From The Straits Times    |

As Milan Fashion Week draws to a conclusion, we’re reflecting on the biggest trends that have emerged from the fashion haven that houses major brands like Fendi, Prada and Salvatore Ferragamo.

Across the board, utilitarian and sporty looks were prevalent, perhaps exploring the multifaceted idea of practicality and purposeful clothes. You can expect to see a new crop of outfits fashioned in nylon at Prada, an effective new Fendi woman who’s now got toolkit-style belt bags, and professional wear ditching trousers for shorts at Tods. Beyond the concept of “wearable fashion”, there were also bolder choices involving painterly influences, beach-flavoured threads  and kaleidoscopic splashes of rainbow colours that lit up the runways.

Start taking notes, here’s what Milan has to say about the trends we’ll be shopping next season.

 

Utility uniform

Atten–tion! Marching into the S/S season is an assemblage of modern workwear-inspired pieces that are refreshed for the new season with relaxed tailoring and a sense of lightness. At Fendi, utilitarian influences were refined in the form of supersized pockets that’ll hold more than just your loose change sewn unto blazers and jackets. Also noteworthy is a toolkit-inspired belt bag that’s seen in black, white and orange – a sure street style hit that’ll soon dominate your IG feed. Salvatore Ferragamo had a colour palette of khaki, brown and cream painting a collection that’s militarialistic, sporty and all in all made for a practical lady with its soft and flexible silhouettes.

 

Short of business

Professional wear received a casual twist as designers like Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Roberto Cavalli and Tods each reimagined the modern woman’s suiting with bottoms abbreviated to “below-knee” territory. In simpler terms, we’re tossing out our tailored trousers and replacing ‘em with shorts. Teamed with stoic tailored blazers and relaxed shirts unbuttoned to match the boheme vibe, shorts appear as an interesting proposition as our boardroom-best for the season ahead. P.s. check with your company’s dress codes before proceeding, you have been warned.

ALSO READ: THE TREND EDIT: PATCHWORK DRESSES, GRAPHIC FLORALS AND PUFFY SLEEVES AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK S/S’19

 

Life in technicolour

Washed with loud and vivid colours clashing in harmony, Versace’s patchwork dresses of the season were something to admire. A standout look consisted of a cropped boxy denim jacket (very ‘90s) with a ruched dress layered underneath; both of which were boasting of purposefully convoluted micro-florals and colours of the rainbow to boot. Dolce & Gabbana’s opulent looks were equally as brilliant and Marco De Vincenzo turned to kaleidoscopic paillettes to create a slip dress that deserves it own party.

 

Art school

Perhaps offering a retort to the ongoing debate as to whether fashion can be considered art, designers are fusing the two together to create inspired looks that belong in a gallery. Whether it’s abstract shapes and scribbles (met with a netted overlay ala preschool art class) at Missoni, photos or prints depicting collages of Grecian statues and paint brush strokes at Marni, or scribble markings that showcase the brand’s affinity with 2-D illusions at Moschino, elements of arts and craft were aplenty at Milan. Tongue-in-cheek, expressive and old-school: Next season’s painterly outfits are sure to appeal to the individualistic client.

 

Seaside vacation

Revealing a penchant for beachside vacays (that makes all of us, really), designers are taking to the carefree seasides next spring for inspiration. Etro looked to California’s surf culture as a muse, creating a bevy of effortless relaxed suits and beachwear in bold floral and paisley prints. Alberta Ferretti in turn gave us a peek into the boho nomad’s trunk, with crocheted separates true to the brand’s feminine DNA, safari ranger-esque khaki, and hyper-chic paper-bag bottoms while Marni had a couple of delightful beaded sundresses we’d like to put on our packing lists pronto.

 

Look-at-me lime

First, there were the Kardashians, inconspicuously slipping the bright fluro-green colour into their wardrobes, and consequently all our Instagram feeds. Then came Blake Lively’s very-much-lively lime green Versace suit she wore to promote her upcoming movie “A Simple Favour”. And now, we’re past the point of no return as designers like Prada, Jil Sanders and Tods introduced the bright, electric light green hue to their runways and hence solidifying its stature as a trend for S/S ‘19. Give your outfits a squeeze of lime, this is the colour du jour to embrace next season.

 

Photos: Showbit

ALSO READ: THE TREND EDIT: LFW S/S ‘19 INCLUDING PADDED SHOULDERS, FLUORESCENT NEONS AND METALLIC FOIL