Once again, fashion month has taken us on a whirlwind tour of the future landscape of our wardrobes. Rather than a giant leap forward into new territory, SS18 is a season of subtle shifts. Designers developed and honed their own aesthetics, playing into and evolving the styles that have been percolating over the past few months, both on and off the catwalk. But, no matter the forward pace, fashion never stands still and these are the SS18 trends to know.
Dark Denim
Cementing its place as fashion’s favourite fabric, denim once again dominated across all four cities. Moving away from the worn-out, vintage look that’s come to define street style, SS18’s denim takes on form and structure. Dark, weighty, topstitched denim featured in an array of line-ups from Tom Ford and Nina Ricci to Mugler; manifesting as a meeting point between tailoring and utility.
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Trench Revival
The classic trench coat has been reinvented with a high-fashion twist. Spliced, shredded and supersized; the original blueprint was well and truly thrown over fashion month. Celine proffered swooped, stitched up hems; Alexander McQueen opted for cut-outs and elaborate prints, while Maison Margiela gave us a plethora of sheer, gold, deconstructed and feather-trimmed iterations.
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Pretty Pastels
Last season’s millennial pink opened up into a broader pastel palette as a wash of peach, lilac, powder blue and mint green cast a sweet shadow over fashion month. Mansur Gavriel opted for head-to-toe monotone, whereas Victoria Beckham and Peter Pilotto interspersed and layered complementing tones. Throughout every pastel-toned collection, the soft hues gave way to fluid silhouettes and airy fabrics. This is a trend with femininity at its core.
The Big Reveal
Designers explored the middle ground between prim and provocative as tulle, chiffon and georgette were employed to craft frothy ruffles and light as air drapes, revealing the layers and lingerie beneath. With polka dotted pleats, lace and appliquéd overlays, Christian Dior truly set the tone for the scope of the sheer trend, but the fashion house wasn’t alone in its use of sheer fabrics. From Jil Sander’s voluminous, floor-length dresses to John Galliano’s barely-there shifts and Altuzarra’s fishnet skirts. Sheer is here to stay.
Fringe and Feathers
From shredded hems at Loewe to heavy silk fringing and military-inspired feather plumes at Nina Ricci, trimmings are set to steal the spotlight in SS18. Subtle touches they are not – fringing and feathers are very much intended as the star of the show, as evidenced by Marco de Vincenzo’s magnificently tiered dresses. This is a trend for the sartorially bold.