"The dress is a rousing red, the color stroked on a white surface. But just as this rose-sweet outfit passes out of sight, there is a frisson of the horror movies that inspired it. Why is the lacy hose wrapped round the legs like a torn spider's web? Are those toothy fangs edging the pristine white shoes? And isn't this colorful dress drenched in blood?"

And so begins the epic Suzy Menkes essay for the International Herald Tribune on the beautiful brush strokes boldly staking claim on some of springs key designer pieces. The fashion critic sites Dolce & Gabbana's splatter painted princess dresses, Rodarte's dreamy dip-dyed numbers, and the artistic patterns used in Marni's show as examples.

While this trend has been dissected by many and has contributed to stores like Forever21 and Topshop creating affordable "inspired" ensembles with a bit of an artistic flair, there is just something fresh and very proper about Suzy Menkes' audio slideshows. It must be the accent. Enjoy!