Resort is underway and designers are turning out collections filled with surprising elements – whether the look is downtown cool, or polished elegance, the mini-season is off to a refreshing start.

BURBERRY PRORSUM
Designer: Christopher Bailey
Models: Ava Smith & Charlotte Wiggins

The Burberry look has always been a mix of luxe and offbeat, so this season’s playful touches like jeweled detailing and transparent lace skirts feel just right. Bailey masterfully reinterprets the house’s standards season after season, so for those in search of trench coats, cardigans and well cut jackets there is plenty to enjoy. Statement looks like pastel brocade topcoats and crystal covered pencil skirts provide the requisite easy-going glamour resort is all about.

Images Courtesy Burberry

DKNY
Models: Valery Kaufman & Emeline Ghesquiere

You can have the DKNY resort collection in any color – as long as it’s black. DKNY has always reflected the needs of an urbane, youthful consumer but for resort things got gritty. Perhaps taking a cue from the haute-goth stylings of lines like Givenchy, DKNY filled their collection with hard-edge black pieces in multiple incarnations. Lacy blouses, transparent floor-length skirts and textured bomber jackets all in inky shades. A few chic metallic pieces added interest, but the stark looks stole the show.

Images courtesy DKNY

OSCAR DE LA RENTA
Designer: Oscar de la Renta
Models: Kayley Chabot, Amanda Murphy, Magdalena Jasek, Maria Borges Manuela Frey & Pauline Van der Cruysse

Who can resist Oscar de la Renta’s frothy brand of femininity. For the legendary designer the resort season meant an abundance of lively colors and cocktail frocks filled with color, pattern and a youthful joie de vivre. Even if you’re not rushing out to brunch, or a fabulous party in one of De La Renta’s creations everyone can appreciate the grandeur of his vision.

Daniel Jackson celebrates the looks of the season in British Vogue‘s collections special. Shooting the signature pieces from the spring/summer collections as selected by Francesca Burns. Every piece you’d expect to see is there, from the salmon tinted Calvin Klein spaghetti strap shift, to McQueen’s extravagantly detailed chiffon numbers. Added bonus – each ensemble is paired with a girl who elevates the look, from Maria Bradley’s innate edge adding an ounce of cool to Armani’s classic suit, to Elise Crombez showing you exactly how YSL ought to be worn.

Romee Strijd in Calvin Klein

Maria Bradley in Giorgio Armani

Doutzen Kroes in Dolce & Gabbana

Ymre Stiekema in Ralph Lauren

Emily Baker in Donna Karan

Kirsi Pyrhonen in Burberry

Codie Young in Alexander McQueen

Vika Falileeva in Chanel

Kati Nescher in Louis Vuitton

Elise Crombez in Yves Saint Laurent

Spring’s campaigns electrify by featuring stunning new talent; from Sacha M’Baye‘s great debut for Burberry, to Ataui Deng looking lovely for Kenzo, the presence of fresh faces can give staid campaigns new life. Take a look at some of our favorite newcomers and established faces in the very latest ads.

Jourdan Dunn and Sacha M’Baye for Burberry by Mario Testino.

Ataui Deng, Eniko Mihalik, Tao Okamoto for Kenzo by Mario Sorrenti.

Andrej Pejic and Jaco van den Hoven for Marc by Marc Jacobs by Juergen Teller.

Kat Hessen (to see Chloe Memisevic, Kirsi Pyrhonen, Natalia Zakharova, Kristina Romanova‘s new pics, click here for Marc Jacobs by Juergen Teller.

Juju Ivanyuk for See by Chloe by David Sims.

You would never know Old Man Winter is about to descend on the Northern Hemisphere with the appearance of the Burberry Spring Summer 09 ads breaking in WWD. The models? Lily Donaldson, rising star Eden Clark (fresh off of her British Vogue cover), new faces Alexina Graham and Richard Wyndham. The young and beautiful Brits lounge for Christopher Bailey and Mario Testino in a famous nursery that showcases the wearable luxury of the timeless brand.

See more pics here on WWD.

Eden and Lily.

Alexina, unknown, Eden and Lily

Eden,unknown, Lily. Ph: Mario Testino for Burberry S/S 09. Images from WWD and Ford Models (for Alexina)

DNA Models

*from sweden

*currently appearing in the jil sander campaign shot by willy vanderperre

*fall/winter ’07 show season:

-new york
calvin klein (exclusive)

-milan
jil sander, prada, burberry, marni, alberta ferretti, alessandro dell’acqua, sportmax, blumarine, iceberg, pringle

-paris
chanel, dior, galliano, chloe, kenzo, costume national

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