Nicol OngRecent “movements” in the fashion industry made this season one of the most anticipated. We’re referring to none other than Hedi Slimane’s debut under Yves Saint Laurent. Opps, scratch that – it’s now Saint Laurent Paris, changed last June, just 3 months after Slimane’s confirmation as Creative Director for the French fashion house. We certainly hope Slimane continues his positive surprises just like the collection he showed this season.
It was also exciting to see Raf Simons’ very first RTW line for another French fashion house – Christian Dior. Simons debuted his first Couture show for the label last July, and it was a pretty epic debut show. Millions of flowers were placed on the walls and ceilings as decoration, and the fashion was simple and elegant, yet breathtaking. A huge contrast to previous Creative Director John Galliano in terms of aesthetics, we’re sure many would agree when we say that Simons’ minimalism fit better with the legendary Christian Dior’s original style.
Nevertheless, all eyes were on the clothes when they stepped out the runway, and here are the top 5 trends specially handpicked by UrbanWire:
(1) Bomber Jackets
As surprised as we were to see Bomber Jackets dominate the runway this season as the choice of outerwear, it was still a feast for the eyes. Loewe had them embossed with beautiful flower and bird patterns, while others like Chanel, Dior Homme and Dries Van Noten kept them classy. Fact: the bomber jacket was once known as “The Flight Jacket” and worn by World War I pilots. Perfect for chilly rainy day weather, which we seem to be having lots of in Singapore recently, so make sure to have one in your closet!
(2) Florals
As one of the most prominent trends and popular print every Spring/Summer, the craze over florals sure as heck doesn’t seem to be dying anytime soon. Needless to say, it was well used for labels like Prada, Etro and even Kenzo’s jungle themed show. Oh, but how designers played with it! With floral prints of sheer fabric cut into ladylike silhouettes added with ribbons and puffed-up sleeves, Valentino couldn’t have made the already feminine prints even more so. Prada, on the other hand, added huge abstract florals on their dresses, coats and tops, giving floral prints a whole new twist.
(3) Stripes and Checks
- From top left, clockwise direction Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Thom Browne
Graphics were another huge trend this season. For his namesake brand, Marc Jacobs sent down about 45 looks, about half of which came marked with striped details. And the stripes weren’t subtle. They were in-your-face, bold, solid details made simple but statement-worthy. For Louis Vuitton, Jacobs incorporated stripes once more, this time layering stripes over each other in a horizontal-vertical fashion. The result? Classic checks. And just like that, probably half the show was dominated by the use of solid, uniform checks. And let’s not forget that even the set had checkered yellow and white floor tiles.
(4) Neon
Ironically, neon usually isn’t a shock to see, especially for Spring/Summer collections, but it certainly was this season. Burberry Prorsum sent its models down the runway decked in neon-coloured everything: trench coats, bomber jackets, bags… right down to shoes. Down at Milan, Frida Giannini displayed designs in dazzling hues of pink, cobalt, yellow and even turquoise at the Gucci show. And again, there weren’t any statement pieces – the outfits were the statement. Models donned in hot pink from top to toe, need we say more?
(5) See-Through
It’s as if “sexy” has a new element attached to it. From Valentino to Alexander McQueen and even Christian Dior, the message was clear – girls, whip out your sexy lingerie. Manipulating fabrics like organza, mesh and silk, they couldn’t have made this “vulgar” look appear more sophisticated if they tried. And just when we thought we could celebrate the demise of chiffon in every Singaporean girl’s closet… Sigh.