Olivia Cunningham ‘18:
The world’s most important weeks of fashion, featuring many of the most prominent and cutting-edge brands, came to an end in early March of 2018. These weeks consisted of four major runway shows: New York Fashion Week, London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week. These shows, spanning from February 16th until March 6th, showcased high end designers’ most avant-garde pieces that have become the forefront of 2018’s most trending street-style fashion.
PVC and Vinyl: Designers like Calvin Klein and Oscar de la Renta featured many shiny PVC and vinyl materials, mostly in jackets and trenches, at New York Fashion Week. This trend, stemming from the nineties, is seen in current street-style because of the inclement weather that has recently hit the Northeast. The functionality of this trend has contributed to its popularity in today’s everyday street-style by being more than just a piece of fashion.
Bright Colors: There is no doubt that the bright colors of the eighties are coming back in a loud way. Presented in Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs’ runway shows are saturated colors perfect for the spring. Color-blocking has contributed to the expression of such bright hues. Color-blocking is a way of expressing and bringing out the true color of a material by pairing it with something on the other end of the color spectrum. These designs are headlining the upcoming spring season, and are sure to stand out.
Layering: Layering is a huge part of fashion. It is a way to show off multiple pieces in one outfit, or to frame one certain article of clothing. Mixing different patterns can be seen in current street-style layering with inspiration from designers, such as Gucci and Fendi. Gucci is known for bright colors and strong patterns. Many of their runway looks feature extreme layering that corresponds to street-style trends. Fendi, and its famous alternating “F” pattern, also features layering looks by combining their different animal and logo prints to blend into one layered look. Layering can be seen in street-style trends by stacking sweaters on top of shirts, and jackets and trenches on top of sweaters. The current layering trend includes many oversized pieces such as large coats, sweaters, and scarves.
Oversized Handbags: The oversized handbag trend is one that has been going on for a while. Many designers have been showing these bags at runways for years, but this year’s fashion weeks proved significant. Céline, Burberry, and Loewe have all made a mark on the oversized handbag style. Specifically, Burberry’s pieces feature its signature plaid design that makes its products recognizable to almost anyone. Loewe shows off an array of neutral toned bags that are perfect to wear with any outfit.
Faux Fur: The issue of real or faux fur has pressed the fashion industry for years. The fight against animal cruelty has caused many high-end fashion designers to switch to faux furs to avoid backlash and protest. One brand to make the switch is Gucci. This switch for Gucci will spark innovation and create new ways to work with faux fur materials. Nonetheless, faux fur is in. Faux fur can be seen all throughout the fashion spectrum in designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Jimmy Choo, and Calvin Klein. Faux fur is translated to street-style the same way real fur has been in the past: it adds an eye – catching effect, and a luxury feel.