The Exuberance of Summer
Pack away your winter warmers and their dark tones for summer is here with a whole new season of colour, texture and style. Making sure our style compass always points due north, we’ve sussed out the biggest trends of Spring/Summer 2016 – from the hottest styles to the coolest shades. All you need to do to sail smoothly through this summer is scroll down and take note!
Midsummer Wardrobe
From taking boho back to its 70s roots and sophisticating sportswear to making soft a lot more sensual, and functional a lot more fun, the season’s look-book has something for every bent of style.
Heralded as the biggest trend of not just the season but in 2016 as a whole, New Utility or, as we like to call it, Everyday Modern, is a call to combine fashion with function. Proudly embracing bright bursts of colour or bold prints and infusing them with functional, practical design, this trend runs strong across both sexes. It really is all about comfort as designers turn to easy-wear, soft materials to carry their rich, lustrous designs.
Vintage makes a strong comeback this season but with oodles of charm and sophistication in the emerging new trend, The Commune. Patchworks and florals are interwoven in warm tones and summery silhouettes as unusual combinations and lustrous textures take centre-stage.
Sporty chic is doused with a heavy helping of elegance this season as delicate lines and gold trims juxtapose themselves against kaleidoscope prints, clean cuts and irregular perforations. Colours get subtler as metallic finishes are more matted.
Tranquil shades of pastel grow out of their innocence this summer as sensuality dominates softer palettes. Across genders, pastel pink and salmon are made seductive through soft textures, fine perforations and silken effects. Clean lines and flowing silhouettes define the look.
Closet Colours
‘Nature’ emerges as a prominent theme in men’s wear this season and we couldn’t be happier as it blends in organically with our love of the great outdoors! There is nothing rustic about the tones, however, as shine and depth make each as luxurious as the last. Adventure seems to be the order of the day, but with a whole lot of rich lustre.
Women, on the other hand, reach out for pastels this summer and find them revamped with a cool, almost ethereal quality. It seems they have found the middle ground between soft and bright! There’s nothing subdued about pastels in 2016 as tactile surfaces dominate designer racks with 3D self-textures and crafty weaves. Metallic too finds itself peeking out from under the covers.
Touted as the new neutral, butterscotch is as versatile as it is fun. Easily replicated across trends and textures, this palette is both rich and bright, making it summery sophistication at its very best.
It’s dark, it’s deep and it’s luxuriant – Sienna Brown is all about understated opulence and luscious pastorals. From apparel to accessories, the shade brings the dynamism of deep red to dark soil brown and gives it a buttery finish.
Standing strong across past seasons, inky blue seems in no hurry to leave. It does, however, get a lot deeper and distressed in Vintage Indigo. Subtle fading and a desaturated appearance mean it has dissolved to an earthier shade that lends it a neutral quality that packs a punch.
A cool, refreshing overtone lifts pistachio green to a shade of mint that retains an earthy feel. In self-textures and summer cuts, Luminous Mint is best worn this season through tactile surfaces. It’s all about the freshness of youth with this palette!
Lending powdery lavender an ethereal quality with mirror finishes and futuristic styles, Cosmic Lavender is as bold as it is subtle. From Emporio Armani to Vera Wang and Iceberg, the palette is glossy, metallic and modern luxe – ideal for evening wear.
Carrying on from winter, Papaya is back as a summer must-have with brighter undertones and spicy hints. Layers, weave textures and shine play a big part in complimenting the mellow shade of orange featured most prominently in apparel. Accessories borrow from the deeper shades of this palette, highlighting through contrast.