SPRING / SUMMER 2024 TRENDS
PICTURE EVERYONE IN THEIR UNDERWEAR
Miu Miu continues to cement itself as a modern translative signifier of unrestrained academia and the role it plays for fashion seasonally. The hemline in SS24 has graduated from micro-school skirts to underwear and no-pants dressing, a trend adopted from high street to celebrity styling. Despite prep’s anticipated presence on the runway, the most interesting key factor SS24 brings to the table is its evolution of styling, which denotes a mature growth in the categorization of prep itself. Micro lengths and a newfound interest in polo shirts don’t allow room for the in-between, but the styling of the runway has created a space for burgeoning trends such as knee high boots, biker jackets, and intricate knits to inform street style in key colors Elemental Blue and Nutshell. The SS24 prep girl is an emancipated, conscious woman.
NEW NOIR
The advancement of grunge has positioned itself this season in an aesthetic that perfectly balances 1990s nostalgia with a mystique of dark romance, much like film noir. A phantom thread of coven-like, grandiose dressing presents an enigma of opulence: muse or siren. Sarah Burton’s last show at Alexander McQueen created a space that perfectly embodied the allure of a possessed, mystic temperament spearheaded by intense, powerful femininity. Rabanne and Saint Laurent also each hold an aptitude for this duality, adorning looks in metallics and key color, Liquid Gold.
SHEER ME OUT
The most important driver of a decade of deconstruction is the steady continuation of lingerie dressing. The slip dress itself has become a wardrobe staple, leaving no surprise that its presence remained this season across what the industry has dubbed “super winner” brands, like Gucci. The influx of sheer seen at Acne Studios, 16Arlington, and virtually any zeitgeist-grabbing brand avoids stagnation with the seasonal introduction of shape-draping and key color Cherry Red. It’s abundantly clear that what’s transparent is here to stay.
RECLAIMING GIRLHOOD
Fashion continues headstrong with a greater traction that seeks to regain agency over feminine identity and expression amid political agendas challenging economic empowerment for women. Simone Rocha, Bora Aksu, Mirror Palais, and Erdem exemplify fashion that’s coded with a raw vision of female beauty and the faculty it bears in modern society. This aesthetic is decoded to signal the celebration of girlhood itself and how we’re reclaiming it. This is resurrected by an onslaught of bows, rosettes, and hyper-feminine nostalgic undertones seen across media and consumer channels. It continues in SS24 with key colors Porcelain White and Fondant Pink seen in doll-like shapes and materials, including tulle, weightless layering, and the classic babydoll dress shape.
SUBVERSIVE NOSTALGIA
A society in flux will always revert to an interest in the deconstruction of identity to define who is what in the world—a sentimentality for what has been. A new paradox in fashion has arisen that superimposes innovative fashion technologies, such as Web3 and AI integration, against a longing for brand heritage and vintage revival. SS24 continues this theme with a lust for old age epics: the tube top, asymmetric tailoring, and navel gazing. Drop waists are the most pertinent shape of this theme, seen across Gen-Z favorites Mowalola, Molly Goddard, KNWLS and Suprita Lele.
DON’T COME TO ME WITHOUT DRAMA
Subversive individualism infiltrates SS24 with a taste of theatrics as spectacles become center stage. Runway chooses to embrace imperfection by marrying the bigger with the better through ways of pattern, proportion, drape, layering, and, most notably, fringe. Marni’s cult New York following has created a space where nostalgic, cottage-core aesthetics embrace eccentricity, successfully amassing a celebrity book that has made the brand a concrete staple for western identity. Kiko Kostadinov holds these reigns in London, where the unconventional has become conventional cool. Look for stripes, bold patterns, and vibrant colors, notably the key color Radiant Red, all of which enable the definitive goal of this trend: to spark joy.
I AM A RICH MAN
The re-introduction of Phoebe Philo and her namesake brand has created a refreshed excitement for the niche, the eternal depth luxe tailoring delivers, and the raw edge it possesses. The restrained demeanor casual suiting represents has created a space for fashion to be scaled down and champion reticence. Easy dressing for SS24 arrives fully proofed with a focus on double breasted jackets, power suit shoulders, and a continued interest in Bermuda shorts, as seen at LOEWE and Dries Van Noten. Look to key colors Sky Blue and Jet Black for inspiration and The Row for an authoritative visual. Hints of lingerie dressing are seen with the use of blazer bralette styling, micro mini bottoms, and sheer layering.