WHILE FASHION LAST YEAR was a lot of mishmash – romantic, rocker, bohemian chic – 2009 promises to be playful, colourful, and above all feminine. Think bright hues and girly hippie chicks iced in washed out ivory and pink. Spring and summer will be awash with colors with tropical flavors of papaya and pistachio, not to mention polka dots and parrot-like prints. Also, those sexy 80s style jumpsuits are an even hotter look for spring 2009, along with hotpants and short suits, in a continued revival of ‘70s and ‘80s.

A trend I’m passionate about is the fairytale look, though it’s not the most practical of trends when it comes to every-day wear. Romantic fairy-tale princess dress certainly had theirs place on the runways, with romantic details and classic fairytale silhouettes making their mark on red carpets and down church isles. When it comes to jewelry, it is all about making a statement, albeit a necklace, a bangle, or a cocktail ring. From ethnic beading (hailing from our South African roots), to exotic stones and avant garde pieces – one thing is constant and your pieces must be big and bold.

Here’s a list of trends to watch as they emerge from the runways to the high streets:

PRINTS - Wonderful Parrot-like prints from Peter Pilotto, huge playful polka dots, and tropical exotic holiday prints from iconic designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg.

COLOURS - Tropical and zesty fruits and nutty flavors from pistachio, citrus lemons and limes to juicy papaya. An abundance of nudes offer a neutral (and transparent) palette. Metallic liquid silver and gold is everywhere, from jumpsuits to evening gowns. Black is out, nude is in, so is kingfisher-type blue, known as Palace Blue.

JACKETS - Rolled or pushed-up sleeves, especially on jackets and baggy blazers, or kimono sleeves. The Vest jacket gets a new look, from cropped to tunic length; you’ll find this smart but easy look everywhere, including Marc Jacobs and Rag & Bone.

JUMPSUITS & PLAYSUITS - Figure hugging jumpsuits in slinky jersey and metallics and candy stripes and leopard prints.

SHORT SUITS - Not the demure variety, but sexy hotpants styles with matching jackets. Stylish daywear or sporty versions.

TROUSERS & PANTS - The 7/8th crop length trouser (especially in florals) comes of age this season and cigarette pants are the look of the day. Add some floral printed pants from Henry Holland and DVF or slinky wet-look leggings.

DRESSES - Fall’s medieval hooded dresses from Marc Jacobs transform into Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label North African hooded outfits. There are plenty of peplum waists (not good news for those with a bulging tummy) and spring-like papaya shifts and caftans.

LOVELY IN LACE - Last season’s black punk-Goth-style lace has been given a softer romantic make-over with Edwardian dresses from Erdem, in French lace.

FASHION ACCESSORIES - Think sash-like scarf belts and bug-eyed glasses, huge chunky necklaces and chandelier earrings. These are just some of the emerging fashion accessory trends.