London is famous for young fashion talent, and every season London Fashion Week offers a fresh look at the capital’s designer offerings. Drawing inspiration from British heritage as well as current culture, music and fashion, London-based designers led the way with new trends. Global Blue takes a look at the most prominent looks for the new spring/summer 2017 season as seen in the recent shows.
Punk and baroque fusion
This season sees two unlikely cultures coming together. Taking inspiration from the Tudor period, designers such as JW Anderson and Christopher Bailey at Burberry juxtaposed modernity and heritage. The influence of Shakespearean times was evident in the details: oversized bows, formal collars and knitted jumper cuffs. Rich tapestry from bygone eras could also be seen on the catwalk. Portuguese duo Marques Almeida mixed punk influences such as animal prints, stripes and gingham with heavy Gobelin-style fabric.
Gingham
Appearing last season as a micro-trend, gingham made a comeback with a vengeance this season. Also known in French as vichy, the fabric was seen at the Shrimps show in colourful greens and moody blacks, as well as on the catwalk at trend-setters Marques Almeida.
Animal prints
Zebra prints were big on the catwalk. Brought back from the 80s, the black and white designs featured in the shows of Topshop, Preen and Christopher Kane. The designers used the prints in varied ways, from subtle sub-motifs to major statements. Zebra print promises to become a defining look of the spring/summer 2017 season.
Fashion collage
Different prints came together to create a strong look, as seen in the designs of Mary Katrantzou, who looked to her Greek heritage; and Teatum Jones, who drew inspiration from the works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Others favouring this style included Markus Lupfer, with his romantic and feminine ensembles, Ryan Lo and Sadie Williams, to name but a few.
New minimalism
The queen of British graphic design Roksanda Ilincic spearheaded the new minimalism trend. This season, minimalism moves away from typical Scandinavian clear-cut lines. The new look revolves around deconstructed combinations, cut-outs and oversized lines in a neutral palette of white, beige, burnt sienna or black. Designers who favoured this look were Simone Rocha, Barbara Casasola, Daks and Palmer Harding.
New romantics
Looking to update the romantic look, designers turned to flamboyant fabric usage. Ruffles and pleating were everywhere this season; seen on skirts, tops and dresses at Mulberry; in the utility-focussed collections of Simone Rocha and Daks; and in the African-inspired designs of Mary Katrantzou and Ryan Lo.
Oxbridge undergraduates
Two British behemoths, Burberry and Mulberry, included club blazer variations in their collections. Collegiate stripes promise to be one of the key looks of the season; as does other society dress, from smoking jackets to girls’ school jackets and versatile men’s pyjamas.