I also encourage you to adopt a new attitude to dressing too – how about "fashion-forward" as a mantra? Thanks to our planet's hastening demise and our spot on it (whoever thought there'd be an upside to global warming and living in darkest Africa ;) we will probably still be enjoying balmy temperatures into April... This means that Europe and America are still waiting for warm weather to wear the Spring/Summer 2008 looks whilst we have the unique opportunity to get in there first and start experimenting with hot new looks right now!

The return of the skirt
The strongest and overarching trend of 2007 and continuing into 2008 is the return of the skirt – from knee-skimming pencil skirts to the hot favourite of 2008 the swishy fifties skirt, they are back! In fact swishy skirts abound from Miu-Miu and Karl Lagerfeld's bum-skimming cheeky numbers to the more sophisticated knee-length versions from Gucci and Erdem, to the positively demure shin-length fifties version by Donna Karen. The swishy skirt accessory essential, is of course the waist-belt – absolutely vital in cinching that waist and creating that hourglass shape.

Style note: Keep this look light by finding versions in organza which hold the shape of the skirt, yet don't have the heaviness of other fabric versions.

Going on safari
The other trend in 2008 is a recurring favourite – "safari" – each season brings fresh takes on this enduring theme and every designer bringing a particular flavour to it... in Donna Karan's case she's kept some of her Grecian-style-safari-drape-dresses of 2007 and added the season's staple swing skirts and cinched them all at the waist with broad leather belts. The palette is still a delectable range of muted khaki, washed-out blues and sand-dune-yellows. She's also introduced beautifully-cut, unstructured linen short-suits and the occasional Fedora hat to keep the sun off. If Donna Karan doesn't take your fancy then you might fall in love with Jose Enrique Oña Selfa's (from the design house Loewe, part of the Louis Vuitton group) take on safari for Spring/Summer 2008. His interpretation is British Colonial in Kenya – exquisite, soft camel suede safari suits and pristine white cotton sundresses and sun suits and again beautiful chiffon, Grecian-style drape dresses for evening in muted beiges... The cuts are feminine and soft and the look is clean and fresh with uncluttered styling that introduces hints of Africa rather than curio ethnic. Far and away one of my favourite collections for 2008!

Barely there
My third and final trend for 2008 is for the more bold of fashion heart – it's all about transparent layering using organza, chiffon, tulle and the sheerest barely there lycra jersey knits. Jill Sander's take on this was expectedly minimal – structural, simple designs making use of a limited colour pallet of navy blue, Barbie pink, peach and orange, white and inky black. The key to this look hinges on the use of classic underpinnings such as legging-like-trousers and fitted vests with swathes of chiffon, organza and tulle ponchos and shirt dresses worn over them. There were also bold shift dresses worn with the briefest of fifties-style swimming shorts in fresh citrus peaches (almost neonesque).

It's a rather barren somewhat austere look – only the occasional clutch to accessorise, no make-up, no jewellery simply beautiful pieces that stand on their own. Fendi's take on the transparent trend was equally bold, an original interpretation on the fifties silhouette. It was graphic – lots of white, a few tasteful black and white psychedelic patterns here and there and a smattering of lemon yellow for an injection of citrus and some timeless evening black. Loads of swing skirts, swing dresses and swing coats in organza and tulle for the stiffened shapes and cinched with the essential waist-belt in edible-looking enamel creations.

Be inspired by colour
And a final note on the trends of 2008 is your colour inspiration. In 2007 the colour of choice was vibrant blue (from indigo to cobalt) and the HOT colour of choice in 2008 is any shade of violet – an excellent way of lifting the potentially drab Safari look or simply worn as a bold, somewhat regal statement piece.

Of course I can only you point in the direction of some of my select and favourite offerings for the 2008 season, but as I said there are more than enough beautiful collections to draw inspiration from this season so...

And with that, happy creating!
Cath xx