The obi belt

The spring/summer 2011 collections were defined by the Orient: accentuate your waist with the season's most exotic accessory, the obi belt. Designers from Caroline Herrera to Sonia Rykiel featured versions of the Eastern waist-cincher on the runway. 

Carolina Herrera

At Herrera, block colours nestled against wide neutral backgrounds, and were finished with geographic buckles, while at Sonia Rykiel, an obi-style belt was knotted over a chunky cardigan - a failsafe way to add shape to summer cover ups. 

Louis Vuitton