In the year 1962, the TV show the Jetsons, predicted that by 2062 people would have access to flying cars. Now, in the year 2018, only 44 years away from 2062, we probably can’t quite imagine flying space shuttles so near in our future, however it may not be too far of a stretch based on the leaps made in technology since the Jetson’s first debuted. A few advances predicted in the show after all have come to life such as video chat, robots, and digital diaries. So what’s next? Fashion in itself is an industry that has undergone tremendous change, however with all this change adds an underlying feeling of nostalgia, which has been noticeable recently on the runways and in streetwear. Influential labels and designers have been giving odes to past trends and pulling from fashion house archives for inspiration, putting their own twists on old styles in order to modernize them for the men and women of today. With this in mind, here are some trends that will be dominating in 2018:
Asymmetry
It’s time to swap out bold colour palettes and get playful with hemlines. Ease your way into this style with a slightly angular peep toe heel, straight-leg high-low denim hems, one-sided off-the-shoulder tops, or uneven dress lengths. You could even go full throttle with asymmetrical earrings, colour blocking, or really amp up the style with ruffles, tassels, ruching or studs that appear on only one side of the garment.
Free The Nipple
Feminism on social media and across the globe seems to be a movement on many people’s mind right now. Lets hope this trend is here to stay and not just a fad of the moment. Part of this trend is re-establishing the power of the female body and how we perceive and sometimes objectify it. If a woman chooses to show her nipples as part of her own decision, why should we block this imagery on social media (cough cough Instagram)? Especially when the male equivalent is displayed freely without censorship across all social media channels.
Fringe
Fringe has been in and out of style for centuries! Starting in 3000BC Mesopotamia, to being used by Indigenous peoples in fabrics like leather and suede, and then becoming popular in the golden age of the 1920’s, to the rebellious age of the 50’s, 60’s, and even lasting until the 70’s, fringe has had a torrid history. And it is all the rage again! Designers like Jacquemus have incorporated it into evening dresses, party skirts, silk kimonos, blazers, you name it! You’ll be seeing the breezy, sway-in-the-wind detail all over your favourite department stores, which will probably also trickle down into stores like Forever 21, H&M, and Zara.
Plastic
What was once a cheap material used to help carry the school lunch your mom made you, is now one of the hottest fashion materials of the moment. Why do we kind of get a Yeezy/Vetements/Streetwear feel from this? One could argue that this is a perfect example of the trickle up theory where fashion from the streets ends up on the runways, and in the boutiques of high-fashion design houses. But we’d love to hear arguments otherwise, as I’m sure many trends can be seen as going either way. Because we all know, everything in fashion never comes from just one place. Right now we’re seeing plastic in thigh high boots and trench coats. It’s being used as layering pieces overtop cotton T-shirts, and made in thinner thicknesses for dresses. The idea that you can detach the plastic piece from a garment and layer it back on when you want to show off that extra bit of style, is a trend we’re very much digging.
1980’s
The 70’s are so last year! Now the 80’s are all the rage. Think shoulder pads, mini skirts, big earrings, fanny packs, slogan T’s, velour, and Reeboks. Whether you love it or hate it, you’re going to be seeing it everywhere. We’re loving the bright colours and positive vibes that come along with the nostalgia of 80’s fashion, but can we also talk about the music?! Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston. As JayZ would say: “can I get a whoop whoop?!”
To be honest, I think everyone was a little nervous about fashion month because of the political climate and the state of the world right now…but designers in their Spring Summer 2018 collections, and their stylish guests, reminded us that this is a time for optimism, positivity and expressing ourselves through art and creativity. Fashion week did not get our spirits down and instead we’re heading into 2018 with the mindset that we can seek happiness and empowerment in ourselves, even when the world is not completely in alignment. This is our year, so let’s make it a good one.
*Feature image by Naomi Brearley
