Warrior Princess: Gemma Degara’s S/S 09 Lookbook

When we first heard that Spanish designer Gemma Degara's spring/summer collection was inspired by the samurai, we admittedly braced ourselves for Shredder-like armor and sartorial hari-kari. Boy, were we off the mark. Named for the samurai warrior code, "Bushido," which translates to "the way of the warrior," Degara's latest work is surprisingly soft, but retains a clear samurai influence. A white tank is inked with twin warrior prints; an airy but voluminous jumpsuit mirrors the heavy samurai silhouette; and tops are sliced and diced into with the precision of a Ginsu knife. Now, if we can just find the right sword to go with…