moschino cheap & chic

With its first look, Moschino inspired a bit of an Austin Powers flashback — a colorblocked suede jacket and jacquard flares could have been a look straight from the cheeky, '60s-set film, or straight out of the psychedelic era altogether. That's the first impression, anyway: bold prints, exposed midriffs, and oversize, colored sunglasses that seemed to draw directly from the disco era. But upon closer inspection, there's much more at work here — a collection that's a testament to the here and now of fashion, too. Designer Rossella Jardini blends both the retro references (like a maxi with an actual peace sign worked into the colorblocking) with tribal-feeling prints washed onto little dresses and pantsuits. And to complete her looks, bright sneakers seem to point more directly to the trendier stuff, as does a sheer play on athletic wares, intermingling with the lineup of jacquard, embellished dressing, and slick patent coats.

• Trends: Crop-tops, bold prints, colorblocking, sneakers, sheer, jumpsuits, and flares.
• Colors: Black, white, pink, green, black, purple, red, and orange.
• Key Piece: The pineapple-printed crop-top and trousers are especially fun.
• Accessories: Oversize, colored sunglasses, sneakers, chunky platforms, cheeky purses.
• Who Should Wear It: This is not for the wallflowers; we could see Gwen Stefani in a pair of the printed flares or showing off those famous abs in one of the crop-tops.

Rossella Jardini could have found subtler ways to announce the '70s inspiration behind her Spring 2013 collection for Moschino Cheap & Chic than by affixing a purple peace sign to the front of a maxi dress, but they wouldn't have been nearly as fun. In fact, this entire offering is fun: fun to look at and probably even more fun to wear. How could one possibly feel unhappy and uninspired wearing an orange neon suit with crystal-studded lapels, or a dip-dyed green-and-black shirtdress worn with a purse shaped like a pineapple? Pineapples showed up elsewhere as a print, in one case on one of the collection's many pairs of bell-bottoms. Mesh shirts and shiny coats in red and blue were equally irreverent — and so were a few sweet printed cocktail dresses shown with Moschino's answer to Saucony sneakers.

Moschino Cheap & Chic channeled some of the more notable psychedelic '60s styles with an updated twist. Our favorite in the mod mix? Patchwork lace — it looks way prettier than it sounds — was pieced together into long-sleeved blouses, pencil skirts, and one totally covetable cocktail dress. Pair that retro vibe with military-inspired accents and an overarching beauty motif, and you've got the brand's Fall '12 ethos in a nutshell. The blend of tougher outerwear with rainbow fur add-ons, brightly-hued quilted accessories, Audrey-Hepburn worthy flats, and Grandma's hand-crocheted squares artfully sewn into the bodices and shoulders of cozy toppers showed off a girl who's both flirty and strongwilled. To polish off the femme affair, Moschino sent out beauty-themed prints and cotton ball-cum-pom pom details, as if the contents of one's makeup bag had been splashed onto the front of a cute daytime sheath. Get the breakdown below.

• Trends: Patchwork lace, colorful crochet-enhanced sweaters, military-inspired silhouettes, pointed collars, and beauty-themed graphic prints.
• Colors: Orange, light pink, pale blue, beige, lime green, forest green, and lemon yellow.
• Key Piece: Patchwork lace pieced into pretty ladylike pieces, like the multicolored dress version.
• Accessories: Rainbow fur, pointy-toed flats, afghan appliqué, pom-pom details, satin headbands, and colorful quilted bags.
• Who Would Wear It: Front-row attendees Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung and other quirky-minded fashionistas like Zooey Deschanel.

>> There was no shortage of fun at Moschino Cheap & Chic in London earlier today. For Fall 2012, creative director Rosella Jardini riffed on "makeup and Queen Elizabeth", and the result was an ice cream-hued, royalty-gone-askew foray. Silhouettes were vaguely '60s and came in an eclectic palette of makeup prints, patchwork lace, and rainbow fur. Standout pieces included a series of military coats and wool dresses in deep army green, and there were plenty of the brand's standby details: lip prints, hand-scrawled slogan tees, pearls, and bows. "It was a pastel dream," Alexa Chung declared after the show.

Rossella Jardini always brings out the fun in Fashion Week with her Moschino Cheap & Chic line, and her latest Spring collection didn't disappoint. The lucky ones who got to attend the show were treated with fresh fruits and vegetables free for the taking on farmers market-style tables, which, of course, set the theme for the collection. Apple, grape, carrot, onion, and pepper prints all made its way on the runway via maxi dresses, car coats, and tiered skirts. For the strawberry lover, Jardini created a pink dress adorned with black, seed-like beads and a green bow. So cute. Since no farmers market is complete without flowers, Jardini completed the theme with an array of floral print shifts and notable pouf-skirt minidresses decorated with pretty watercolor prints. If this doesn't make you want to gobble up your fruits and veggies, we don't know what will.

• Trends: Pouf-skirt minidresses, fruit prints, shift dresses, tiered skirts.
• Colors: Yellow, green, white green, black, seafoam green.
• Key Look: The strawberry dress and pouf-skirt minidresses were adorable.
• Accessories: Metallic platform sandals, quilted clutches, floppy woven hats, double-strap flats.
• Who Would Wear It: Girls who like wear fun standout pieces like Katy Perry and Dita von Teese.

Just when we thought we've hit the Spring slump, Cruise collections come in to save us. The most recent onslaught comes in from Bottega Veneta, M Missoni, Moschino Cheap & Chic, DKNY, Elie Tahari, and Escada. While each collection sings its own tune, they all encompass one stunning commonality: boldness. We're completely in lust with Bottega Veneta's lush and sporty leather options and Escada's keen sense of styling. Keep clicking for more cunning Cruise collections.