Is Fashion Week Still Relevant?
That was the question I kept hearing on everyones lips, as conversation turned to London Fashion Week, and how each season, us bloggers are opting to do less and less. This year I chose to attend only 4 shows, and those I cherry picked as being ones that I would genuinely enjoy the full experience, the theatrics, the show – knowing that you, my audience, only need to see a few highlights, and then a round up of what’s going to be on trend, and how to wear it. So that’s exactly what this post will be. As you can imagine, the answer to my opening question is a controversial one, so perhaps let’s save that for another post.
The main reason I feel that fashion week however is loosing its appeal, is that as consumers, we want to see a trend and wear it now, not hang around until Spring time before we see it in the shops. But that’s what I love about London Fashion Week. We see a mix of avant grade styles and also wardrobe-worthy trends that can slot into all kinds of outfits. There’s a simplicity for ‘basic’ items that you never knew you even needed, and tempting high street options from the likes of Topshop that we can shop right away.
Over the course of fashion week, around 50,000 trends will emerge, some will become definitive of the season, some will filter through to the highstreet and wardrobes of the masses, and some will not be bought into, and so saved for another year (nothing is ever new in fashion, after all!). While that sounds like an awful lot of trends, there are always a few that truly stand out, and this season, I have picked out five that I’ll be adopting in my own wardrobe in the months to come.
Prim & Proper
A trend that I was very pleased to be seeing a lot of this season was that of prim and proper styling. I’m talking about feminine details like bows and frills, as spotted on the catwalks of the likes of Julien Macdonald and Erdem, who both accentuated these delicate details. L’areal hair stylists created ultra prim ponytails at Erdem using velvet bows to complete the mid-height pony tails, and we spotted the bows replicated in the fashion designs too, inspired by our very own Queen’s styling during the 1950s! Frill was spotted across various catwalk shows, I captured it at its finest at Julien Macdonald (see my London Fashion Week Vlog here) and we can already interpret this trend in our wardrobes right now, with Autumnal textures, fabrics and colour ways such as this navy jumper from (worn in imagery for this post). The shape and placement of the ruffled shoulders also adds a power dressing element to the outfit, enabling us to work in one of the current Autumn’s trends of power dressing too. Double trend bonus points!
Checks
Whether it’s gingham, tartan or houndstooth, all kinds of checks were spotted on the catwalks this Fashion Week! For many, this is one of the most wearable trends, but it’s also one that can worked into an outfit in a very affordable way. While the highstreet is already adopting check outfits (such as this suit combo from ), I also like seeing just a touch of the check trend within accessories, be that a subtle lining of a coat, or a scarf in a tartan cashmere blend. Of course the ultimate statement piece is a checked coat, but equally their scarves are a slightly more affordable way of luxuriously working the trend into your wardrobe.
Asymetrical
Another trend that we’re already wearing is the Asymmetrical hem. It feels like it’s already a trend that’s overdone, especially when it comes to shirts being work off the shoulder, or the hems of our jeans being anything but straight, but the asymmetry trend isn’t going anywhere. Handkerchief hemlines and geometric fabric designs were all over the runway, with the most wearable designs seen at J.W. Anderson. As for me, I’m keeping my hemlines straight but adding interest to skirts with pleats and surprising colour combinations, such as this beautiful autumnal orange skirt from .
Crystals
We saw crystals embellishing just about everything this season during London Fashion Week, with Christopher Kane emblazoning gowns with shimmering jewels from head to toe, and even footwear designers such as Sophia Webster covering her designs in sparkles. This is a trend that can be hard to pull off without looking cheap, so opt for small pockets of sparkle to keep it wearable as opposed to blingy. Topshop showed us that the crystals and sparkles don’t need to be worn on clothing alone, but have a bit more fun with your jewellery by adding some statement sparkles into your accessory choices. I like to play around with different metals such as yellow gold plain bangles and diamond encrusted rings to really make my accessories stand out. The excess of diamanté jewellery seen on the catwalks had one strong message; more is more!
The Anorak
Never before has this practical outerwear been deemed so chic! Mary Katrantzou’s colourful and lightweight outerwear is an ideal addition to any Brit’s wardrobe, bring on the drizzly winter months!
What trends did you spot this season that you’ll be embracing in your wardrobe?
xoxo
What I Wore
Jumper by
Skirt by
Boots by
Bag by
Bracelet by
Ring by
Earrings by
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