Breaking Down the 15 Biggest Spring 2019 Fashion Trends
Just as we’re settling into the fall groove of checks and plaids, the Spring 2019 season has officially come to a close. And while there were a few overarching ideas to the season, there is truly a trend or a must-have item for everyone. One idea that seemed to resonate with many designers (and showgoers) was that of escapism. At Chloé, Loewe, and Paco Rabanne, the Spring 2019 girl has run off to Ibiza, where she is wearing patchwork textures and layers and using seashells and found objects as jewelry. It’s the type of girl who always packs a favorite crochet dress or tie-dye T-shirt that she will throw over her maillot before heading to the beach. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we’re seeing all-out ’80s, an idea rooted more in the city streets and Hollywood. Eighties acid-washed denim, especially at Proenza Schouler, has officially made its comeback, as have graphic-art prints, as seen at Louis Vuitton. Animal prints are still having a major moment, as are feathers and fringe, which first made a big splash last spring.
And while many are still lamenting the loss of Phoebe Philo’s Céline, many labels are stepping up to fill in the void. Great suiting appeared all over the runways, including at brands where we are used to seeing more feminine pieces. The classic trench, a signature for minimalists and Philo-philes, is still a runway mainstay, and we saw many clever iterations at Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry debut. But aside from a trench or a suit, the item to buy this spring is a pair of shorts. While many street-style stars got a head start on the bike-short revival we saw at Fendi, capri-length tailored shorts, as well as cargo shorts, are clearly the new skirt. For all of Spring 2019’s best fashion trends, scroll below.
1Escapism
(L-R) Sacai, Chloé, Altuzarra, Loewe, Paco Rabanne.
One of the overarching themes of the Spring 2019 collections is the idea of escapism. Traveling, exploration, and discovery all informed designers’ more bohemian approach to spring dressing. Mixing prints played into this idea, as well as touches of “found items,” whether it be seashells, macramé belts, or layered jewelry. One of the standout collections of this spring season, Paco Rabanne, led this trend with fellow Parisian label Chloé.
2Crochet
(L-R) Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Altuzarra, Chloé, Etro
Much of Spring 2019 fashion exudes a haute bohemian hippie feeling that we have not seen on the runway in some time. For example, look to an orange twinset from Wes Gordon’s debut collection at Carolina Herrera, Altuzarra’s laid-back crochet dressing, or Chloé’s sophisticated Balearic take on the trend.
3Tie-Dye
(L-R) Prada, Louis Vuitton, CALVINKLEIN 205W39NYC, Paco Rabanne, Stella McCartney
Another inescapable trend playing into the idea of escape was tie-dye. While the Chloé and Paco Rabanne girl is clearly vacationing in Ibiza, many designers have tapped into the California girl, including Prada and CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC. A more ‘70s hippie take on the trend was seen at Stella McCartney, where models wore pastel tie-dye tops with matching lace tap pants.
4Shorts
(L-R) Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Chloé, Hermès, Prada
Shorts are the new skirt. At Fendi, bike shorts were the short du jour, and many street-style stars were already jumping on the trend. At Prada and a number of other labels, shorts were tailored and seemed to make a good excuse to swap out pants with any suiting look.
5Surf’s Up
(L-R) Hermès, Chanel, CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC, Etro, Marine Serre
Sporty surf looks were prevalent throughout the season. Perhaps the most major runway moment was at up-and-coming designer Marine Serre’s show, where she created couturelike looks out of neoprene commonly used for wetsuits. Also picking up on this surf trend was CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC, with a scuba-inspired ensemble, and Etro, where the model even toted around a printed surfboard. The surf look was even given a luxe makeover by Hermès, where a neoprene swimsuit was layered under a chic leather skirt.
6Suiting
(L-R) Marine Serre, Dries Van Noten, Burberry, Loewe, Stella McCartney
Perhaps not the newest idea for Spring 2019, but a trend nonetheless. This season, at just about every major show, there was a suit in a neutral that almost acted as a palate cleanser. Unlike seasons of yore, which focused on masculine silhouettes, this season’s suits are decidedly more feminine in their tailoring.
