SPRING/SUMMER 2008 | Fashion

Time to stash away those winter coats and jackets, spring has arrived in all its kaleidoscope of colours and fabrics and nothing beats embracing the splendour of it. WAVE brings you the year's up-coming trends along with style meccas you could draw tips from, and you'll soon discover that it's much more about the attitude than the attire. So let the show begin.

THE BOLD PRINT

Only for those who truly dare, this season encourages the peeling away of feminine layers to go bold with strong colours, audacious prints and masculine silhouettes. Think glam-rock and the whole punk movement of the '60s where everything is aggressively sharp and irreverent. The order in all the chaos lies in the attitude, so mix it up with heaps of confidence, an ability to not give two-hoots about anything else and an undying focus on what truly drives your life.

Style inspiration: Gwen Stefani just wear her clothes, she makes and sells them too. More notoriously known as No Doubt's lead vocalist, she has also become a fashion designer and a mother of two. Her power-packed zest for life can be seen in the way she embraces crazy houndstooth and striped prints in mannish colours. There's really nothing she wouldn't try

MODERN FOLK

All things calm and subtle finally get the limelight. Feather-light traditional tunics that go over the thighs and pastel colours take centre-stage. The avant-garde bohemian loves intricate details such as sequins and beads, but doesn't overdo them. The key is to look both relaxed and smart at the same time, so if you have an oversized tunic, make sure it's drawn with edgier prints such as stripes or plaids. Otherwise, you can also sharpen the look with pointed heels.

Style inspiration: Folk-rock singer Cat Power is known for her airy vocals and low-fi guitar and piano compositions. Her understated approach to song-writing can also be seen in her style, where she is a fan of solid pastel colours and simple yet modern prints. What makes her really stand out is her taste for creating unique silhouettes, such as adorning an oversized blouse or a figure-hugging toga top.

HIPPIE POWER

Salute the comeback of the hippies, where pastiches of remarkable colours, tie-dye prints, Indian paisleys and haphazard textures give the revolutionary era its psychedelic flavour. This time, you could hemp it all up with an excessive dose of sequins, gem stones and beads, where the outlandish burst of style will need no explaining, just lots of free-lovin'.

Style inspiration: Wild-child crooner Janis Joplin couldn't do without her hyperbolic floral prints and oversized hipster pants when she performed on stage in the 1960s. The rebellious hippie wanted to be respected as a real performer, not just any other person who stepped up on stage. This made her go dramatic with her style, using curtains for sleeves and bed spreads for dresses.

MUTED ELEGANCE

Don't try too hard, you'll shine even more – it's the mantra this Spring, where fashion pays homage to effortless but wholesomely elegant style. The necessities are luxurious fabrics in muted tones and supple textures that fall gently on the body, enhancing a lady's figure rather than taking attention away from it.

Style inspiration: Star of drama series The O.C., Mischa Barton isn't quite the emotional child in real life as compared to reel life. Her style is hardly theatrical, and she shines in girly silhouettes such as dresses, mellow tones of womanliness and earthy textures of minimalism. It's all clean and bare, and that's when it can get incredibly sexy.

HIGH STREET EUROPEO

Europe's immaculate suit styles are all about respecting oneself by tastefully representing the individual. Intentionally chosen and intelligently layered, the look is about piecing together shirt, vest and blazer, so the subtlety of each piece peeks out in colour and fabric. Choose slim shoes for an added sleekness, they will be all the rage this season.

Style inspiration: Fast-rising auteur Wes Anderson is known for his stylistic films such as Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and more recently The Darjeeling Limited, where his enthusiasm for vivid pastel colours shines through in his productions and his personal style. The witty director is very much into details, choosing to merge the contemporary with the nostalgic, creating unconventional suit-matching that depicts panache for high-street yet eccentric glamour.

SURFIN' IT UP

When artist Andy Warhol drew up the notorious banana print for The Velvet Underground's debut album, and designer John Pasche created the tongue and lip logo for The Rolling Stones, music and art became best friends. The graphic t-shirt culture that began in the 1980s would then ride on the pop-art direction of these classic bands. They will remain on the season's palate, and along with jeans or cargo pants, there's barely any effort needed. After all, it's your t-shirt that will be doing all the talking.

Style inspiration: Songwriter, musician and surfer Jack Johnson is incredibly laid-back, and that's what makes his music and his style so accessible to people. Performing in a simple get-up of t-shirts, jeans and slippers, he often has too much fun on-stage, so he wouldn't really need to be caring about anything else.

ROCK'S STILL ROLLIN'

Rock 'n' roll is full of contradictions. It's about hard partying and rocking out, but it's also about making a statement in society. It's about loving the drive of music, but it's also about using music to drive. That's how rock style has turned out – some parts well-reasoned, other parts illogical, a cross between the glamorous lives of rock stars and the hobo-chic of starving musicians.

Style inspiration: Johnny Depp does rock 'n' roll best without going OTT. Frequently in a well-fit combination of t-shirt and jeans, he revs it all up with wrist accessories and simple neck chains. The contradiction lies in the fact that he really doesn't care much about fashion yet still manages to look good, thanks to his flair for choosing to play quirky characters in films such as Pirates of the Carribean, Sweeney Todd and Edward Scissorhands. Undeniably, his film characters have leaked into his sense of style.

THE SMART ATHELETE

With Olympics 2008 beckoning in August, sports will be a huge theme this year. The garb of sportsmen will influence this season's trends, so draw insight from the smarts of tennis attires and the sheen logos of basketball jerseys. The deal is to avoid looking sloppy even in the midst of all that action. Keep it polished and poised – these will define the new sportsman.

Style inspiration: No athlete in history has done style better than David Beckham. Earlier infamous for his wicked skills on the playing field and for being the world's highest paid footballer, he's now better known for being the apple of advertisers' eyes, all due to his sharp, intelligent style. It didn't hurt to have Barbie-look-alike Victoria Beckham as an accessory. But take a cue from him – he's got the energy for sweating it out at sports and still looking good outside of it. Now, that's Respect.