Minimal look updates boardsports ranges

Surf and skate wear brands juxtapose traditional tropical and floral prints with minimalist aesthetics, neutral tones and eco-friendly fabrics to create a more up-to-date look for spring 09.

Bright Tahitian flower patterns, tribal- style scrawls, paint drips and brushstroke prints feature on simple, eco-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton, recycled materials, linen and bamboo at Quiksilver.

This spectrum of colour contrasts with Quiksilver's new White Collection, a largely mono--chromatic range of black, white and asphalt-toned pieces, featuring black ink drips on white hoodies and T-shirts, slim and stretch denims, and chino and cargo shorts.

Billabong has followed a similar route with a vibrant story of all-over florals, flamingo and parrot prints in turquoise, emerald and sherbet shades, alongside a vintage-inspired collection of loose blouses and sailor trousers in tone-on-tone neutrals and lightweight fabrics such as nylon, taffeta, polyester and fine jersey. The brand touches on the eco-friendly theme in its continu-ation of eco boardshorts made from recycled textiles and plastic bottles.

Rip Curl also rides the eco-friendly wave with 16% of its collection for spring 09 made from environmentally friendly mat-erials, up from 10% in spring 08. These include ethnic-inspired tie-dye styles, embroidered floral patterns and tunic dresses with geometric prints.

Brands sticking with the more conventional bright print ap-proach include womenswear label Nikita, which has opted for plenty of colour for spring, with coral and aqua sitting alongside spearmint and peach. Bold single prints have been replaced by repeat multicoloured geo-metric patterns.

Coloured denim, a key trend at last month's Bread & Butter Barcelona, is used on high-waisted, super-slim and loose-fit jeans in pale green, hot pink and violet colours.