Fashion for Spring: Catwalk Femininity Signals New Look's Maxi Dresses Will Blossom

The Guardian recently wrote up a celebratory review of the latest show from Dior, where the big focus was on femininity. Noted by the paper's Jess Cartner-Morley as embracing the joys of spring, the collection was acknowledged as the embodiment of a new season, dusting off winter and waking in full-bloom.

Since its creation, Dior has been at the forefront of beautiful couture, famed for classic femininity.  Now, passed down from Galliano to the delicate hands of Raf Symonds, the recent show demonstrated fresh ways of telling the Dior story.  The new designer, Raf Symonds illustrated an intelligence that took the Dior narrative further.

For delicate drama, the show took place in a theatrical spring garden.  There were appliquéd flowers, tulle veiling and silks, with bright colours flooding the other in a happy highlighted style and strapless gowns nodded to the Dior silhouette.

But how do these grand catwalk looks translate to the high street? Where to seek out the same kind of spectacle without the couture price?

One of the big players on the high street is New Look. Their continued devotion to keeping a watchful eye on the trends throughout the changing seasons has become something of a reliable friend to fashionistas. With a stylist's eye, they offer a looks that tap into those big ideas all the way from couture. From skinny jeans to faux-fur coats, the designs fit comfortably with the styles at the top.

When it comes to femininity, there are a range of dresses to choose from.  A portfolio of maxi dresses show elegant, sweeping floor-length gowns to glide into spring gracefully. Their Cream Sequin Panel Chiffon Maxi Dress is a prime example of this. However, their Vila Blue Blumen Floral Print Tea Dress and the Vila Yellow Mirror Print Dress are two designs that might be short but they splash yellows and blues like a watercolour. With the right shoes to create shape and stature for the dresses, the styles can imitate luxury with great panache.