Covered in Coral

Lots of designers were hanging out by the ocean while thinking about their Spring 09 shows. Gucci rocked the South Seas gowns but some designers dove deeper for inspiration from the coral reefs.

Andrew Gn was obviously inspired by kaftans for his reef evening dress. It’s simple enough for an early dinner al fresco in Biarritz, but elegant enough for a New York night at the Met. The coral colour reminds me so much of the vibrant oranges of Morocco and Gn has picked up on the Moroccan vibe with the beaded belt and earrings.

Speaking of baubles, reef necklaces showed up at Oscar de la Renta, where the lizard leather cutouts look more like the legs of mini Eiffel Towers on a string, than coral reefs.

Kenneth Jay Lane showed a more sophisticated, multi-strand version strewn with gold accents.

And given that I saw a version of a coral necklace at Winners today, the trend has hit the mainland. Sure we’ll be sea-ing it around a lot this summer.

Oscar and Gn photos from Style.com. KJL necklace available at http://www.saksfifthavenue.com.