Spring is upon us. It is finally time to strip off those winter layers and embrace the warmer temperatures, balmy nights and of course, new fashion looks. Mildura stylist Anika Walker is fresh off the runway from Melbourne Fashion Week and chatted with Lauren Adcock on ways to spring into spring and look good while doing it.
RENOWNED Chadstone stylist Anika Walker, who lives in Mildura, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the topic of seasonal styling.
After a week in Melbourne working alongside some of Australia’s most popular and stylish brands, Anika is bringing home some of her best advice on what to wear and how to wear it this spring.
Anika has labelled the spring fashion theme as “romantic” featuring paisley prints, pastel colours, pinstripes and soft and feminine materials.
“I feel this season we’re seeing much stronger, more defined styles in comparison to last year,” she says.
“It’s almost like a throwback to high necks and elegant laces which is why I’ve called it a romantic look. I’m also seeing that really voluminous, statement sleeve with ruching.”
Her golden rule in styling is to keep it simple and classic.
“Keep your wardrobe at 80 per cent classic and each season look at having an injection of about 20 per cent of seasonal pieces,” Anika says
“Your wardrobe will serve you really well if you focus on your classics and it will give it longevity.”
Pastels
Anika says pastels are the colour palette to watch out for this season.
“I’m noticing there are a lot of head to toe pastels coming through quite strong. I’m seeing a lot of lilacs, sorbet lemons and a lot of pinks,” she says.
Pastels are no longer being seen as just a “splash” of colour, but are featuring heavily on those unexpected fashion pieces like blazers and shoes.
Utility
Khaki is taking over this spring, according to Anika.
“In my parade the other night, I had a section and named it the utilitarian section. It’s a timeless look,” she says. “We’re seeing heaps of khaki highlighted on a variety of pieces, particularly on pants.”
Linen
Linen is a cool, textured material that dominated in the fashion industry last year.
“We’re seeing a lot of linen this spring too for both women and men,” Anika says.
’Tis the season for … shoes
Anika says there are a broad variety of shoes in trend this spring, suiting to every occasion and activity.
Block heels, sporty sandals, ankle boots and sneakers were all on Anika’s list of footwear to watch out for.
“We’re seeing lots of block heels and bare toe, open strappy sandals,” she says.
“There’s no towering stilettos, but there is a look coming through that is almost like a sporty sandal.”
“The sneaker is still going strong. You can can’t go wrong doing a sneaker.
“We’re also seeing a lot more styling of boots through the spring collection.
“Ankle boots are particularly on trend in lighter colours like metallics and whites which is making them really wearable through spring.”
For all your styling services, Anika can be contacted at http://yourlook.com.au/.
She also recently launched Your Style Revolution, an online styling program that women can subscribe to www.yourstylerevolution.com.au.
