Leopard Out of Jeopardy!
Leopard print has a long-standing history in the world of fashion and has repeatedly appeared to dominate trendy looks in almost every decade in the last hundred years. In the 1920s it was popularised by the young Hollywood’s first starlets’ leopard collars and hats and by the 1950s it became strongly associated with symbolical status, wealth and eroticism heavily influenced by magazine pin-up girls wearing leopard underwear and real-life big city it-girls wearing leopard fur coats. Throughout the next, the animalistic print was worn by many cult stars, including Sid Vicious and Victoria Beckham. In the 90s the trend was stapled in history by the high-end fashion
designer Azzedine Alaïa during the 1991 FW show sending an army of models covered in leopard print head to toe. Surprisingly, in the last two decades, leopard print has almost disappeared from high fashion. Often considered tacky and tasteless during the 2010s, the trend has recently started to resurface on the runways, influenced by the newest demand for 90s nostalgia. In recent years, leopard print was noticed during the presentations of new collections by Givenchy and Prada, however, it is after this year’s London Fashion Week it can be said for certain that the leopard print is back and it is here to stay. This year it comes in all colours and styles: Molly Goddard is
reimagining the leopard print through the colourful lens of teenage fashion by bringing pink leopard mesh skirts and blue leopard jeans straight from her childhood to the runway. The sign of the leopard print’s undeniable comeback is also proven by its multiple appearances in the outfits worn by some fashion week attendees. Although in a less rebellious form and colour than Goddard, they still prove that it is time to wear the leopard print not only on the catwalk.
Big Bag is Back!
The 2023 London Fashion Week runway has officially announced the return of the big bag. For years prior to the pandemic, fashionistas everywhere were obsessed with bags becoming smaller and more impractical – from mini-bag to micro-bag to Jacquemus’ cult Le Chiquito ornamental handbag that spurred multiple debates online regarding its size: it was not big enough to fit an iPhone in. Although regular-sized handbags were occasionally spotted either in Marc Jacobs’ Totes collections or as a practical “gorp-core” accessory for edgy London high-schoolers and fashion students, it was not until now that the runway declared the end of the shrinking and allowed the post-pandemic attachment to comfort to flourish. This trend is easily explained not only by the fact that the non-existing nightlife during the pandemic has taken away the need for small bags but also for a more simple reason: the handbags simply could not become any smaller. London Fashion Week AW23 offered the new trendy metric for handbags: from big to as large as a suitcase, as the
models were witnessed carrying Simone Rocha’s bigger-than-torso pillowy clutches and Mithridates enormous bags that could easily fit said models inside of them. Other honourable mentions go to Mowalola with their over-sized and over-the-shoulder leather bags, David Koma – the big long-standing supported of the big bags, with his purple faux fur clutch and everyone’s favourite Molly Goddard with her little-bit punk big satin bag.
Dress to Impress!
London Fashion Week 2023 had another feature that needs to be discussed and taken into account for the foreseeable future: dresses. Every show was flooded with the most astonishing and creative takes on this elegant part of female (and now also male!) wardrobe and it was a fresh breath for femininity that has been undermined by the fashion trends in recent years. It is safe to say that the concept of elegant evening gowns and fancy party dresses has been forgotten during the pandemic due to the closure of any place that would require such attire, while the tendency to choose baggy trousers over any other form of clothing has sprung for the same reason. However, by looking at the variety of dresses that have been presented on the runway this February, it is safe to say that staying in is no longer required nor is an option: London Fashion Week declared the Roaring 2020s with bright, sparkling, and feathery evening-wear for the party girls. Which is the reason why 16Arlington stole the show with Marco Capaldo’s latest collection for the party girls. Featuring feminine and light designs with a touch of boudoir couture, Capaldo decided to ditch the night-time fun for early-morning pleasure. A decision that affected the runway itself – the presentation was set in an army drill house in Bloomsbury with the floor covered with recycled ground coffee. The show featured see-through lace and sequin dresses, embodied with sparkles and feathers. Fashion East took a more romantic approach to outline the beauty of the female body by presenting spectacular evening gowns made of light, liquid-like materials, with cinched waists and outlined hips. While Fashion East designs are futuristic and on the verge of extraterrestrial, Christopher Kane’s dresses are straight out of the early-00s TV shows, featuring bright, playful prints of pigs, butterflies, rats and chicks – and all of these hyperreal images were AI-generated.
Coming of Sage!
London Fashion Week AW23 has proven that mind-blowing prints and colours are not going anywhere but even on the contrary the palette of “desirable” fashion colours keeps evolving. This February sage green has been noted to be the new it-shade for those who prefer sophistication over loud colours. If anything, it is safe to say that sage green is the new black based on its appearances all throughout Fashion Week. Dublin-born Robyn Linch takes her inspiration for her collection featuring all shades of green from her Irish background and admitting to Googling Irish t-shirts prior to the start of creation of her latest collection. The use of light, sage green colour creates an original and independent take on men’s fashion through her dedication to stereotypes and internet culture. The collection featured sage jumpers with the Guinness logos and monotone sage jackets that combined simplicity and creativity, which is a rare but successful occurrence for today’s desired explosion of colours and alien silhouettes. The collection of Conner Ives has also proved the 2023 fashion’s favourability towards sage green in a look that has proven to be one of the most memorable moments for fashion this year – the sage green suit made up from baggy low-waisted trousers, blazer and the iconic zipped waistcoat. Sage green was also featured among the darker palette of the Burberry collection, futuristic Fashion East attires, and Mowalola leather bombers, and was spotted on multiple celebrities attending the fashion shows.
Serious Business!
During the past few years the expectation for a standard office attire has been visibly transformed by the popularisation of remote working caused by the pandemic. Wearing comfortable hoodies and sweatpants to online office meetings has been normalised to the point that fashion had to comply with the worldwide urge for comfortable clothing, and for a few years relaxed and sporty outfits have dominated the fashion scene. London Fashion Week 2023 has proven that the pandemic is now over and full business attire is a trendy requirement for any it-girls wardrobe. Ties, suits and waistcoats are back and most importantly have been re-imagined to fit the rising standard for the compulsory office attendance. The standard is however nothing boring – only serious business. Burberry’s new designer Daniel Lee has taken the show away by presenting his new collection,
which is a hot new take on Burberry and their traditionally elegant designs. Bright-yellow footlong coats with matching yellow faux-fur enlarged collars and colourful, patterned knee-long skirts with blue sweaters are all office-wearable and present a great example of how even the biggest fashion names have been transformed with the continuous breakaway from the 2010s minimalism in recent years. Another highlight is S.S. Daley’s new collection “Lost At Sea” that follows a strict theme of sailor uniforms, ties, navy colours and white oversized shirts. As a cherry on top the show featured Sir Ian McKellen as one of the models, wearing one of the hottest takes on modern office attire. Other designers have also presented their own vision for the future of workwear. Edward Crutchley and JW Anderson focused on exaggerated proportions though oversized sleeves, while Natasha Zinko has shown her tribute to the silhouettes of the 80s by presenting broad shoulder satin blouses back.
