Fashion never ceases to surprise me. And that’s what’s most endearing about it. Who would have thought that leather would emerge as one of the strongest trends for Spring Summer ’13? Even the most committed fashionistas find it hard to imagine it as a Spring Summer trend.

But ladies, let’s face it. Nothing lends movie star glam to a look more than leather. And if you are a conscientious fashionista, there’s always the faux leather or pleather (synthetic leather) outfits to choose from. Whatever you do, don’t give this trend a miss.

The good news is that leather is no longer something that’s restricted to the wardrobes of punk stars and rocker chicas. It’s evolved as a fabric and is universal and season less. The New York Fashion Week Spring Summer ’13 saw a lot of leather apparel from deign houses Hermes, Salvatore Ferragamo, Chanel, Marni, Derek Lam, Isabel Marant, Balmain, Anna Sui, Herve Leger, Fendi, Givenchi, Calvin Klein, Celine, Jason Wu and Phillip Lim.

Since fashion from the 80s is back, leather, especially slim fit leather pants being a big part of it, has quite naturally made a comeback. But leather does not have to be in black and shades of brown. Warm weather leather comes in yummy pop colours (check out the collection of bright hued jackets we have picked) and even pastel shades. See how Deepika rocks her sky blue Pankaj and Nidhi leather skirt? Coloured leather oozes femininity while being sexy.

While most of our Bollywood divas (with the exception of, of course Deepika and Sonam Kapoor) have resorted to the classic black leather pants, the fashion plates in Hollywood have been more experimental with leather, giving everything from circle skirts to shift dresses and gowns a shot.

IF YOU ARE A LEATHER VIRGIN…

Do what Kareena did. Pick an outfit with just a hint of leather (like the Avirate dress below). It’s not intimidating, yet keeps you on-trend. A leather waist coat over your regular shirt is also a good idea to add just the right amount of glam.

And if you think leather separates essentially make a night trend, think again! You could wear those waist coats or even a dress with minimal leather detail all through the day. Just make sure you don’t wear leather pants to work!

Expert speak: Pankaj of designer duo Pankaj and Nidhi says, “It’s a very earthy material and has a certain richness and luxury that’s irreplaceable. The trend is largely driven by women wanting something premium and special which isn’t prohibitively expensive. It’s an investment piece as it’s classic, versatile (can be worn as both formal and semi formal), transcends seasons. Coloured leather makes the trend more exciting more current.”

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