Hot new things

By Ed Biado

Updating your wardrobe for summer ?09? If you are, be sure to take note of the season?s scorching new obsessions. Here are some that you might likey:

1. Ruffles on shoes. Christian Louboutin?s Spring ?09 ?sculptures? are a diverse collection of platforms with architectural designs to-die-fo?. The most salient ones?and what everyone else is copying?are the Mary Janes with structured ruffles. Yes, ruffled shoo-es are the object of steamy Imeldific fetishes right this moment.

2. Plastic streetwear. Zeke?s Lunchbox, an up and coming Australian fashion house, takes anything plastic and makes fash out of it. Their loud choice of colors and over-embellishment epitomize streetwear outrageousness and are a refreshing breath of fresh air in this conformity-dictated world we call fashion.

3. Flashy sparklers. So it seems that Madonna, Debra Messing, Taraji Henson, Rihanna and Hillary Duff have one more thing in common aside from being in the biz. They all wear jewelry from this new buzzy place called Akavian. The posh brand creates highly stylized gemmed-up pieces and their cocktail rings are part of summer?s must-have list.

4. Polka (dots, that is). Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan have decided that polka dots are back this season. And they?re so right! Those perfectly round patterns are eye-catching, slimming and have this retro vibe that takes you back to those good ol? times.

5. ?Charmed? gems. Inspired by the wulu fruit, Qeelin, China?s first luxury jewelry-maker, introduces superstition to high jewelry. First worn by Maggie Cheung at the 2004 Cannes, the Qeelin Wulu has generated curiosity among observant stylistas and is now an international hit. Other jewelers have since jumped the bandwagon and are now creating their own ?charmed? gems like wishbones, fortune cookies and clovers.

6. Layered jewelry. More sparklers, this way come. One of the things that more women are becoming less afraid of doing is layering their jewelry. Golds, silvers and everything in between all around your necklace is a fantastic way to draw attention to where you want it to be?especially if you?re wearing the flirty, whimsical creations of Dannijo.

7. Vintage headbands. The vintage headband features in some of this season?s runways and more prominently, in Nicole Ritchie and Mischa Barton?s wardrobes. Just to add a little dash of daring into yours, why not adorn yourself with one too? It?s playful, it?s quirky and it?s fun!

8. Jackie O eyewear. Another blast from the past here. Big, oval shades are among summer?s ?hot new things.? Lacoste brings Riviera romance to the market with their Spring/Summer ?09 novelties. Thin frames in bold colors add the extra oomph to the beautifully oversized frames. Or if you want something more dramatic and/or chunky, check out Dsquared2?s first sunglass collection.

9. Playful T-shirts. T-shirt designs are a constant evolution. The latest ones to come out of the T-shirt revolution are light, summer colors with seemingly innocuous prints like the ones from Pete Wentz?s Clandestine Industries. And they?re quite a steal, too, for only $25 a pop online.

10. Princess gowns. Sometimes, in economic times, you just need to feel like a fairy tale princess. So if you?re going to an event that requires you to wear a gown, don?t be afraid to exaggerate. Take your cue from the recent Oscar?s fantasy group: Miley Cyrus in Zuhair Murad, Sarah Jessica Parker in Christian Dior Haute Couture, Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab Haute Couture and Penelope Cruz in vintage Balmain.