From The Straits Times    |

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From severed heads and cyborgs at Gucci (yep, you read correctly), to lime green and cyan blue aliens at Moschino (you read that right too), and handbags flown in via drone at D&G (honestly, we promise you’re not going mad), Milan certainly wasn’t afraid to hold back using weird and wonderful things to showcase their new A/W ‘18 collections.

But don’t worry, we’re not saying you need to spend your nights adding detail to a silicone accessory of your head in order to be ahead of the fashion curve.

Besides the wacky, 2018’s A/W collections included some easily wearable trends that you can start rocking right away. Find your inner punk, start investing in check everything, and dig out those waist belts because these trends are about to go global for next season.

 

1. Punk tartans and slogans

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At Versace, Donatella showcased the stylish, yet feisty nature of women who work hard. Bold punk tartans, with a school-girl twist powered across the catwalk, offset with tough black and gold belts, studded shirts and the odd frayed-hem. Giving off serious punk-meets-Clueless vibes, we can’t get enough.

Meanwhile, Max Mara provided another spin with soft, flowing wool tartans, contrasted with leather jackets, fur coats, their own slogan tees, and lots of black eyeliner for that rock ‘n’ roll edge.

Over at Moschino, there was absolutely no holding back with slick PVC knee-high boots, slogan Moschino tees, buckles, and dresses, jackets and hats printed with bold words like ‘creep’, ‘freaky’ and ‘bad’ that could have been ripped straight out of a magazine.

How to work the trend

Create your own punk Cher Horowitz look by offsetting a tartan skirt against chunky, leather accessories. The look is all about contrast, so use chunky boots, a studded bag and a black leather belt to toughen up feminine pieces.

 

2. Chunky waist belts over everything

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Coats, jackets, dresses; you name it, and a waist belt was styled over it. Versace used thick black leather with a gold buckle over everything from their dresses to their blazers to add a tough edge.

Similarly, Moschino use a thick band over brightly-coloured coats to provide eye-popping contrast and a flattering figure, which they matched with black gloves for continuity.

Marni also made thick waist belts the focus over their PVC trench coats, making sure the fun didn’t end at their already face-melting bold colours and prints. And over at Emporio Armani, matching belts were used over coats to add a final flourish.

How to work the trend

Ahh we sure love a new trend that doesn’t involve shelling out more cash. Or very little, at least. If you don’t have a thick waist belt in your wardrobe already, get online and buy one ASAP – it’s the one accessory you can team with pretty much any outfit to mix up the look. Wear over a blazer for work, a long coat or a dress. We also love the idea of adding gloves in the same colour, like Moschino, to tie it all together.

ALSO READ: THE TREND EDIT: LONDON FASHION WEEK A/W’18 INCLUDING PVC COATS, POWER SUITS AND STATEMENT HOODIES

 

3. Boxy shoulders

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Taking fashion back to the ‘40’s, broad, boxy shoulders popped up at Fendi with long, nipped in peplum-style tops and below-the-knee skirts. Coats and dresses followed a similar silhouette for a strong, feminine feel.

Prada went for a looser, more oversized shoulder, as did Versace, who teamed this more masculine style with maroon leather PVC and a delicate collar. PVC in this heat? We hear you loud and clear, which is why we have this handy guide on how to wear PVC in Singapore’s hot weather

But standing out the most, with their structured, Jackie O-meets-aliens inspired collection, Moschino led the way with blazer and skirt combos in bright, bold and beautiful block colouring. With silver-hooped zippers as the only detailing, they truly showed us the power of a strong shoulder.

How to work the trend

Take inspiration from Versace and drape a long coat with well-structured shoulder over tight trousers and a shirt. Add a waist-belt to further the 1940’s feel and accentuate that lovely strong shoulder-width.

 

4. Check co-ords

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Check co-ords seem to be THE thing to wear next season – whether that’s in the form of a blazer and trousers, or skirt and boots, as long as you’re rocking it with matching pieces, you’ll be in good fashion company. For other checked items, here’s our top 10 checked picks for this S/S ’18

Armani kicked things off with matching blazer and skirts, complete with sparkly ‘E’ and ‘A’ brooches, even adding a check under-layer. Fendi teamed matching plaid check skirts with knee-high boots and a slogan jumper, and all-check underlayers with a fur gilet for practicality and style, which we’re always a big fan of.

Max Mara also jumped on the trend with wide-leg plaid trousers, a slouchy blazer and leather gloves, for an ‘I mean business’ edge.

How to work the trend

Rock this workplace-friendly trend by grabbing a couple of key pieces in check, which you can mix and match to make a few different looks. Add a simple tee under a blazer and trousers for a laid-back business feel, or dress it up with a shirt and heels for those important meetings.

 

5. Statement coats

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Dolce & Gabbana worked eclectic, religion-inspired prints into a mish-mash of eccentricity. Add in some intricate detailing, sequins, fur, fringing and you’ve pretty much milked the word ‘statement’ for all it’s worth.

Over at Giorgio Armani, wearable futuristic silver coats stole the show, whilst Gucci displayed an eclectic mix of outerwear (we’d expect no less), including a western-style oversized coat in powder blue.

On the other hand, Moschino took inspiration from pop art, with colourful kitsch-style prints, which would certainly make you difficult to miss in a crowd.

How to work the trend

Picking up a designer piece may cost you a dollar or two too many, so if you don’t want to shell out a fortune for a statement coat, don’t underestimate how easy it is to customise things yourself. Sew on a few statement patches or a row of fringing to a plain coat. Keep underlayers simple, and pick up a colour from your coat to match with your boots.

 

ALSO READ: THE TREND EDIT: PARIS FASHION WEEK A/W’18 INCLUDING RUFFLES, PLASTICS AND OVERSIZED CHECK COATS