Beckoning warmth, longer days, the open road. Wasting time, getting lost, letting curiosity be your guide.
It's the season of wanderlust.
So is it any wonder that for spring collections, many designers looked to the world of travel for inspiration?
The destinations that inspired were far and wide, from the countryside of Japan (Joseph Altuzarra's sexy pencil skirts slit sky-high, in menswear-inspired ticking stripes or indigo patchwork silks inspired by traditional Japanese boro clothing), to the sands of the Sahara desert (Chloé's crisp khakis, Tuareg blue lace and fluid pleated dresses designed to beat the heat), to Sicily in all its ancient Greco-Roman glory (Dolce & Gabbana's jingling coin jewelry, shoes with columns for heels and prints featuring old photographs of ruins and emperor-head medallions).
Other designers visited places even more distant and abstract. Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez conjured sophisticated bohemians with their collection of silk cloqué tops and foil-printed pleated skirts, worn with huarache sandals. Hermès' Christophe Lemaire hinted at a tropical paradise with verdant green hues and folkloric prints. And Junya Watanabe sounded a tribal beat with shredded, braided and fringed ponchos and long patchwork denim skirts.
Some spring collections were more about the journey than the destination.
The craftsy fringe sweaters in the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection and artful coats at Prada made me think of that one-of-a-kind gem
you might stumble upon in an off-the-beaten-path shop, such as Gypsyland in Desert Hot Springs (provided you manage to arrive when the store is open, which does not always jibe with the posted hours).
But that's all part of the joy of discovery and the necessity of slowing down to look.
Other collections were full of traveling outfits that bring to mind vacationers in vintage postcards of Yosemite National Park. There's something so carefree about Carven's Western girls in gingham shirtdresses and David Hart's snap-happy gents in plaid pants and Hawaiian-print ties.
Spring's best accessories are reminiscent of haute souvenirs. Tom Ford's trophy bag is aflutter with feathers. Giambattista Valli's lacquered resin and malachite clutch could be a talisman.
Ana Khouri's turquoise headband is another fabulous find, a spectacular reminder of nature's wonders. And Etro's embossed leather guitar case (pictured on Page 8) already looks road-tested.
Even the season's shoes have a decidedly earthy, ready-to-trek quality, particularly Isabel Marant's version of the moccasin bootie, the Morley, which is destined to be a must-have.
Yes, this is the time of year when we feel the need to explore, which can mean hitting the road or just letting the mind wander.
Which is exactly what I was doing when I came upon this extraordinary yellow gold and turquoise Piaget watch. I was roadtripping on the Internet superhighway. Destination? Pinterest.
Turns out, the watch is part of Piaget's vintage "Gold and Color" exhibition, on view through the end of the month in the gallery above the watchmaker's boutique in Geneva.
Another travel destination to add to the list.