Game, Set, Match

Sports and fashion have always had a love-hate relationship. This season, these two contrasting worlds are coming together, once again, thanks to a host of dynamic, street-inspired, urban designer collections.

We can’t help but wonder—will this summer be techno-futurist, body conscious or sporty poetic? Going by the look of things, with a wave of basic-driven collections over the past few seasons, seems like it’s going to be a combination of all three. Designers are experimenting with new high-tech fabrics that are inspired by the world of sport, and are all about performance and comfort, tried and tested by generations of sportspeople. However, when you’re a designer label like Jacquemus, Prabal Gurung, Sacaï or Band of Outsiders, you would never think of knocking off creations by Nike, Adidas or Puma. The result is summer fashion with a whole new perspective and a renewed aesthetic. This new band of young designers is seeking inspiration in the initial sport-prêt collections of André Courrèges, Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne and Claire McCardell. The clothes may be tributes to these great designers of the past, but they are very deeply anchored in the current reality. There’s nothing vintage about them. Quite the contrary, in fact. Collections are balanced, coherent and in keeping with the needs of today’s urban women.

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This trend showcases an array of sport-inspired fabrics—elastic jerseys, structured Neoprene, knits, geometric-cut leather and ultra-light tulles—known to accentuate the shape of your body and make it resolutely sexy.

Multi-function polo dresses, miniskirts, shorts and bermudas—sometimes layered—add clean lines to the silhouette. The collections are minimalist, simplistic and perfect for daily wear. The colour palette features white, black, contrasts of black and white, pastel shades and graphic bands. Geometric English embroidery, flounces, light pleats and embroidered pearls add charm to these collections and do away with the starkness of sporty garments.

When it comes to accessories, there is a sense of practicality. Stone-covered golf sun visors were spotted at Marni, while Prada’s sneakers have soft, coloured soles. Also, flip-flops for the beach have been transformed into graphic platform sandals, while handbags have taken inspiration from the ubiquitous backpack. These bags have been designed in different avatars—Chanel’s bright colours, Carven’s prints or Alexander Wang’s racy leather.

These sporty-chic pieces are to be sported, quite literally, with the nonchalance of an Olympian.

From the May 2014 issue of L’Officiel India.