bottega's famous woven vacchetta leather. Style.com found it hand-painted on porcelain (by KPM), etched into Murano glass and sterling-silver desk sets, and even enveloping the base of a lamp.

Fondazione Prada Expands

Fondazione Prada announced its most ambitious project to date, a new 18 000-square-meter space set in an industrial complex on the outskirts of Milan that will take at least three years to complete. The area is set to be transformed into a site for multimedia events,
installations for exhibitions, and to provide a series of secure vaults to house Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli's overflowing art collections and archives. Rem Koolhaas was on-site to lay out the blueprint. "Domestic scale is absent in contemporary art," he said. "My challenge here is not just about a space for objects. I need to create a dialogue between the environment and the pieces within it."

Moschino

Moschino released two scoops for the Salone, one cheeky and ironic, and the other surreal. The first were the sexy ghost chairs, two of Philippe Starck/Kartell's popular Perspex chairs dressed in transparent froufrou tulle slipcovers. Second up was the Sant'Andrea store's window display, which had borrowed from the surreal, as its objects had been sliced in two, leaving the missing halves as mirror reflections. This was meant to not only fire off a whole load of existential questions—i.e., "Does it not exist simply because we can't see it?"—but to also give a taste of what is in store for the 69-room hotel Moschino's set to open next year.

Friday, April 18

Trussardi and Patrick Blanc's vertical garden

It was easy finding Patrick Blanc, who created a vertical garden for Trussardi's café near La Scala: His hair was a fluorescent green beacon in a sea of mostly black raincoats. "I am a botanist and my work in jungles and studying growth patterns of low-lying plant life helped me understand to what limits we can put the plants," he told us. "Once the "structure is set up, all that is left to do is for someone to pass by and give my growing wall a haircut."

Molteni & Vivienne Westwood partnership

Big Milanese furniture companies aren't generally known for taking risks, so it was a bit of a surprise to hear that Molteni has paired up with renowned envelope-pusher Vivienne Westwood. "I am a great believer of mixing the avant-garde with tradition," she said. "I have always been inspired by historical costume—my clothes are tradition brought to the future. Now I am mixing it up with furniture." Don't look for a Westwood homeware revolution just yet, though—Molteni's taking baby steps with this new project. For her first collection for the company, Westwood used her Pirates-era "squiggle" fabric to cover one of its classic models.

The buyer: Jeffrey Kalinsky, president and CEO, Jeffrey New York

What did you invest in heavily for spring? For designers, Jil Sander, Marni, and Christian Louboutin. For trends, floral prints. And for individual items, day dresses.



What's been your biggest seller so far? Lanvin, both ready-to-wear and shoes.



What had the longest waiting list? Dries Van Noten jewelry, Givenchy runway shoes, and Balenciaga print and leather handbags.



What are your customers asking for when they come in? Alaïa.

The buyer: Jeannie Lee, owner, Satine, L.A.

What did you invest in heavily for spring? For spring we invested heavily in Tsumori Chisato, Lanvin runway shoes (above) and bags, Balenciaga runway shoes (which sold out before they even hit the floor), and all things Isabel Marant. Lanvin's Kentucky canvas tote with yellow leather trim has been our best-selling bag.

What's been your biggest seller so far? Alaïa gladiators—I was out of the store the day they arrived and never even got to see a single pair.

What had the longest waiting list? Alexander Wang's baggy denim shorts are selling by the dozens (literally), and we have a wait list of over 100 people who want a pair for fall. It's rare to see such an identifiable item have such long-term demand.

What are your customers asking for when they come in? Jewelry in bold, geometric shapes; gladiator sandals; ostrich-skin bags; tailored dresses; and slouchy pants.

"Look at all the pretty princesses," I overheard one editor say at Monique Lhuillier's bridal presentation this weekend, one of first bridal shows of the week. Indeed, Lhuillier had created 29 looks that were the stuff of fairy tales, from column dresses crafted from whisper-thin lace to bejeweled gowns. But as a first-time bride-to-be who was scanning the shows for some less traditional ideas for her own upcoming nuptials, there were other designers that had me saying "I do." Reem Acra had me thinking about color after she and stylist David Yaski layered her elegant ivory bridal confections with vividly hued clothing and bright costume jewels culled from her own vintage and ready-to-wear collections. "When I was putting together the show, I was reviving my past," explained Acra of the personal touches. "I was mixing in things that made me famous and brought me good luck." Carolina Herrera paired separates with floor-length skirts to create some of my favorite looks from her exquisite presentation, like a Victorian-inspired lace blouse and boxy wool-felt jacket that was finished with fur cuffs. It was Oscar de la Renta (above), however, that gave me the most inspiration. He presented several knee-length numbers that would perfectly suit my 5' 2" frame, and maybe even allow me to change to flats as the wedding festivities carry on.

The buyer: Jim Wetzel, co-owner/fashion director, Jake, Chicago

What did you invest in heavily for spring? We really went big into color for spring. I felt that the time was good, the clients were yearning for it, and with what is going on in the world, it brings a bit of pleasure to light. Chris Benz was a huge part of this, and his collection of neon and jewel-tone colors is doing amazingly well.

