Nautica Spring 2012

Nautica Spring 2012 is inspired by a California road trip, from cruising up the California Coast from Malibu, to surfing Big Sur.

The collection includes a bright palette of coral, red, orange, yellow, green and bright blue, seen on cotton color blocked polos, henleys and hoodies, nylon trenches and sailing parkas, and neutral colors for more classic Nautica pieces such as white poplin cargo shorts and pants, white slim jeans, grey shawl collar sweater with leather elbow patches, indigo chambray blazer, blue oxford blazer and stone suede bomber.

Board shorts feature color blocking, stripes or a watercolor sail print. Other swim trunk options include watercolor shell or coral watercolor crab prints.

- Kim Weling

Rebecca Taylor 2012

Left: White cotton mesh cross-back crew and white voile skirt

Right: Print mixed open back dress

Rebecca Taylor Spring 2012 is fresh and feminine, with a touch of glam. The colorful palette consists of moonlight, citron, limeade, denim blue, camel, nude, gunmetal, white, black and prints.

The collection includes alabaster snake leather pieces, silk pieced tops and skirts, apron tops and dresses, handkerchief and asymmetrical skirts and dresses. Details include eyelets and sequins. There are also shimmer and metallic pieces made with digital prints or lurex voile.

Left: Nude pailette cropped tank and print mixed handkerchief dress

Right: Denim blue anorak, limeade pointelle cropped crew and print mixed handkerchief skirt

Left: Gunmetal leopard chiffon jumper

Right: Nude pailette cropped tank and shades of denim pieced skirt

Left: Digital print army jacket, black tile eyelet and denim silk pieced top and shades of moonlight silk pieced skirt

Right: Gunmetal multi-pieced halter back dress

Photos by Alexander Michael, LUXEPIC

- Kim Weling

Emerson Spring 2012

Emerson Spring 2012 is inspired by lightness and darkness, with a neutral palette of black, white, gray and silver, blue and black abstract block prints and sparks of royal blue and bright purple.

Fabrics include silk, lace, printed linens and leather. A white coated "cage" lace fabric is seen in side paneling and hemline accents as well as in stand out pieces including a bubble skirt with chiffon underlay.

Asymmetric hemlines, raw edge detailing, abstract details and back details with distinctive cutouts and open-back lace straps are seen throughout the collection. The assortment includes dresses, skirts, shorts and motorcycle jackets.

Photos by Stevyn Llewellyn for Modern Glossy

- Kim Weling

Supima Design Competition 2011

The fourth annual Supima Design Competition 2011, emceed by Rachel Zoe, awarded $10,000 to first prize winner to Jusil Carroll.

Of the eight finalists, Jusil was also my pick, with a high-waisted gown and matching vest with leather embellishment as my favorite look of the entire competition.

This year's finalists were chosen from America's leading design schools - MaRu Jung and Dara Rosen of Pratt Institute, Rachel Pullman and Connie Weng of Rhode Island School of Design, Marlow Larson and Lorena Cuevas of Savannah College of Art and Design and Amy Bittner and Jusil Carroll of Fashion Institute of Technology.

The Supima Design Competition required each designer to rethink familiar fabric conventions: lustrous wovens used as high-end shirting, fine jersey, sturdy denims, corduroys and twills that make up premium jeans and sportswear.

Designs were judged on originality, execution, and ability to reinvent Supima, America's luxury cotton.

Here are my favorites from each of the designers:

Jusil Carroll

Left: Sleeveless cocktail dress with draped skirt, constructed of dyed twill with leather shoulder harness

Right: Sleeveless, high-waisted evening gown with layered skirt and self train, constructed of dyed and digitally printed shirting, worn with a matching digitally printed vest with leather embellishment


Left: Sleeveless evening gown with architectural hip detailing and self train, constructed of bleached and hand-painted denim with leather embellishment

Right: Sleeveless, high waisted evening gown with draped skirt and self train, constructed of dyed and digitally printed draped jersey, worn with matching vest with leather embellishment

MaRu Jung

Left: Strapless cocktail dress of bleached, dyed, painted and stamped denim embellished with painted lace and beading

Right: Cocktail dress with elbow-length sleeves, constructed of bleached, dyed, and painted corduroy embellished with sequins and beads

Dara Rosen

Left: Denim dress with pin-tucked bodice and cotton rope embellishment

Right: Evening dress constructed of bias-cut corduroy with hand-pleating details and cotton rope embellishment

Rachel Pullman

Left: Sleeveless, full-skirted cocktail dress of dyed corduroy with self-belt and foil embellishment at hemline

Right: Sleeveless evening dress with plunging neckline, constructed of dyed jersey with black foil embellishment

Connie Weng

Left: Draped evening gown constructed of engineer-printed shirting, with leather halter

Right: Draped jersey evening gown constructed of engineer-printed jersey

Marlow Larson

Left: Bracelet-sleeved evening dress with elongated side and back godets, constructed of ink-painted and tea-dyed shirting

Right: Strapless evening dress with elongated back godet, constructed of corduroy

Lorena Cuevas

Left: Evening gown with extended-shoulder detail and removable top skirt, constructed of corduroy with hand-painted and embroidered embellishment

Right: One-shoulder evening gown with diagonal standing collar, constructed of dyed denim with hand-painted and embroidered embellishment

Amy Bittner

Left: Strapless cocktail dress in olive twill with gold lace accents, worn with boned corset and cape-shoulder shrug constructed from self-fabric cording

Right: Sleeveless gown in violet shirting worn with cage corset constructed from self-fabric cording

Photos by Alexander Michael, LUXEPIC

- Kim Weling