7Trenchcoats
(L-R) Valentino, Givenchy, Dior, Fendi, Max Mara
Much like suiting, the trench is not going anywhere anytime soon. The closet staple got an update for spring especially at Burberry, where newly installed creative director Riccardo Tisci presented many variations on the classic coat. A favorite (and a much-Instagrammed version!) was a beige trench coated in pearls and feathers. At Max Mara, Givenchy, and Valentino, the classic coat also made an appearance.
8Feathers
(L-R) Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, Rochas
Feathers were a huge moment again for Spring 2019. While the trend appeared in a more refined way at Dries Van Noten, on the other end of the spectrum, Marc Jacobs offered up two over-the-top feather dresses that sent many hearts aflutter. At Valentino, feathers were on hats, shoes, and tops.
9Vintage Florals
(L-R) Michael Kors, Dries Van Noten, Carolina Herrera, Gucci, Miu Miu
While floral prints have become a spring-season mainstay, this time around, there is a prevalence of vintage-inspired blossoms and bold, colorful fabrics. Carolina Herrera and Michael Kors set the tone in New York with options in yellows and greens, and the trend continued straight through the last day in Paris at Miu Miu.
10’80s Denim
(L-R) Proenza Schouler, Chanel, Balenciaga, Christian Dior, Stella McCartney
The ‘80s have been back for quite a few seasons now, but there seems to be no stopping this trend. In past seasons, designers have referenced the decade’s big shoulders and glam hues. This season, many designers brought in acid-washed denim. The trend kicked off in New York, with Proenza Schouler sending out a bevy of almost whitewashed denim dresses, trousers, and jackets, and culminated in Paris, where Chanel, Dior, and Stella McCartney jumped on board.
11Animal Prints
(L-R) JW Anderson, Burberry, Ashley Williams, Gucci, Richard Quinn
Designers went big on all things animalia. For fall, we saw heavy coats and structured jackets in leopard spots and zebra stripes, but for spring, it is all in the unique animal-print details. We loved JW Anderson’s puff leopard-print sleeves and Richard Quinn’s excessive over-the-top take on spots, while Burberry’s mix of zebra on the top and spots on the bottom felt fun and fresh.
12Artsy Inspiration
(L-R) Marni, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Chanel, Vaquera
Fashion designers have often referenced art and artists through the years, and for Spring 2019, designers tapped into everything from futurism to Memphis design. At Marni, images were collaged and printed on draped dresses and coats. Most notably, at Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière channeled early ’90s geometric Memphis pattern on a number of his Spring runway looks.
13Pop Colors
(L-R) Valentino, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Stella McCartney, Versace
Rich colors appeared at Gucci, Versace, Valentino, and Marc Jacobs, with orange, green, and reds popping up in numerous runway collections. One can imagine many young starlets opting for beautiful dresses in poppy hues once red-carpet season kicks off later this year.
14Silver
(L-R) Celine, Louis Vuitton, Rodarte, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen
The metallic was hard to ignore and played to the more glamorous moments seen in a number of collections. Hollywood-inspired iterations of silver came down the runway at Givenchy and Alexander McQueen, and it is only a matter of time before we see those gowns on the red carpet. At Louis Vuitton, we saw a more modern take on the metallic, a cool girls’ version of a cocktail dress, complete with strong shoulders and bare legs.
15Fringe
(L-R) Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Balmain, Comme des Garçons, Jacquemus
Tapping into the ’80s feeling, fringe was prevalent throughout the Spring 2019 collections. In Milan, Giorgio Armani’s fringe jumpsuit came in ocean colors, and at Balmain, silver fringed party dresses ruled the runway. At Jacquemus, the navy beaded fringe dress felt right for a glamorous party in the south of France.
