The catwalks of Milan and Paris round up the final trends for the coming spring season. Just when we thought the whole “see now, buy now” movement had started to make things seem a bit too commercial; Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week proved that creativity still rules. As expected, designers were unapologetically maximal in their approach with shiny embellishments, fabrics and prints – slogans, logos, sequins, patchwork. The ’80s continued to pick up steam as the season’s biggest trend in the form of bold, boxy blazers. But we also saw plenty of compelling new ideas – namely XL bags, tiny bags and waist cinchers. From statement sleeves to the key silhouettes, read up on the new-season trends that will shape wardrobes in 2017…
Shiny sequin
It was Studio 54 all over again on the Milan runways, where Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci’s Alessandro Michele sent out statement-making sequined looks that shimmered like disco balls under the lights. The former presented colourful sequins placed on cocktail dresses and the latter, went with the monotone approach of putting only golden sequin on their laidback looks consisting of trousers, slouchy shrugs and tops. The ’80s returned to the catwalk in Rodarte’s show by way of standout dresses, Au Jour le Jour showed off the ombre effect on his dresses via green and silver sequins whereas, Marco de Vincenzo’s version was a sultry version in copper and green.
Bold logos
The best way to pledge your allegiance to a brand is by wearing an item stamped with the label’s logo. The Dolce & Gabbana finale featured a stampede of models in D&G T-shirts paired with ornate miniskirts. Moschino did the same. We’ve seen the resurgence of the logo trend permeate designers’ collections for a few seasons now, and it’s clearly continuing through spring. However, Paris did it a little differently with slogans taking over the runway. A bag at Loewe proclaimed “See U Later” while dresses at Stella McCartney said “Thanks Girls”. Christian Dior used a T-shirt statement that was guaranteed likes; “We Should All Be Feminists.” Saint Laurent brought back its iconic YSL logo, seen on earrings and the heels of stilettos. Slogans and visible branding are back.
Military jackets
The best way to carry out the military trend in the coming season is to introduce a hero separate to the collection that represents the trend. In Milan and Paris, designers sent out inventive riffs on traditional officers’ jackets, decorated with epaulets, gold buttons, and all sorts of embellishments. Dolce & Gabbana’s pieces were colour-blocked and stood out for their floral appliques, at Dsquared2 it was all about the exaggerated shoulders and cropped lengths, Roberto Cavalli presented his fitted jackets in true blue and they boasted of immaculate embroidery and fine details. Gucci went a step further by ditching the military jacket for a military coatdress with epaulets running from the top to bottom.
Statement Shoulders
Bigger is better was the message at most of the shows that drew focus to the shoulders. Balenciaga offered boxy blazer jackets, trench coats and dresses that saw shoulder proportions reach the max. Jackets in Milan had an ’80s feel, with structured and pointed shoulders for an exaggerated and strong look. Marni’s monotone looks in languid silhouettes came with roomy sleeves, MSGM’s colourful trench coats also boasted of spacious sleeves. Alberta Ferretti reimagined the trend by sending out models in shirts with puffy sleeves and drawing more focus on the sleeves by making them one-shouldered, whereas Prada changed thing up by attaching plumes on the cuffs.
High-waist trousers
Nothing quite says ’80s chic like a pair of high-waisted trousers- relaxed on top and tapered at the bottom. Chloe offered casual roomy pants in black to match the monochrome tops that defined the waist and were cuffed at the ankle, Alexis Mabille’s trousers were similar in shape but extended till the bottom and would be a perfect fit for formalwear. Midi lengths were the norm at Stella McCartney and Dior, where the former used strings to cinch the fabric at the waist and the pants were as voluminous as they could be, whereas, the latter chose a more tapered fit to the silhouette from top to bottom, pairing it with a simple white tank top.
