After four long weeks of shows, scattered across three time zones and competing with the Oscars for global attention…by the time Paris gets its turn the fashion industry is a little fatigued.
But woe betides those who took their eyes off the game – Paris Fall 2018 was exciting. Thankfully our team is keeping its eyes on the prize, recapping the trends every step of the way in case you missed something.
Here we recap some of the biggest trends fresh out of Paris Fashion Week.
Meet the five biggest Paris trends:
1. The Matrix
What: Yards and yards of black leather, fully referencing Trinity from The Matrix. Tough-looking (all black) outerwear, belted at the waist, worn with small shades and a truck load of attitude.
Who: With all the kitsch of the Western trend and the extravagance of the 80s story that’s staying so strong, this storyline provides newness for customers looking for something sleeker and more sophisticated.
Why: Statement coats in the last few seasons have been all about color and exaggerated silhouette. This feels more timeless and sustainable – things which will connect with the consumer spending a little more.
Paris Fashion Week brought us yards and yards of black leather, fully referencing Trinity from The Matrix. These sleeker lines will work well for the non-flamboyant consumer for Fall 2018.
2. Taming the Wild West
What: Ok, it’s a solid trend. Western is always somewhat polarising, but there were enough variations on the theme to find a comfortable point. All-in was Stella McCartney’s homespun wrap blankets and the fringed over-knee suede boots at Isabel Marant. Subtler nods come in the use of a simple lace on a cotton dress, or yolks added to white shirts.
Who: This is for the super trend-forward, otherwise it will come off as too campy – scrap Dolly Parton from the visuals, as much as we love her…
Why: Normally bound to Coachella-renditions, Western feels like a good challenge for a winter season. It introduces a new palette of browns, rusts and stone shades which have been overlooked lately for the bright pops of color.
3. The 80s Reign
What: Fashion isn’t letting go of its love-in with this decade. In fact, Paris went full throttle, with draped statement dresses in metallics, lurex and big shoulders. This trend is all about having a little unexpected volume, be it in the shoulder, sleeve, the ruche of a boot or a bagged-out leather jacket.
Who: This is for the set who doesn’t remember the 80s from first time round – the younger millennials and the Gen Z.
Why: This is glamour primed for the dance floor – glamour that other trends (Matrix, Western) aren’t providing, so latch onto it for your party season and New Year assortments.
4. Seeing Red
What: Statement red, everywhere. Head-to-toe usage in tonal variations. Sometimes it was sliced with blue (Dries Van Noten and Baleciaga) and other times paired with black accessories (Hérmes).
Who: This one can span the entire market, given its support from the big guys at Paris Fashion Week and the mass market’s love of a color trend.
Why: Red is around already, so it won’t feel a million miles off the consumer radar to create statement looks layering up their existing red pieces with Fall season pieces.
5. Let’s Get Technical
What: Weatherproofing goes luxe. Seriously sumptuous raincoats sprung up on a number of high end runways including Dior, Givenchy and Carven.
Who: While there’s a lot of rainwear already on the market, for newness take cues here from the exaggerated cape shapes of the high end or the beautiful matte finishes of rubberized coats. The current average price on luxury raincoats is $985.
Why: As consumers put pressure on luxury brands to move away from fur usage, designers need a way to tackle beautiful outerwear that will secure the upper ends of price architecture. Incredibly technical, super functional rain and cold-weather gear is their way.
We’ve got the entire fashion month covered right here. Find out the ten trends that are ready for retail right away. Get moving fast!
Katie Smith
