Pringle of Scotland

In the space of one season, Pringle of Scotland has gone from a having a high-profile creative director and full-scale runway shows to an in-house design team dressing models for an intimate presentation in a hotel suite. How has the absence of Alistair Carr affected the venerable knitwear house's offering for Spring 2013? Gone are Carr's rambunctious neon prints and asymmetrical cardigans, replaced by straightforward cocktail dresses, pleated skirts, and an update on the argyle print the house is known for.

"The collection was a soul-searching mission, and we delved back into our heritage," said the label's CEO, Jean Fang. Most of the knitwear, in some of the finest cashmere the house has ever produced, was made in Scotland, with a smidgen coming from mills in Italy. But never mind that; this collection examined the work Pringle produced in the '50s, but updated it with contemporary tailoring and decoration. One short-sleeved, cobalt-blue sweater was richly decked out with baby-blue-and-pink rhinestones, and a boxy gray cotton jacket was affixed with a knit collar and sleeves. The skirt that went with it — like many of the skirts and trousers in this collection — had its seams brought forward to the hips to create interesting pleats.

Our tailored staples are getting a candy-colored wash for Spring. Pringle of Scotland kept it simple in silhouettes but told a vibrant color story with primaries and pastels (and sweet side-swept ponytails and red lips) indicative of a retro girl. Pullovers and cardigans were reworked in cobalt and a splash of marigold, just as the lineup of slim trousers, pleated skirts, and easy sheath dresses were. What set them apart was the attention to detail — embellishments, even appliques on sheer tunics (worn over pants), asymmetrical hemlines, and a flash of metallic accents that gave the line's polished fare contemporary confidence.

• Trends: Metallics, brights, colorblocking, sheer, dresses over pants.
• Colors: Silver, beige, black, bright yellow, cobalt blue, and fuchsia.
• Key Piece: The metallic and colorblocked trousers were a cooler, contemporary counterpart to the preppier staples.
• Accessories: Colored and metallic pointed-toe pumps, metallic belts.
• Who Should Wear It: This is for the preppy set — we could see the printed miniskirt and black peplum-style top looking sweet on Emma Stone.

They're on different sides of the world — London and New York — but Kate Hudson and Katie Holmes seem to be on the same fashion wavelength right now. Both beauties opted to enrich their denim with a bit of camel, and the results are super fab. Kate sported a Pringle of Scotland poncho sweater with lightwash jeans for '70s cool, while Katie worked denim on denim with a grandpa-chic twist. Step inside to get a closer look at how these ladies did denim with camel, and re-create the look with like pieces you have in your closet.

>> For his second season at Pringle of Scotland, Alistair Carr upped the rebellion factor, riffing on classic schoolgirl shapes and injecting them with a bit of deconstruction and graphic illusion. Pleated skirts were cut in architectural layers, while "cardigans" were pieced onto printed frocks for a trompe l'oeil effect. The real winners, however, were the coats: sharply tailored, they came in decadent camel or navy wool and with super-fuzzy colorblocked collars.

Alistair Carr showed a range of sophisticated offerings for Pringle of Scotland's Fall collection. Incorporating a rich color palette and plenty of cozy texture, Carr created oversized coats embellished with eye-catching colored collars, knitted dresses, and a smart play on twinsets. The latter, showcased layered sweaters made to look like a sweater and shell combo, but is actually just one piece. Additional highlights included the graphic colorblock slim-fit dresses, soft pastel-hued knits, and tailored two-tone trousers. More details from the classic-cum-cool collection below.

• Trends: Colorblocking, oversized coats, leather..
• Colors: Orange, gray, navy, black, tan, white.
• Key Piece: The knit dresses and bright-collared coats showed gorgeous details and tailoring.
• Accessories: Buckled boots, platform pumps, printed belts.
• Who Would Wear It: Girls looking for a refreshing twist on classics like front row attendee Olivia Palermo.

>> Kicking off the Pre-Fall 2012 season is Alastair Carr's third collection for Pringle. "I looked at the classic knit pieces in the archives and wanted to twist things up a bit," he told Style.com of his latest offering. Seams and sweaters are literally twisted; the Pringle argyle has been amplified and sewn on sweaters in colored crystals; and Carr replaced the classic twinset with a "triple set": a coat, sweater, and trousers. The graffiti print pants and dresses, meanwhile, were drawn from an image the designer snapped of Paris street art.

Alistair Carr showed his first collection for Pringle of Scotland today to a crowd of celebrities including Tilda Swinton, Harry Potter's Bonnie Wright, and Rosario Dawson. Carr's collection debut, described as The Beatles' “Across the Universe,” featured remixed chain link and argyle prints taken from the archives and turned into modern marvels with a '60s twist via brightly printed split-back dresses, shifts, and knits. Trousers were kept either loose or cropped, and some even featured refreshing slits around the knees and tuxedo stripes. Standout pieces include the purple chain-link print paired with metal cap-toe pumps, colored sunglasses, and the graphic print argyle knit sweaters. It was the perfect mix of modern and vintage from Alistair Carr, and we can't wait to see more from the designer. More highlights from the collection below.

• Trends: Asymmetric hemlines, bright knit dresses, slit-detail trousers, bright print dresses, digital print knits.
• Colors: Gray, black, white, yellow, purple, turquoise blue.
• Key Look: We loved the purple chain-link print dress and graphic argyle prints.
• Accessories: Modern laced cap-toe pumps, double cuffs.
• Who Would Wear It: Women who like to wear modern cuts and prints Victoria Beckham and front-row attendee Tilda Swinton.

>> Alistair Carr isn't holding back. The new Pringle of Scotland designer debuted his first complete collection for the label today — and the Fashion Week crowd was out to support in full force. Abbey Lee Kershaw opened the show, while Pringle face Tilda Swinton, Anna Dello Russo, Irina Lazareanu, and Rosario Dawson were all in the front row.

For Spring 2012, Carr dipped into the archives of the storied house, bringing out classic knits and prints and giving them a kick into the future. Large-scale chevrons in multi-colored hues decorated the necklines and cuffs of thin-gauge sweaters, while silk skirts and pencil-dresses got a smattering of graphic prints in the form of links and chains. Silhouettes were streamlined and lithe, and there were plenty of highly-wearable separates. The designer also played with neons and brights, offering them up in clever slices at the lapels of blazers, as well as on the underlining of layered skirts and capes, which kicked up in a dramatic flash of color as the models walked.