What's been your biggest seller so far? This season we sold out almost immediately of a Guiseppe Zanotti platform pump in white with a blue and silver cap toe, and to throw it over the edge, there is a huge rhinestone cluster on the toe. Magical! Our clientele is not afraid of the statement and really sign up for the fashion items. They expect this from us and we do not disappoint!

What are your customers asking for when they come in? Color. Flash. They're coming in and wanting something that makes them feel great, sexy, and gets them noticed. The more over-the-top, with beading, feathers, or fringe, the more emotional they get for the piece. I think with everything that is going on in the world, our clients are using fashion as an escapism tactic. What could be more fun?

The buyer: Tarini Jindal, creative director, Muse, Mumbai, India

What did you invest in heavily for spring? This season, I loved Diane von Furstenberg's collection (above). We bought a lot of the maxi dresses, and her signature wraps. Paul & Joe works very well for us, and the spring collection was beautiful; pastel colors and chiffons work very well for the Indian market.

What's been your biggest seller so far? Our biggest sellers have been the DVF wrap dresses and tops.

What had the longest waiting list? The concept of a waiting list has not started in India yet. The market is too young.

What are your customers asking for when they come in? The Muse customer is asking for colors, cotton, and chiffon fabrics, maxi dresses, and lots of accessories.

The cliche about Brazilian bikinis is that they're tiny (hence the abbreviated personal topiary of the same name) and louder than Rio during carnival. But the chicest Brazilian girls aren't wearing hot-pink micro-suits. Instead, the trend is for larger bottoms and subtle colors, like these downright sedate styles from Jo de Mer (a favorite of Gisele Bündchen, a woman who knows her bikinis), Beach Couture (whose collection for Topshop arrives in stores this week), and Adriana Degreas (known for her luxe aesthetic). Basic, it seems, is the new bling.

Clockwise from top: Jo de Mer, $195, available at Barneys New York, (212) 826-8900, www.jodemer.com. Beach Couture, $114, available at info@beachcouture.com, www.beachcouture.com.br. Adriana Degreas, see www.adrianadegreas.com.br for more information.

The buyer: Louis Terline, owner, Oak, New York City

What did you invest in heavily for spring? For us, spring/summer is always about two things: How do you deal with warm weather in the city, and what do you need for the few times you get out of it? This always means easy dresses, skinny jeans, and oversize tops. Sturdy sandals with great style. This season we are enamored with Filippa K. and Nicole Farhi for their casual elegance, Anntian (these great light, hand-printed tops from Berlin), and C-Neeon for their colorful airy dresses and tops. Matt Bernson sandals. High-waisted shorts.

What's been your best seller so far? Our favorite line and best seller BY FAR this season is Complex Geometries—Clayton [Evans] makes the most amazing architectural T-shirts and jersey dresses. We ordered tons of them and are already sold out (a reorder is on the way). The Oak Zebra oversize silk shirtdress was almost gone before it arrived. Luckily we were able to throw some more in.

What are your customers asking for when they come in? It's easy separates that have some style. People are becoming more comfortable with playing with proportions. Things are simultaneously getting looser and tighter. It's a very exciting time.

The buyer: Sarah Rutson, fashion director, Lane Crawford, Hong Kong

What did you invest in heavily for spring? We heavily invested and increased the buys on Dries Van Noten, Lanvin (above), Stella McCartney. These designer brands are the most heavily demanded this season—they're on every woman's want list. Azzedine Alaïa in RTW and accessories continues its sell-out status with every new delivery. Trends we really got behind were floral prints and diaphanous fabrics and every dress style you can imagine. I also felt very strongly about bringing in the single-breasted sleek men's style jacket—I felt it added more of an edge and attitude to the strong sense of femininty this season. The best sellers are coming from Rag & Bone and Helmut Lang. We have waiting lists for the gladiator shoes by Givenchy. The moon dress by Roland Mouret, the short ruffled plissé jacket by Burberry Prorsum in pale gray, and I would say every exit of Lanvin is oversubscribed and pre-sold. In the contemporary area, Elizabeth and James and very dark denim wide-leg jeans by J. Brand are doing well. I'm also slightly cropping our skinny denim to a 7/8th length, which makes it look newer. I feel it's important that I start something new rather than always waiting for a designer or trend to do it. Having our own point of view makes us different from everyone else. Individuality and a unique voice are to me what new luxury is about.

What are your customers asking for when they come in? Customers want color, color, color and really want to make a new statement. Sharon Wauhrob and Haider Ackermann continue to increase each season in customer demand and recognition.

The buyer: Roopal Patel, senior women's fashion director, Bergdorf Goodman

What did you invest in heavily for spring? Lanvin and Balenciaga, as we launched both collections in the store this spring. The Lanvin washed trench and the one-shoulder navy dress have been runaway hits. Anything floral from Balenciaga flies out of the store. Thakoon, Chanel (the star-print pieces), The Row, Phillip Lim, Proenza Schouler, and Roland Mouret are also getting a great response. Our customer is loving bold prints and patterns for spring. The new silhouette of the long dress with a gladiator flat is also translating well.

What had the longest waiting list? The YSL Muse Two Bag, Christian Louboutin's Yasmine slingback (a cork wedge with orange and black patent trim), Lanvin stacked heels, and Alaïa gladiator flats in metallic python.

What are your customers asking for when they come in? Color and prints! The dress is still important—long or short, day or evening. And statement shoes and bags.