Fashion month for the Spring Summer 2024 season is officially underway, with designers set to showcase across New York, London, Paris and Milan.
As well as a feast for our senses as we bask in the glory of some of the most spectacular fashions of the year so far, it’s also a chance to gauge the trends we’ll be shopping in the seasons to come.
From the expected to the avant garde, these are the styles we predict will be huge for the upcoming Spring/Summer season.
Bows And Ribbons Reign Supreme
Proving that sometimes form is superior to function, bows and ribbons took centre stage at several New York Fashion Week shows.
In an evolution of the balletcore obsession of season’s past, models took to the Mirror Palais runway with their hair tied in pink ribbons, and halter neck dresses secured the same way. The trend also made its way into footwear, with heeled T-bar sandals decorated with delicate satin bows.
At Sandy Liang, a similar romance was in the air, with the designer leaning into bows of every shape and size. Tops were adorned with delicately braided ribbons, while oversized bow ‘sashes’ felt reminiscent of belts from the noughties, tied low around the waist.
Versace’s approach to the babydoll aesthetic fused the past with the present: futuristic metallic bows were used to secure model’s hair in voluminous styles that felt reminiscent of the ‘60s.
The Capri Comeback Continues
Try as we might to resist them, it seems capri pants are well and truly set to return.
At Tory Burch, hemlines reached new heights in the form of suit pants cut to mid-calf level, perhaps heralding a new era of 9-5 dressing.
Philip Lim, Sandy Liang, and Mirror Palais also jumped on board, with slim-line styles that looked as though they were plucked straight from the 90s. Prep your calves, because we suspect this is one trend revival that’s here to stay.
Sheer Beauty
Skin has been in for several seasons now, but New York Fashion Week saw the sheer trend receive an upgrade, with bedazzled takes on classic see-through styeles.
Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren had the most subtle takes on the trend, with glimpses of glittering flesh-toned tops, while at Staud and Prabal Gurung, models wore completely sheer jewel-encrusted tanks and a floor-length crystal-embellished net dress, respectively.
Givenchy mixed the two with a sheer black maxi dress with frill neckline details and a crystal skirt, which is sure to be a celeb favourite this year.
High Shine
Departing from the subtle opulence of quiet luxury, designers opted for maximum impact with the use of high-shine, attention-grabbing fabrics.
Most notable was Proenza Schouler’s ample use of sequins, and Ralph Lauren’s liquid gold material, which appeared in gowns, shirts and trousers.
In the same vein, at Prada, ‘windswept’ translucent chiffon made dresses felt ultra light and airy – a reprieve from the label’s often heavier pieces. Catching the light with every movement, the high-shine pieces appeared to trail hypnotically behind models as they made their way through the space.
Chloe meanwhile, took the high-shine trend silver with a stunning structured midi-dress with puff sleeves given a futuristic twist by the fashion house.
At Louis Vuitton, the most elegant silhouettes sashayed down the runway, with a high-shine finish that seemed almost other-worldly in its beauty. The dresses, in both black and baby blue, are a sweet example of how this trend can add a new flair to eveningwear.
We even saw these sorts of finishes all the way down to the shoes, with Christian Louboutin debuting some gorgeous sheeny gold ‘Miss Jane’ heels as a part of their SS24 collection.
Supersized Accessories
When it comes to accessories, designers are creating by the motto, ‘more is more’.
At Prabal Gurung, models donned asymmetrical earrings of chin-grazing proportions, while at Carolina Herrera, jewellery came in the form of giant cuffs and sizable hoops.
Handbags also received the oversized treatment, with models toting oversized styles at Dion Lee and Staud.
Ferragamo also delivered on this brief, with capacious bags in spades. Our personal favourite? A sky blue tote carried sans-handles under a model’s arm.
Schiaparelli took oversized accessories to a whole new level: sea level. The house used motifs of crabs and lobsters as a bright gold statement piece to enhance their considered black, white, gold and red runway palette.
Falling For Fringe
At Prada, fringe was in. Models strutted in shirts and belts adorned with fringe of every variety, that sashayed against their wearer with every movement.
At Giorgio Armani, tinsel-esque blue fringe had a similar effect. Watch this space, we expect to see plenty more where that came from.
Eyes On Orange
Citrus hues have flooded the runways of various designers this fashion month.
At Fendi, orange was on display in the form of completely monochrome ensembles, and in brightly punctuating accessories, like gloves, shoes, and bags.
Sportmax took a similar approach, with the occasional pop of orange standing out against an otherwise muted palette of crisp white and soft pastels, like pistachio and strawberry.
Louis Vuitton took the orange trend to new heights, bathing their entire runway in that hue. We also saw pops of orange and peach as the summery palette swayed down the runway, inspired by the elegant tradition of French fashion.
Shades Of Blue
Giorgio Armani delivered a meditation on blue, with a colour palette ranging from the prettiest periwinkle, to deep ultramarine.
Adding to the otherworldliness of the collection were wet-look updos and high shine fabrications – perhaps proving once and for all that mermaidcore is here to stay.
Making An Example Of Embellishment
While we’ve seen increasing displays of sequinned and paliette finishings the last few years, they were popping up like clockwork across Fashion Month.
A prime example of this was Kendall Jenner’s soon-to-be iconic red Schiaparelli dress that she wore to close the show. The knee-length, strapless dress featured a tessellation of shiny red embellishment that from afar looked almost woven.
We also saw this explored in a stunning peplum maxi dress for Rodarte, but this time in a milder blush hue, while Isabel Marant mixed this trend in with the ‘fringing’ we saw at Giorgio Armani and Prada.
Romanticism
While we all love a good structured blazer, this fashion week has seen a dart into a romantic femininity that we just can’t take our eyes off. From soft flowing frills and plenty of tulle to delicate floral motifs, the likes of Chloé, Givenchy and Rodarte all leaned into this light and airy romance.
Which Witch?
Balenciaga debuted a kind of gothic, post-apocalyptic collection with witchy elements and lots of black. From heavy liner beauty looks, long fluted sleeves and pointy shoes, there was something dark and warped about the collection that added intrigue and mystery.
Of course, this was finished with a upcycled layered wedding dress with a cape-style veil that was low-key giving ‘corpse bride’.
Playful Prep
The Loewe runway showcased its classic structured take on casual wear, with the new collection offering a slightly camp and gender-free spin on the preppy look. While tailored shorts, tweed blazers and school boy shoes abound, the waistlines were either extremely low, or extremely high; the buckles, either extremely large or extremely small. Needless to say, golf course style will be hitting the streets of New York in no time.
It’s Burgundy Season
While you would have noticed the literal tonne of red on the runway this year, you might have missed a few designers showcasing a companion colour: burgundy. This autumnal hue made its way into the Hermès collection, which also featured shades of red (surprise) and grey.
In Favour Of Flats
Wearability was at the fore of Chanel’s latest collection, particularly when it came to shoes.
Gone are the days of models teetering down runways in sky-high heels. Rather, Virginie Viard’s latest offering favoured flat shoes of every variety.
Ballet flats continued to make their comeback (a signature of the French house), while another unexpected slat style was also spotted on the runway: flip flops.
Adorned with the label’s signature logo, these are sure to make for the chicest poolside accompaniment.
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