Remember the expression “business in front, party in the back”? If you’re looking to add some pizzazz to your get-ups this season, you’d better watch your back.
While it usually references the mullet – a popular ’80s hairstyle where the hair is short and neat at the front, with a longer, rambunctious tail behind – fashion designers are now taking their cue from this high-low look in the form of mullet-inspired hemlines.
At Prada, head designer Miuccia Prada, together with co-creative director Raf Simons, had many of their outfits fitted with long, trailing trains. Some of the strongest pairings – such as miniskirts styled with oversized biker jackets and low-heeled pumps – felt both grown-up and inherently cool.
There was also a strong representation of outerwear with dramatic trains, as seen at Louis Vuitton, Rick Owens and Lanvin. This was most significantly illustrated at Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino – in the form of an embellished coat and a pleated silk cape.
Since he was named creative director in 2008, Piccioli has always reiterated that it was his job as a designer to be relevant to the times we live in. And we see it here today, with the styling of the cape and coat paired nonchalantly with a classic ensemble of a shirt with a pair of jeans or bermudas – fresh, unrestricted and definitely Gen-Z approved.