As another fashion month comes to a close, Spring Summer 24 will be remembered as a season of new beginnings, storied endings, and not without a tall order of creative talent from each of the major fashion capitals.
While a number of houses and labels still rely on their front row (even if they’re an hour late, Kylie Jenner) and major moments for show awareness, the most obvious trend of the season was the way in which brands have begun to remove the smoke and mirrors and focus on cohesive collections and buildable wardrobes. This was most notable at The Row, Fendi, Tory Burch, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Proenza Schouler, Burberry, and Victoria Beckham.
That’s not to say that brand ambassadors don’t have their place; in fact quite the opposite.
Crowds of screaming fans gathered outside Dior, Prada, and Chanel as K-Pop stars descended on Paris and Milan, equally for Hollywood A-listers - who found themselves with some time up their sleeve as the SAG strike continued.
But, back to business. Business indeed, another ongoing theme of the season; is it possible to present your most creative collection, and keep it commercial too?
Rickie De Sole, Nordstrom’s fashion director explained to WWD,
“We’re seeing a break between the designers finding serenity in elevated foundational wardrobe for the everyday and those exploring a more maximalist mood.”
In the end, the best shows were able to surprise and delight editors with new ways of seeing, while keeping the core customer happy.
Where NFTs were looking like the future of fashion a couple of seasons ago, this time it was clear AI has been steadily gaining traction.
Designers such as Collina Strada used the tool to create prints, others wielded it for texture and volume.
Meanwhile Coperni (in lieu of robot dogs) had their models wear AI pins created by startup Humane, set to be released as wearable smartphones.
Save for Gabriela Hearst and Stella McCartney—who held a Sustainability Market at her show— the notion and selling point of sustainability was an afterthought, as was the body diversity movement so prevalent on the runway in previous seasons.
It was in fact Balenciaga who surprised showgoers with a size-inclusive cast (a first for the house) featuring Paloma Elsesser among others. The social commentary was largely left to the PETA protestors, who made disruptive appearances across the month, at Coach, Burberry, Gucci, and leather house Hermès.
A lesson in theatrics executed well? Look to Mugler's windswept runway, Rick Owens’ angels and demons, and the lit-up bulb skirts at Jun Takahashi’s Undercover.
Ready to discover the looks, colours, textures, and must-have pieces set to be all over the street next summer? As Miuccia Prada told reporters backstage, “I got tired talking about ideas—let’s talk about clothes.”
Let’s take a look at 5 of the Top 15 trends of the Spring Summer 24 season:
1. Dirty Denim
From London’s glamorous grunge players to Diesel’s ravers and even Dior’s ladies - acidic, dirty, slashed and splattered denim continued to dominate across the denim collections. Chet Lo, Mowalola, Masha Popova and KNWLS kept the youth set happy with devil-may-care denim that was over-dyed, acid-washed and fit for scenes at Burning Man. Elsewhere, Proenzha Schouler’s sophisticated acid jeans caused a stir with a tight edit of blazers, and workwear separates.
2. On the Fringe
Fringing has returned for another season as the tastemaker’s embellishment of choice, from Prada, McQueen to Christopher Esber and Dior, frayed finishes and strips of fabric made the case for the eye-catching. Givenchy’s crystal moment was a study in Parisian chic, and Prada made a name for the trend with printed florals on fringe for a depth illusion, as well as long metal fringing to be worn as skirts.
3. Shining Armour
The modern idea of glamor is never far from a little shine. Chrome, liquid gold and silver metallic were dotted throughout countless shows, but no more than at Rabanne and Ralph Lauren. Ralph’s runway return brought gold lamé polos, silky pants and jumpsuits, and Christy Turlington’s one-shoulder wonder. Naomi Campbell similarly stole the show at McQueen with her silver armor-like gown. Rabanne’s metal medieval creations were a treat for the red carpet playbook, while Michael Kors also took to gold to speak to early 70s-inspired party wear with skirts, dresses and hooped hardware. Tory Burch took us to the 60s-space-age with iridescent coats and coatdresses, and Isabel Marant’s festive pieces were signature French partywear.
4. Butter Yellow
Among a number of pastel shades seen over the month, buttercream, mellow yellow was cast as baby pink’s more sophisticated cousin this season - and not just for vacationers. Molly Goddard used the colour on playful cardigans and full tulle skirts, as did Louis Vuitton with Victorian-era ensembles. It was the next best colour for Sandy Liang’s ballet-core nostalgia girls, and yellow took a powerful stance on the runway in boxy suiting and embellished dresses at Versace.
5. Draped & Delicate
Draping took a different stance this season, opting for more classical takes on the art of swathing the body - as opposed to the over-sexualization that had come to the fore over the last few years. Christopher Esber expertly placed elliptic stone as the anchor for a draped white bodice, as well as a low-slung wire that made the skirt folds of a dress hang away from the body. Blumarine explored lightness while Givenchy focussed on draped sheer chiffon dresses. Proenza Schouler’s white version bridged bodycon and drapery with a masterful minimalism, while Alberta Ferretti’s Roman goddesses featured asymmetric ruching in contrast with soft draping for stunning, timeless effect.
To view the full list of all Top 15 Trends, including Staccato Suiting, Full Transparency and Pale Blue trends, download our exclusive Runway Roundup of SS24 here.
