16 ~ Sunday, March 3, 1991 - North Shore News

Sprin

Carol
Crenna_

FASHION STATEMENTS
THIS SPRING style means taking
a fashion rule and bending it.
Free-spirited styling offers evening
velvet for day, heavy-work ciothes
for play, baggy slouched looks
worn over poured-on tight shapes,

and large flamboyant patterns
mismatched to subdued tiny
prints.

The styles this spring promote
freedom of self-expression. They
are inspired by the 60s an-
ti-establishment trend and the 90s
anything-goes mode. And, they
bring back some of the spirit of
fashion that has been lacking since
the ethnic explosion look - over
several seasons ago.

A major trend-hitting sport-
swear collection is a defiantly
sexy look based on clothing in
cut-to-cling stretchy fabrics and
details showing saucy flashes of
flesh. Structured and shapely
styles (that you may have to lie
down and suck in to be able to get
on) and foose shapes that pro-
vocatively gape open may raise the
temperature a little early this spr-
ing.

Sportswear manufacturers show
body conscious shapes that are
sure to separate the women from
the girls. Rule-breaking basics in-
clude hipster-style skirts and pants
that reveal the navel and hug the
derriere. Sweaters bare the midriff
or the back and shirts show
cleavage or are tied at front for a
glimpse of the waist. Strategic
cut-outs slice up the thigh, the
back, the sides or the waist. Short
sherts that are wispy or tight and
skirt hemlines which hover far
north of the knee emphasize the
ever popular erogenous zone, long
limbs.

Evident in most spring clothing,
the message of the season seems
clear: Sex has come out of the
closet.

What sexy clothes should be in
your closet this spring? Trend-
setting essentials include slouch
(baggy) jeans, floral prints, a
hooded top, a pointelle (crochet-
look) sweater, white denim
short-alls (short-cut overalls), a
cropped ballet top, patterned
stretch pants, short shorts, and a
mini skirt.

Popular sportswear manufac-
turers take their cues from the
best designer collections. Here is a
glimpse at some manufacturers’
spring lines available on the North
Shore:

@ Esprit:

Esprit adds form to function in
its recent collection. A sweetheart
neckline tank top, a tiny cross
Strap tank top, a ribbed front-
button top, a wrapped top, a
ballet top with lace trim and a
cropped ballet top add feminine
sexiness to simple shapes.
Pointelle, a heavy crocheted ef-
fect, provides glimpses of skin on
simple front-buttoned tops.

Oversized denim short-alls hang
foosely from buckled shoulder
Straps and gape open down the
sides to the waist. They reach to

FASHION

SUMMER SIZZLE: a criss-cross wrap top bY Esprit is matched
jable

with a sarong skirt by In Wear — both ava

just above the knee and are worn
over cropped tops and T-shirts.
They are printed in florals,
stripes, white denim or pastel
solids.

Denim is also shown in slim cut
jeans, very short cut-offs, ‘‘relax-
ed"? jeans, and black, grey or
white denim rompers (overalls
without a bib). Rayon is used in
gathered shorts and feminine
blouses. Cotton fleece and jersey
are shown in hooded pullovers,
sport shorts and hooded T-shirts.

Esprit’s color palette for spring
includes rain green, honey yellow,

rose, ecru, mint green, navy,
amber, ice blue, tomato, lily
green, olive, and chine red. Prints
feature country florals, pastel
stripes, polka dots,. miniature
daisies, and bright large
sunflowers.

Esprit is available at Aritzia,

The Sporting Look, Zig Zag,
Melrose Avenue, The Lady’s a
Champ, Crumpets, B.J.’s Fash-
ions and Trappings.
© Naf Naf:

Naf Naf has a fit with stretch

at Aritzia.

fabrics, adding dangerous curves
to classics. The fun, forward col-
lection features lycra leggings,
tops, cycling shorts and a casual
dress that are cut in a floral pat-
tern.

Co-ordinating separates are
designed in white cotton and in-
clude loose, gathered bloomers,
cropped or long wrap tops and
casual dresses with pointelle ac-
cents (crochet-like lace).

Naf Naf is available at Aritzia
on the North Shore.
© Guess:

Denim reigns in this collection.
Its slouch fit jeans are loose fit-
ting all over with big pockets,
fullness and pleats across the front
yet it fits in the bum. it replaces
the anti-fit style of last season
which was comparable to wearing
your father’s jeans. Western cut
jeans, a shapely black Marilyn
jean, white denim short-alls, short
cutoffs and stonewashed or white
minis are the featured basics.

Femininely cut tops include a
wrapped style which ties in back
with long sleeves. a curvacious

© sportswear gets Sexy

Crenna’s quick snips

RADICAL CLOTHING Com-
pany, a Vancouver-based cusual-
wear manufacturer, which has had
overwhelming success with its
Radical Fred line, has now in-
cluded a complete childrenswear
collection. The five-year-old firm
has also gained several new
custom accounts across Canada,
including V's Much Music
designs.

The firm retails its one of a
kind cotton clothing to more than
900 stores across Canada and the
U.S. featuring Radical Fred, a ju-
venile-like illustrated character
depicted in several cartoon adven-
tures. Each involves a three-day
handpainting process creating
designs that are different for each
garment, states co-cwner Brad
Whiteford.

