3 Runway Trends Paris Fashion Week
It seems that Balenciaga is not the only brand to take inspiration from a country.
We may be reeling from the Brexit saga, but that doesn’t mean the world stops turning. While the rest of the world is focusing on 10 Downing Street, we take a look at another member of the European Union (Britain will enter into ‘divorce’ proceedings, so they still count), as it hosts some of fashion’s elite at Fashion Week. Here then are three new trends from yet another day at Paris Fashion Week.
African Inspiration
Minus the political statement a la Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton has taken bold inspiration from Africa for the collection seen on the runway of Paris Fashion Week. Designer Kim Jones brought the wilderness to France with animal prints on sweatshirts and giraffe motifs on monogramed silk shirts. Paired with slim trousers, the designs would not have looked out of place in Cape Town or Nairobi or even a safari. The influence of Africa was even seen in the zebra-striped loafers. On second thought, this too might be political…
Keeping it Light
Unlike Vuitton, Rick Owens chose to go with more light-weight and breatheable fabrics for the season. While the garments are similar to other designs that he has showcased in previous collections, what caught us by surprise was how normal the runway show was. We did not spot even one model masquerading as a backpack. While we were a tad disappointed by the lack of excitement in the show, it did give us a chance to focus on the clothes themselves. Floaty parachute pants — which we assume are roomy — were teamed with sneakers while longline tunics were used to create abstract forms. The collection saw mustard yellow and burgundies in among the trademark black and then even more black typical of Owens.
Tie-Dye
Venturing away from the comfortably goth theme at the Owens show, was Issey Miyake. The bright and breezy collection was filled with primary colors and tie-dye-motifs that added some much needed life to a day filled with neutrals and dark shades. Tunic tops were updated by pairing them with white trousers that were cropped close to the ankle while swirly patterned bomber jackets created a fresh approach for Spring 2017.