Trend report: Razzle dazzle in red

It is finally time to set aside our trusty LBD’s (Little Black Dress),this time it’s all about the hot ‘LRD.’

This season it is finally time to set aside our trusty LBD’s (Little Black Dress) as this time it’s all about the hot ‘LRD’! That’s the ‘little red dress’ which has been embraced by designers and high-street stores alike.

Pakistani designers Sadaf Malaterre, Kamiar Rokni and Tia Noon, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin and Akif Mahmood used the colour in their recent fashion week collections, and retail stores Daaman and Ego tend to have several red pieces in their stock.

Whatever your budget, personal style or skin tone (very important when opting for brighter hues) there are a million simple ways to work red into your wardrobe. International design labels showcased a multitude of red hot looks for this season.

Vanessa Bruno

Fashion’s queen of cool and casual Vanessa Bruno showed us the perfect way to inject a little fire into everyday looks. The range of red separates appeared in her collection which was in tune with the effortless Parisian style that first established Bruno as a designer worth lusting after.

A beautifully cut coat in pillar box red leather was worn over a simple beige sweater. A ruby satin blouse peeked from beneath an oversized grey wool coat. Flashes of crimson juxtaposed with a predominantly neutral palette added the same ‘wow’ factor to Vanessa Bruno’s collection as they could to anyone’s winter wardrobe. For those not quite brave enough to rock a full-length scarlet gown, this more subtle take on the red trend is the way to go.

Versus


Rocking a little red dress has to be the ultimate way to make an impact this festive season, and where better to look for a glamorous party piece than Versus by Versace? Donatella Versace and Christopher Kane were always going to be a match made in fashion heaven so it should come as no surprise that the label’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection packed some serious punch. With their skater skirts, silk panelling and pleat detailing, Versus’ orangey-red mini-dresses offer a fun and youthful take on the trend. Team with black opaque tights and sky-scraping platforms for a look guaranteed to turn heads.

Preen

The label headed by Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi embraced the red hot trend into its Spring/Summer 2011 collections as well. Young and old Hollywood stars and fashion editors can’t get enough of the label. Their collection had the essence of a trip to Egypt, giving us Egyptian sunsets in warm hues of reds in sublime palettes.

Bottega Veneta

When it comes to luxury, no one does it better than the Italians and this was clearly demonstrated by Bottega Veneta. Designer Thomas Maeir’s elegant, fluid pieces came in delicious shades of burnished copper and rich ruby red. His simple cocktail dresses, belted cigarette pants and floor sweeping gowns offer a grown-up alternative to Versus’ girlish red dresses and make Bottega Veneta the go-to brand for sophisticated evening attire.

So whether you’re brave enough to don head-to-toe red or keep things subtle with just a flash of scarlet, make sure you tap into this surprisingly accessible trend.

Iman’s Dos:

•     Invest in red silk shirts

•     Don crimson lipstick

•     Add red heels to an outfit

Iman’s Don’ts:

•     Dress in red from head to toe

•     Pick the wrong red for your skin tone

•     Clash with a family of  pinks

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2010.