Spring is the time for vibrant colors, comfort and pizzaz. The look is bohemian and eclectic. There are glitter and glamor, jumpsuits and white denim that changes color in UV light, writes Michelle Zhang.

It's only April but many people have already started to plan an escape from the town, a springtime vacation. Clothes of bright colors, light touches and easy-to-wear comfort are the best traveling mates.

At Kookai, the popular French brand, a sense of bohemian is the essence of its new collection. De-structured dresses fit easily. Loose-painted blouses are matched with high-waist pants or knickers, while embroidered shirts are worn with wide-leg trousers.

There is also an emphasis on layers and vibrant colors to celebrate the wild, free style. Natural fabrics, such as cotton, voile, silk and linen, are used throughout the collection.

DKNY from New York creates clothes that reflect a creative urban spirit, a style that is eclectic and energetic.

Designers are bold enough to adopt the combinations of orange and navy or steel, magenta on cement or rock.

Jumpsuits are a new favorite, cut in wool or silk. Breezy silk dresses sculpturally flatter the body and long graphic dresses bring a feminine touch, both are suited for a relaxed afternoon in a metropolitan holiday destination.

Italy's C.P. Company continues its research on fabrics and techniques. Unlike its previous collections that were mostly androgynous, the new collection is contemporary, urban, graphic and despite its masculine roots, feminine.

Lines are geometric, sometimes softened with gathering and occasionally asymmetric.

Hems are rounded while drawstrings modify volumes. Natural or "man made," fabrics remain fundamental.

A lot of new techniques have been implemented. For example, rubber is sprayed on finished garments, parkas, skirts and jackets to give them an irregular surface.

(Shanghai Daily April 14, 2008)