Ah, fashion week season, where the new looks for spring are unveiled in flashy shows in London, New York, Paris andMilan. The crisp click of new heels on concrete and the whirl of camera shutters as photographers set their sights on well-attired attendees. Outfits are carefully displayed, hair is coiffed and expressions of “who, me?” can be seen on the chosen ones.
The lines between personal style and street style have become so blurred that it is often difficult to decipher if people are dressing for themselves or for the lens. Trends that started on the streets, such as the slip dress and off-the-shoulder top, have become fashion mainstays overnight, proving the trickle-up theory still holds.
Despite the boom in peacock dressing, there are always several key pieces to be spotted over and over again on the fash-pack at the shows, leading to cult status. Last year it was the fluffy Fendi charms and Chanel’s sleek sling-backs.
Here are the brands, silhouettes and must-have items that are ruling the streets this season.
Cropped flares
Off-duty dressing and denim go hand in hand, but nothing says “fashion week-ready” more than a pair of cropped flares.
Want to increase your trend quota even further? Style with ankle boots for day, then wear to parties with irreverent heels and a glittering top.
Topshop jeans, €50
Gucci shoes
One year into Alessandro Michele’s tenure as creative director at Gucci, and the brand’s fashion cachet is higher than anyone could have anticipated. It has taken the classic loafer and made it heeled, shiny, metallic, velvet, studded, you name it . . . With such variety it’s no surprise that any Gucci shoe will do for the fash-pack.
Gucci shoes, €480 at Brown Thomas
Fun faux fur
It is a tried and tested fashion-week trick: buy one meticulously constructed cover-up that will elevate your look and get you noticed. This year the streets have been awash with furry accoutrements that cry “Look at me”. Their shape might be sleek and sophisticated, but the mood is playful, with colour and prints reigning supreme.
Shrimps faux fur, €840
The statement ankle boot
Running around in stilettos is neither practical nor safe, so the block-heel ankle boot is a fashion-week life saver. For a one-way ticket to scoring the street-style photographers’ attention, go bright or printed.
LK Bennet boots, €350
Knuckle-grazing sleeves
Impractically long and oversized sleeves popped up on the runway at Derek Lam, Simone Rocha and JW Anderson for spring and have been quickly adopted by the fashion influencers due to their cold-weather-friendly capabilities.
Edit Flute sleeve top, €245 at BT2
The personal It bag
Fashion’s love affair with the It bag – from the bespoke monogrammed Burberry backpack and the Louis Vuitton spray-painted bag to Gucci’s Dionysus bag and its eclectic mix of prints – shows no sign of waning. It’s all about arm candy with a twist and a touch of personalisation.
Gucci bag, €2,250
Choker and neck ties
The choker is replacing statement necklaces as the cult-status accessory.
For a more sophisticated and of-the-moment way of working the look, knot or drop a printed silk scarf for a finishing touch with a nonchalant edge.
Topshop neck tie, €16
Vestment
For Rihanna, Kanye West and the street-style stars outside every big fashion show, Vetements is the label to be seen in. The fash pack are so enamoured with this brand they are willing to pay more than €500 for a cropped hoodie. We suggest digging out your old sweatshirt instead.
Vetements green hoodie, €545 from netaporter.com
Pyjama dressing
Bringing bedroom looks to the street, front-row attendees at the shows topped off their looks with silky pyjama-style shirts that served as a subtle sartorial nod to clothing normally reserved for between the sheets. Go your own way by styling them with a skinny pair of jeans or tailored trousers so it doesn’t look like you just rolled out of bed.
Zara pyjama-style shirt, €59.95
The two-piece
Head-to-toe print, bright colours, voluminous silhouettes: the street-style message is loud and proud – matching sets are not going anywhere.
River Island two-piece: jacket, €80; and trousers, €50
