London Fashion Week Spring 2013 trends showcased the boldest of prints, high-shine metallics, and voluminous silhouettes from the likes of Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto, and Burberry. There was also a flurry of colorblocking, thanks to Paul Smith and Moschino Cheap and Chic, while brands like Temperley and Erdem showed off their fancy handiwork with gorgeous lace detailing. Get the complete breakdown on the top London Fashion Week Spring '13 trends now.
The baroque trend that captivated us on the runways is now making its way to our closets right on our favorite Fall bottoms. But if the opulent look doesn't seem like something you could pull off, we're out to change all that. In fact, every girl's wardrobe deserves a little luxe, or at the very least a luxe-looking accent to dress up your Fall staples. Enter the quilted and metallic jacquards you once associated only with holiday parties, now in slim-cut, ankle-crop trousers and feminine, but not frilly, minis and pencil skirts. These pieces will forever change the way you think about getting dressed and getting dressed up. Each one does both: pulls together an everyday look and lends itself to fancier stuff, like a pair of metallic heels or a great statement necklace, making each of these finds a Fall must. Click on to discover and shop the opulent pieces you may just want to wear every day this season.
It's not a new look per se, but the jacket-artfully-draped-across-the-shoulders look has become quite the go-to outerwear styling technique for street stylers this Fall. Spotted frequently in and around NYFW headquarters (er, Lincoln Center) and on the streets of London, this slightly devil-may-care take on how not to wear a jacket properly can be interpreted one of two ways. To some, it's a nod to chic irreverence, a perfectly "undone" way of dressing. Plus, we can't help but think there's something so classic to its polished and slung-just-so silhouette, especially after seeing the likes of Lily Kwong, Miroslava Duma, and Joanna Hillman sporting the trend. To others, it's fashion without functionality, rendering the look both a strange balancing act and a useless method of keeping warm. Where do you find yourself in this latest styling debate? Will you be draping your jacket or giving this fad the cold shoulder?
You can credit Christian Dior with the modern pencil skirt: he designed the "H" skirt in the 1940s, and it came to represent prim and proper office wear for women. By what we've seen in street style and on the Spring 2013 runways, the pencil skirt has evolved in the coolest way, and the new way to wear it is a far cry from the elegant but buttoned-up look we always imagine. It's much sportier, and you could play with proportions with a slouchy sweatshirt or make it sexy with a fitted tank. We're huge fans of Derek Lam's pencil-and-pullover look, because the slouchiness downplays the sexiness of a pencil (and we really love not having to suck in, you know?). However, for an evening look, and if you have an embellished skirt that has a bit more volume, a sexy tank à la Altuzarra looks pretty incredible. Just keep everything else ultrasimple — hair in a ponytail, minimal makeup. It's also best to keep the tank in a neutral tone, and go for a classic ribbed style if you really want to emulate the feel of the Altuzarra look. We did some searching for pencil skirt looks to try out now, so get clicking.
New York Fashion Week has officially wrapped, but before we head to London, it's imperative that we highlight some of our most-loved trends from the Big Apple. For Spring '13, it was all about color, and there were four gorgeous shades that stood out on the runways: black, white, pink, and blue. Designer Max Azria (who we're now pretty sure may be psychic) predicted this color scheme when we interviewed him at BCBG, and it continued to be a very popular palette as the week went on. Hear all about the colors that you should be embracing next Spring — as well as which designers showed off the hues in their collections — in this NYFW Trend Report.
New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 has shown a great amount of trends to mull over — sporty references, sheer layering, powerful prints, bold stripes, and leather are just some of the trends we spotted on the runways of American designers like Jason Wu, Michael Kors, and Proenza Schouler. Additionally, there were a plethora of chic black and white color combinations, '90s-inspired oversize silhouettes, and metallic sheens (we all love a little shine, right?). See our complete rundown of the top 10 New York Fashion Week trends — right here, right now.
Long and boxy, the sleeveless jacket is so much more than a vest, and it was paired with short skirts and shorts for a downtown cool look we're loving from New York Fashion Week. With closets full of jackets and blazers, the sleeveless jacket is something we'll be investing in next Spring, especially to show tops with sheer detailing or embellishment (both big trends). And yes, we are considering whether we should take scissors to an old boyfriend blazer to channel the feel of Tracy Reese's white sleeveless blazer (second from right).
L to R: Reed Krakoff, Alexander Wang, Tracy Reese, Proenza Schouler
While our favorite designers all cite a variety of Spring '13 influences, the harnesses taking the runway point to another source of inspiration; we're thinking Fifty Shades of Grey. After spotting the harness-adorned dresses on the catwalks at BCBG, Herve Leger, and even Jason Wu, we're convinced the subversive read may have found its way even into the fashion world. Truthfully, the references, while a little edgy, aren't nearly as suggestive paired with fluid fabrications and juxtaposed against prints, leading us to a new theory altogether — could harnesses be heading for the mainstream? They're about as easy to throw on as a belt, and they make any look a little more attention-getting, so we're putting it to you: what's your take on Spring's harness trend? Would you wear one?
Spring '13 runways left to right: Jason Wu, BCBG, Herve Leger.
Pencil skirts may just be the new miniskirts, as evidenced by the crew of street-style pros and celebs taking to the New York Fashion Week scene with a fresh spin on the once-office staple. Truth be told, we used to associate our pencil skirts with the corporate set, the obligatory buy when a "business casual" dress code is enforced. Now we're embracing the more feminine, polished silhouette — which makes juxtapositions with a slouchy tee or edgy leather jacket all the more striking. The proof is all right here — trendsetters and insiders who've traded stem-baring minis for body-conscious, but entirely sophisticated, pencil skirts that they've styled up every which way from the very minimalist to the athletic inspired.
A few of our favorite street stylers' takes on the trend.
Just keep reading for more trendspotting and styling tips to outfit the look on your own.
There were no wallflowers on these designers' runways. Fall collections from Mulberry, Temperley, and so many more were rife with high-wattage digital prints that emboldened our ladylike looks, from party dresses to pencil skirts. Don't fear the bright, expressive prints; thanks to body-conscious sheaths and tailored separates, the moody graphics are totally wearable and surprisingly versatile, particularly with our other prints. Try a great striped tee to top an abstract play on florals or a chunky knit to contrast an decorative skirt, à la Christopher Kane. In any case, the brilliant pattern play gives our separates a wash of personality with an artsy-chic, high-gloss finish — and we're loving it on everything. Ready to go bold? Shop our editors' picks to channel the statement-making Fall trend.
From left: Mulberry, Temperley London, Christopher Kane