Radical Clothing acquired the
exclusive rights to Much Music’s
clothing line, introduced this spr-
ing and sold through the station’s
store in Toronto, through cable
television and at selected retail
outlets including Randy River and
Karuba stores.

Whiteford, also the firm’s de-
signer, describes the line as
“funky and new age styling’’ in
men’s and jadies’ T-shirts, denim
jackets, sweats, lycra bottom,
shorts, cropped tops, crew neck
and mock neck shirts. All pieces
are screened wth the Much Music
logo and retail for $30 to $100,

The childrenswear line, called
Radical Fred For Kids, includes
handpainted T-shirts, rompers,
kangaroo tops, shorts and lycra
bottoms in sizes 2 to 6X. A youth

sizes 8 to 15. Both lines are in-
troduced for spring '91.

The company is currently ex-
panding its import market to in-
clude Japan, Germany, Holland
and further expansion throughout
the U.S.
© Designers and Fashion Associa-
tion in Vancouver:

The Western Canadian Design-
ers and Fashion Association is a
non-profit organization which
promotes new designers in B.C. It
has steadily grown in the past 12
years from a rather rigid and
clubsy group to a full-fledged
association involving all aspects of
the industry.

Members include clothing and
accessory designers, manufactur-
ers, tailors, consultants, journal-

ists, public relations people, fash-
ion agents, modelling agents, hair
stylists, photographers, fashion
school directors and students.

The association holds meetings
at Le Meridien Hotel, 845 Burrard
St., each month for the general
public and members. The event
always includes a fashion show
highlighting one of the active de-
signer members, and two industry
guest speakers. During the even-
ing, a group introduction, when
all guests introduce themselves to
the audience, is followed by a
networking coffee break where
everyone is encouraged to meet.

Guest speakers for each meeting
have included government repre-
sentatives, well-known fashion de-
signers such as Catherine Regehr
and Zonda Nellis, international
models, television producers, New.
York fashion promoters, fashion
industry lawyers, motivational
speakers and well-respected jour-
nalists.

The DFA’s board of directors
includes Brenda Wong, former
director of Blanche Macdonald
Modelling and Fashic: institute,
Kelly Millin, speci: 3s direc-
tor for Park Royal S257: mg Cen-
tre, Paul Thompson, marketing
director for The Amate Group,
David Lyle, wardrobe designer for
large movie productions,
leatherwear designer Elly
Johnstor, fashion show and video
production stylist Elaine Wall,
and Diane Streeter, an accountant
with a fashion interest.

The Designers and Fashion
Association is currently seeking
corporate sponsors to aid in the
non-profit association’s growth.
Sponsors must have an interest in
having Vancouver recognized as
an important fashion industry
centre. They are given special in-
troduct‘on to all designer members
and all guest speakers, free admis-
sion to orgazized seminars and the
annual fashion gaia presentation
at The New World Harbourside
Hotel.

The sponsor will receive a credit
on.all promotional material and
monthly advertising in the DFA
newspaper. A special fashion de-
signer’s presentation is given ex-
clusively to sponsors, showing the
trends each season. For more in-
formation, contact Brenda Wong
at the DFA office, 689-7677.

body suit, floral and paisley
printed ballet tops, a little striped
top and soft jersey hooded T-
shict. They are shown with sit-to-
form, lycra and cotton paisley or
Moral leggings and bicycle shorts.

Guess prints and solids are
available in pale pink floral and
blue floral, navy/white or red/
white stripes, white, mustard,
raspberry, antique slub, black and
red solids.

Guess is sold at Aritzia, Below
the Belt, The Bay, Woodward’s,
The Sporting Look, Bootlegger
and Eaton’s.

© Pepe:
Color and texture highlight the
Pepe line that mixes sexy

sophisticated styling with purcly
fun casual looks. Crushed velvet
ballet tops, shown in rust, red and
black are paired with jeans in fit-
ted styles. Short-alls and bibless
rompers are accented with brightly
striped straps or are cut in shades
such as lagoon blue and orange.
Shorts are in bermuda styles or
are feminely gathered and shown
in a tropical print.

Polo T-shirts,

cotton — turtle-

necks, terry cloth T-shirts and
hooded jackets top these looks in
black, red, olive, mustard, sun
yellow, bubblegum, red, royal and
turquoise.

Pepe is carried at Y.E.S.,
Hangers, Aritzia and B.J.’s Fash-
ions.
© In Wear:

Hot and steamy looks represent
the In Wear line this season, scor-
ching a path behind panne velvet
bustiers, skimpy sarong skirts, lit-
tle gathered front cropped tops,
see-through crocheted cardigans
and black bodystockings.

Pretty, feminine pieces are add-
ed, which include sheer georgette
trapeze shaped tunics (that could
be worn as dresses) and softly
gathered pants in sheer voile get a
variety or prints. They are styled
in a black/orange sea print or
solids.

In Wear’s linen short-alls, tops
and linen jackets in neutral shades
of beige, blac or white add
wearability to the more pro-
vocative pieces.

In Wear clothing
Aritzia stores.

is sold at