Stella McCartney Resort 2011

Image source: Jak&Jil, flickrHonestly, season after season, I have never really bothered with resort or pre-fall collections. Why? Because for me pickled ginger is not important, Ill just wait for the sushi. But this seasons resort collection by Stella McCartney (who personally refused to call it resort because the word is unsexy, and preferred the term pre-spring instead) totally won me over. I love the idea of a cute little garden party as a presentation. Its so adorably refreshing.Im in love with the collection as well. Every single basic is fantastic and I love the combination of the blush palette with the vivid blue. Love the eyelet flower dress. The tailored pieces. And Im a huge fan of the patchwork giant flower prints. They kind of have the feel of those generic framed prints you would see in a doctors waiting room or a home decor catalog. But what makes these prints so interesting is the way the pieces are mixed into one solid resort collection, even better than some previous Stella McCartneys ready-to-wear collections.One thing that bugging me is that I actually imagine that the prints could have been more interesting if they were juxtaposed with unusual silhouettes and tailoring and were used as a thesis on what constitutes sophistication, instead of being used as a mindless affectation. I also cant help but feel that what I like about this collection is just directly influenced by Celines minimalism, along with the navy blue palette that Phoebe Philo has used previously. The floral lace appliqué also carries a lot resemblance with Pradas lace from its fall/winter 2008 collection.But then again, Stella McCartney is known to design whatever fashion trend tells her to - her past collections frequently lacked of roots or consistency, apart from a nicely tailored jacket every now and then, unless the lace is trying to become a trademark. Nonetheless, she successfully delivered one of the most commercial yet refreshing resort collection this time, and I legitimately think that the patchwork floral coat is definitely up there in one of the most beautiful coats that any fashion houses has put out recently.