Throughout September and October, more than 300 spring-summer 2024 runway shows took place in London, Milan and Paris following New York’s shows. Affectionately known as “the big four,” the twice-yearly presentations in these cities gather buyers, influencers, celebrities and fashion fans to front rows and digital screens to see what’s new and what’s next.
While New York Fashion Week plays an outsized role in predicting what U.S. fashion brands are thinking about for obvious reasons, designers stopped sticking to their home turfs long ago. For example, New York-based Peter Do showed his debut collection for Helmut Lang in New York, but he made his Paris runway debut with his eponymous line. But the Helmut Lang brand was founded in Paris, spent a little time in Italy as a Prada-owned brand, and is currently owned by Japan’s Fast Retailing, which also owns Uniqlo.
Which is to say, borders have become increasingly blurry, and what happens in Europe doesn’t necessarily stay there. Looks from London, Paris and Milan can reach North American screens in seconds, and social media teams are heavily invested in driving digital buzz.
For spring 2024, the European runways showed over-the-top versions of the most wearable trends, which allowed stylist fans to be both bold and almost practical. Issey Miyake made this fall’s businesscore blazers comically oversized for spring, while strong shoulders just went up and up. Cowl necks rose to cover models’ faces at Rick Owens. At Loewe, trousers got so high rise they almost became tops, and cozy office sweaters became floor-sweeping capes.
While two new creative directors entered the fray — Sabato De Sarno at Gucci and Peter Hawkings at Tom Ford, it was the exits that were outsized, as two women left fashion’s building.
Sarah Burton bid farewell to Alexander McQueen after over two decades at the helm with a collection that was part retrospective and part exclamation point as Naomi Campbell walked in the final look of the show. At Chloé, departing designer Gabriela Hearst threw herself a ruffled farewell samba party.
Although luxury revenues are slumping, especially in the North American market, some of spring-summer’s best European trends suggest there may still be a little room left on the runway for a rebound.
Back in black
European designers went dark this spring, but their black clothes were far from basic. Black got stretched out at Rick Owens, oversized at Issey Miyake, and tailored into boiler suits and cargo pants at Saint Laurent. And at Balenciaga, creative director Demna sent reconstructed and upcycled black clothes down a red velvet runway.
Fringe elements
The runways looked Coachella-ready as fringe went long. At Burberry, it hung from collar to knee on dresses, and at Gucci it sparkled at the hem of otherwise sensible skirts. At Prada, strands become portable when attached to a belt. And at Paco Rabbane it was beaded, chained and attached to everything from tops and miniskirts to glittering balaclavas.
Polo Grounds
Whether tiny, elongated or popped, collared polo shirts were the top under everything. At Loewe, ombré and muted plaid versions peeped out of v-neck sweaters or got tucked into shorts, while at Y/Project, the collars got skewed, misbuttoned and deconstructed. Dries Van Noten showed a warped take on a polo-adjacent rugby top, and at Vivienne Westwood, her widower Andreas Kronthaler showed a stretched out version in a show designed to pay tribute to some of the iconic looks the pair created together. But the polo shirt of the season will probably be the logo version from Miu Miu, which also designed this year’s must-have cardigan.
Statement pieces
Say goodbye to quiet luxury and say hello to absolutely bonkers statement pieces that are anything but subtle. At Undercover, Jun Takahashi showed light-up terrarium dresses filled with live flowers and butterflies, while at Balmain, Olivier Rousteing showed floor-length coats covered in patent-leather roses despite having had the bulk of his collection stolen just days before the show. And at Schiaparelli, designer Daniel Roseberry added gold toes to Chuck Taylors, giant lobsters and crabs to necklines and crotches, and embroidered tape measures and cigarettes on top of spilled red nail polish, just for fun.
Road show
During the height of the pandemic, luxury benefitted from the lack of travel opportunities. Now that the world is opening up again, European designers are once again making new clothes for jetsetters. JW Anderson attached feathered wings to flight jackets, while Nicolas Ghesquière added a trompe l'œil camera handbag to one model’s neck for photo ops. Meanwhile Bottega Veneta brought back massive traveling bags alongside travel-friendly coats designed to keep scarves safely attached. And at Maison Margiela, designer John Galliano made his entire show travel-themed, with trench coats and corsets crumpled and creased and meant to evoke pieces unpacked after a transatlantic trip.
