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Skin is in - snakeskin, that is.
Whether it's bags, boots or blouses, the marbled, textured snakeskin look seems to be fashion's new favorite alternative to more traditional animal prints.
It's not that snake - which, except at the very highest price points, is actually embossed leather or fabric in a snakeskin pattern - is new, but it seems fresher than now-ubiquitous leopard and cheetah spots.
Andrea Linett, creative director at Lucky magazine, predicts snake will hold on to that feeling of uniqueness even after being featured on many recent designer runways - including Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Kris Van Assche, Matthew Williamson and Herve Leger. Carolina Herrera's fully beaded rope-weave print shorts for spring had the effect of snakeskin gone glam.
There's a lot to be done with the snakeskin look, Linett says, and it easily navigates back and forth between sexy, edgy and classic.
"A snakeskin boot can be rock 'n' roll if it's in a rock 'n' roll shape, or it's classic if it's in a lady shape," Linett says. Other trends don't always have that privilege, she notes: Metal studs for example, scream rock 'n' roll, or a skirt suit announces a lady.
Snakeskin is "beautiful, rich and earthy," says Abbe Held, creative director of Kooba, known best as a handbag line. Because the surface is textured, there are highs and lows of color, which instantly adds interest and dimension.
