Spring/Summer 2024 Trends
An interesting fact about the fashion industry is that it’s always two seasons ahead. We might be in the depths of winter, but retailers are stocking their spring/summer collections, and fashion houses are about to present their women’s ready-to-wear F/W 2024-2025! Sartorially speaking, they are living in the future.
Back to the present, this year’s spring/summer collections offer an exciting departure from last summer’s ‘clean girl’/minimalist aesthetic, which at times came across as austere. This year’s spring collection had an overarching theme of freedom and celebration of femininity, which was expressed by whimsical dresses, tassels, dresses with drapery, sheer fabrics, and an abundance of flowers – especially roses.
One aspect of last year’s aesthetic that has persisted is the high-rise, relaxed-fit trousers. Last year we saw these trousers styled with baggy white shirts or waistcoats; this summer, we are likely to see more sheer blouses or cold-shoulder knits. The theme of 90s minimalism has also stuck around. Though this summer it is towards a more grown-up sultry, and at times opulent version of 90s minimalism.
Here is a breakdown of the key trends for spring-summer 2024.
Colours
This season witnessed a departure from the traditional spring/summer palette, with the spotlight on muted and softer shades. The standout colours were: classic black and white, soft pastels, and understated muted tones. Additionally, vibrant reds in various shades, gold, and rich emerald tones made a notable appearance.
Fashion
Preppy
The preppy aesthetic has been floating around for the last few years in some variation or another. Traditionally, preppy meant dark varsity colours, traditional cuts, and old-fashioned fabrics – like corduroy and tweed. For spring/summer 2024, the genre has been given a makeover from its more conservative past. Miu Miu presented classic preppy pieces with an edgy twists: bold colors, distressed fabrics, and playful proportions. In other collections, rugby shirts were styled with sequin skirts, mesmerising floral trousers and blazers, or romantic soft puff skirts. Even the more traditional blazer-suit combo, made iconic by Cher Horowitz in Clueless, was given a youthful twist with electric pastel tones (Versace). A clear sartorial message, preppy can be fresh, interesting, and chic.
2. 90s Minimalism
It seems like we've been revisiting a different side of 90s fashion over the past five years, and this spring/summer, it's all about minimalism-again. But unlike the understated, almost practical minimalism of the 90s, the minimalist aesthetic for 2024 is all about embracing opulence. Could designers have caught wind of TikToks quiet luxury aesthetic? Minimalist opulence is enhanced by the richness of colour, as while many pieces stayed true to the muted soft colour palette of the genre, there were deeper, richer tones too, such as emerald, green, gold, and burgundy. Jewellery and belts were also cleverly used to add a touch of luxury, while the fabrics exuded opulence through thickness and drape.
If there was an award for styling minimalist pieces to exquisite taste, Saint Laurent would win. The collection mostly consisted of jumpsuits, a simple garment made high fashion by craftsmanship, accessories, and styling. At Fendi, Kim Jones used a De Stijl movement-inspired colour palette to create elegant minimalist pieces in eye-catching colours. One of the most striking features of the spring/summer collections was experimentation with different shapes and silhouettes. Leading this camp was Loewe, who presented pieces that were minimalist-inspired – but with a surreal twist in dimensions and proportions.
3.White Dresses
Many spring/summer collections were inspired by the theme of freedom, and what better symbol of sartorial freedom is there than an airy white dress? While the white cotton dress remains a timeless summer staple, this year's collections have reimagined it in a multitude of interesting styles, ranging from delicate sheers to detailed and intricately embroidered motifs that demand attention. Although often transparent and/or sheer, the effect of these dresses was not the sexualisation of the female form, but rather to convey purity, lightness, and femininity. This shift towards white highlights a move away from vibrant palettes typically seen in summer collections and falls in line with the rising prominence of minimalist fashion. From the ethereal silhouettes of Simone Rocha to the bold architectural forms of Victoria Beckham's collections, white serves as a blank canvas for diverse interpretations, and it is going to be prominent this summer.
4.Flower Power
Floral designs took centre stage in many of this season's spring/summer collections, showcasing prints, cut-out motifs, and appliqué details. Flowers are a staple in women's summer fashion, often symbolizing romance, whimsy, or delicacy. However, this year, designers embraced a bolder approach to the floral theme. Olivier Rousteing's Balmain show, for instance, featured a dizzying number of vibrant floral garments, including a standout coat made entirely from roses. Even whimsical floral details were given a bold and surreal facelift as seen in Undercover’s illuminated flower garden dresses and Simone Roche's use of real flowers.
Flowers with a surreal twist: Undercovers floral garden dress, and Simon Roche real flowers dress.
5.Movement
Get ready for a season filled with movement and playfulness as tassels and fringes make a stylish comeback. Beyond mere decoration, these dynamic details bring a sense of freedom, lightness, and motion to this season's collections (there is that common theme of freedom again). Leading the trend was Alberta Ferretti, showcasing flowing maxi dresses and delicate blouses adorned with cascading fringes. Prada channelled the spirit of 1920s flappers with tasselled dresses and skirts. In Paco Rabanne tassels were added to the brand's famous chain mail dress, and in Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton presented numerous pieces with fringe detail as well as metallic skirts crafted from lines of beads.
Caveat for the modest fashion enthusiasts
Spring/summer 2024 collections were not the most modest fashion-friendly. For starters, short shorts (the sartorial representation of anxiety) are expected to be popular. I cannot think of a single woman, who is not a supermodel, who will feel confident donning short shorts; but it has not deterred designers. Beyond that, there were a significant number of cutouts, cold shoulders, sheer outfits, and net fabrics, which of course are all non modest fashion friendly.
6.Cutouts
There was a strong preference for 3-dimensional fashion for spring/summer 2024. Valentino led the way with cut-out dresses, with ornate floral motif details. Stella McCartney went further to create cut-out jeans. Not the most modest fashion-friendly, but incredible craftsmanship, nonetheless. Many other fashion houses presented see-through pieces, made from sheer net-like fabric. On the more conservative side of cutouts, Fendi, Peter Do, and Tove presented pieces with a cold shoulder and/or slashed/cut-out fabric. Hermes presented sporty – cut-out dresses, with exposed midriff and cold shoulders.
How are these trends likely to appear in high street fashion? The motif dresses à la Valentino will be nearly impossible to replicate. But cold-shoulder tops and dresses, as well as midriff cut-out dresses, will likely be popular.
7. Trousers
Lastly, but by no means the least, the most modest fashion friendly piece from spring/summer 2024 – the high-rise trousers. We saw high-rise trousers that were formal and smart, as well as balloon shaped, and elevated combat style.
