Designers are ushering the brand new fashion season with a positive vibe of pick-me-up bold hues, tactile embellishments and brave, new twists on classic-dressing.
Trend 1: Animal Prints
The fashion feline is back and prowling the runways from Dolce & Gabbana to Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and more. There are no rules that restrict these glamorous cat prints as just after-dark ensembles. Daywear is getting in on the act, too, with posh and ballsy head-to-toe offerings that scream, “wild” or “sex kitten”. You decide.
Dolce&Gabbana, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent
Trend 2: Oversized Coats & Capes
Coats are a winter time must-have for more than just its functional purpose. This season, the styling prowess with voluminous styles alone is simply killing it! At Bottega Veneta, creative director Tomas Maier gave the chubby shag coat a refined and ladylike appeal. Case in point: A soothing wash of pale turquoise that took the shabby classic from boho to beauteuous. Elsewhere, at Givenchy and Hermès, regimental touches gave slouchy, roomy silhouettes a sense of perfection and decorum.
Fendi, Prada, Chanel
Trend 3: Handicraft
The art of craft never ceases to amaze, or for that matter, add curious appeal to an outfit. Some of the season’s standout looks ranged from Maria Grazia Chiuri’s embroidered patchwork creations (pieced together meticulously using reproductions inspired by archival Dior prints) to Alessandro Michele’s present-meets-future cultural extravaganza, which saw a technicolour display of rhinestone art, gold thread embroidery and more at Gucci.
Loewe, Etro, Sacai
Trend 4: Florals
In fashion, flowers don’t just bloom in spring but they thrive in winter as well. Miuccia Prada picked neon hues to bring out the Impressionist-style digital print florals at Prada, likewise with the sketchy, Pop-ish renditions she showed at Miu Miu, too. And then, there was the nod to Eighties redux by way of the micro-mini numbers at Balenciaga and Saint Laurent — Cyndi Lauper would have approved.
Balenciaga, Miu Miu, Gucci
Trend 5: Leather
Nothing says confident and sleek more than leather does and the easiest way to sport its cool is via the outerwear route, which Miuccia Prada covered well at Miu Miu by of belted coats and bombers. But it is the leather dress, as seen at Loewe, Givenchy and Hermès that’s leading the fashion pack this season with its sharp and grown-up appeal. Fans of matchy-matchy top and bottom leather ensembles weren’t left out of the equation, thanks to the stylish offerings by Dior, Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton, too.
Dior, Saint Laurent, Prada
Trend 6: Pleats
The neatness of pleats can add an instant razor-sharp elegance to any ensemble, and sometimes even a touch of sartorial sass. Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi combined immaculate tailoring with menswear fabrics to give pleating its precision charm, while at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière juxtaposed the hard vs soft opposites of machined pleats with soft, draping techniques.
Fendi, Dior, Sacai
Trend 7: Menswear Fabrics
From herringbone patterns to houndstooth checks, Glen Plaid and tartan, designers were giving the very dapper Saville Row a sweet run for its money. The piece de resistance remains a tough fight between a handsome coat and a well-tailored and trusty jacket, but modernist women may like to consider the options at Calvin Klein 250W39NYC, which saw creative director Raf Simons cut his mannish coats boxy and oversized, then layering each piece over an equally voluminous but prairie-inspired feminine ensemble.
Balenciaga, Fendi, Chloé
Trend 8: Tweed
Gone are the days where tweed is considered fuddy duddy and the choice fabric of matronly women. A Chanel icon, Karl Lagerfeld showed several reiterations of the classic fabric for skirt suits, long coats, snug and cropped jackets… At Gucci, creative director Alessandro Michele offered an inspired option in chunky woven knit with playful fringe details, while at both Prada and Miu Miu, the eccentric Miuccia Prada dabbled with oversized proportions to convey a youthful, girlish appeal.
Gucci, Calvin Klein, Miu Miu
Trend 9: White
Designers are loving the purity of this spring staple and proposing it with just as much fluidity and lightness as you would expect for the warmer months. The long and lean silhouette was ubiquitous from Valentino to Fendi and Loewe, just as the occasional roomy fit, which was included to channel touches of ease and femininity.
Fendi, Valentino, Loewe
Related links:
Bottega Veneta Fall-Winter 2018: Art of Fashion
Fall-Winter 2018: Claw, by Alexander Wang
Dior Fall-Winter 2018: Free Spirit
Salvatore Ferragamo Autumn Winter 2018: Classic Harmony
Chanel Fall-Winter 2018: Magic Forest
Hermès Fall-Winter 2018: Equestrian Elegance
