designers look inward (literally) for spring

Need a dose of the macabre in time for Halloween? Look no further than the runways (click for slideshow), where designers took inspiration from the body—bones, musculature, and even the epidermis were fodder for many a Spring frock. Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy based their spliced-and-shredded designs on exoskeletons, while Alexander McQueen’s allover prints evoked X-ray images replete with sutures. Ohne Titel’s Alexa Adams and Flora Gill were influenced by sculptor Naum Gabo’s abstract kinetic body sculptures. “Skeletons harken to the body’s natural structure,” Adams said. “It gives clothes a clarity that feels important in this climate.” Not to be outdone, Christian Lacroix accessorized with oversize necklaces that looked like rib cages.