Isabel Marant - Spring/Summer 2011

By opening her first U.S. boutique, Isabel Marant did not only find a new sales paradise; given her spring/summer 2011 collection, it seems she has also found new sources of inspiration with the potential of becoming a part of the Marant girl wardrobe.

The success of her new Manhattan store probably gave her the desire to discover more about the country that has gone wild for her creations. Recently, the designer chose California as a target for further investigation. Completely charmed by the energy of the location, the French creator decided to dedicate her spring/summer collection to the West Coast.

On the catwalk, it was the California of the 70s, as portrayed in Lords of Dogtown, that we perceived through the collection. The recognizable Marant look was mixed with a Zen/peace&love/streetwear/skater/surfer West Coast attitude reinterpreted for the slender sexy urban girl.

The baseball jacket was given a candy pink lining, the mini shorts were worn with a big cozy wool sweater, and fishnet tops were slipped under liberty blouse dresses. Also, variations on the Z-boy stripes were found on loose tops paired with slightly retro flared jeans.

Comfortably mixing her own dress codes with those of sportswear, Marant produced new duos, e.g., the zipped vest/flowered skirt, kneepad pants with pumps, and the masculine sweatshirt/miniscule denim shorts.

While we were not be entirely convinced by the fishnet knits (still considered a bit vulgar), we gladly welcomed the multiple variations on the sweatshirt and pullover (see here and here), impregnated with Marant's particular French coolness.

This being said, those who do not feel ready to adopt the California look can rest assured: the sportswear-inspired pieces are far from cannibalizing the Marant classics. Lace dresses, slouchy heeled boots, mini skirts and liberty prints still constitute the label's cash cow.

Click here to view the entire collection: http://www.style.com/S2011RTW-IMARANT