Lessons From Fashion Week
After the digital catwalks that have taken over Fashion Week for far too long, the return to in-person runways and the joys of close-up fashion during this winter’s event have been such a joy for many of us that it was difficult to keep track of what we were seeing.
Now, as events draw to a close and the race begins to stock up on these luxury fashions before the next season hits, it’s the ideal time to recap the fashions that have shone the brightest throughout the event.
Amidst appearances from designers we know and love, some notable trends have certainly emerged this season, some of which we’ve already seen, but some of which have come a little more out of the left field, and which are undeniably worth our attention. Without further ado, let’s jump right into what we’ve learnt from Fashion Week overall this time around.
# 1 – Bold prints are coming back
Bold prints are never gone for good, and if collections from top designers like Versace and Rejina Pyo among others are anything to go by, it’s past time that they found their way back into the mainstream. While admittedly offset by a leaning towards block colours seen from Dior, in particular across the event, these bolder offerings certainly stood out on a catwalk that, after so long out of action, was improved significantly by a little fun. Rejina Pyo, in particular, complemented her underwater-inspired print collection (aptly shown during an event at the London Aquatics Centre), with an undeniably playful; scuba display that proves precisely why events like these are so much more powerful when experienced in person.
# 2 – Taking on textures
One theme that was plain to see across Fashion Week in its entirety was the fact that textures are about to become big business in the fashion stakes once more. Designers like Simone Rocha especially had a lot of fun here this season with a collection that, in her own words, was intended to ‘blow up childlike proportions and distort them,’ which is an intention she achieved with lace trims, ribbon embellishments, and netting galore. Elsewhere, Molly Goddard wowed us with all the thrills and fun of her maternity-inspired collection, while a swimwear-style collection from David Koma mixed textures that we’ve never even seen before, but that somehow managed to work in perfect harmony regardless.
# 3 – How about high boots?
Over-the-knee boots were big business during the last digital fashion week, with designers including Dior, Coperni, and beyond, all making knee high Boots from DuoBoots and other brands a no-brainer as we move into the colder months. Even across spring and summer collections, however, this trend was loud, proud, and plain to see, not least because Anna Wintour arrived at the Tory Burch show in her own fantastic snakeskin offerings. On the catwalk itself, high boots were also something of a running theme, seen across collections by Boss and beyond, particularly as preppy styles made a major return overall. While this was obviously a less prominent addition than it was back in the summer, then, there’s certainly no denying that high boots still hold a fair bit of fashion sway.
# 4 – Preppy is perfect
Speaking of preppy fashion, that leads us nicely onto the next style trend that we saw across perhaps the broadest range of designers, from Boss, as mentioned, but also across the Etys spring collection, and even within London crowds. Polo shirts, pleated skirts, and a fair amount of tweed could certainly be spotted at a glance, highlighting a playful trend that, already, feels like it’s starting to make itself at home.
# 5 – Piquing punky to the post
A more punky take was also evident from designers including KNWLS, who took the centre stage with their headscarves, and Stefan Cooke, who interestingly created a prep/punk crossover collection that worked wonders in the spotlight. In many ways, a focus on high boots and bold prints only highlighted this trend meaning that, if you looked for them, it was plain to see punky undertones all across the Fashion Week landscape overall.
# 6 – Collaboration
It’s impossible to talk about Fashion Week without also mentioning its collaborative collection by Italian designers Fendi and Versace, which was the first of its kind and perfectly complemented an event that was, after so long apart, all about coming together. Pinpointed by a cross-fertilisation of creative ideas, this world-first collection took on elements of punk-rock aesthetic (funnily enough) alongside a more ‘sincere’ approach to fashion that’s undeniably made these pieces timeless. Displays fronted by big catwalk names of the 90s, including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Kristen McMenamy especially highlighted how special this collection stands to be, both in history and our spring/summer fashions, because let’s be honest, Fendi and Versace are great apart, but they’re even better together.
Wrapping up Fashion Week
As is always the case, Fashion Week has been a whirlwind, especially as top designers took to the catwalk for, in some cases, the first time since March 2020. With events only just ending, and fashion still very much emerging across all locations, we certainly can’t yet say that this is a comprehensive list of everything you need to know. However, from coverage that’s already emerged, it seems a pretty sure bet that these trends, and perhaps more like them, are set to stay until at least next season’s event.
From old favourites to new friends, we’ve certainly seen some amazing looks and some groundbreaking moments that have made all of those digital events worthwhile in the long run. The question is, now that the (fashion) cat is out of the bag, where exactly are our top designers going to go from here? If their efforts across Fashion Week overall have been anything to go by, we would say they’ll most likely just keep on soaring, so watch this space, and make room in your wardrobe for a prep/punk combo that works better than you could’ve ever imagined.
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