The Spring/Summer 2024 Trends You Need To Know
Your guide to the trends defining the season.
From hero pieces to showstoppers, the spring/summer 2024 collections are a celebration of craft, sensuality and the many facets of female power.
Related article: 8 Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Trends To Shop Right Now
THE SCARLET LETTER
The spring/summer seasons are often awash in pastels and softer shades but this time around, designers are making a case for bold reds—a hue that lends itself to many interpretations. Sarah Burton’s final collection for Alexander McQueen was about feminine power, and one of the looks that best encapsulated that was a leather bustier moulded onto the body like armour, worn with a silky pencil skirt—all in red.
Related article: In Sarah Burton’s World, All Women Are Heroes
Of course, red is a signature colour for Valentino, and Pierpaolo Piccioli used it to make a t-shirt dress look as glamorous as a gown. At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry closed the show with a shift dress that was simple in silhouette, but absolutely striking in its lipstick-red shade.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME
One of the key messages this season is to not be afraid to take up space. Some of the most arresting looks were ones that have been puffed up, blown out and sculpted into larger-than-life silhouettes. Rick Owens continued his exploration of form, with last season’s doughnut shapes now rendered in pleated pastels. Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton riffed on Eighties eclecticism with billowing skirts and balloon sleeves. At Marni and JW Anderson, things took a more whimsical turn—Francesco Risso at the former sent out doll-like dresses with a 2D effect; Jonathan Anderson at the latter moulded clothes out of plasticine.
SHEER ECSTASY
In a departure from the sexed-up looks of the past few seasons, skin-baring the spring/summer 2024 way feels a lot softer—think sheer, gauzy dresses that are more romantic than erotic. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons sent out gossamer-light frocks with wisps that floated behind the models as they walked. At Givenchy, Matthew Williams played with the dichotomies of hard/soft and sheer/opaque, which made for a serene and sophisticated swansong collection; while at Alaïa, Pieter Mulier jolted his very ladylike looks with a touch of thong-baring kink.
ALL THE FEELS
Call it raging against the machine. At a time when AI and the unstoppable advances of technology are dominating cultural conversation, more designers than ever are championing craft—the kind of magic that one can only create with one’s hands. The runways were filled with rich embroideries, embellishments and textures that just begged to be touched. Leading the charge was Matthieu Blazy, who has pushed the Bottega Veneta artisans to new heights of craftsmanship since his arrival two years ago. This season, he took a more maximalist approach with pom-pom-embellished crochet dresses. Dries Van Noten elevated minimal silhouettes with lush surface textures, while Francesco Risso’s decoupage flower dresses at Marni had a charming sense of naivete.
VENT IT OUT
The graphic cut-outs that have popped up all over the spring/summer 2024 runways, in a way, owe a debt to Helmut Lang’s radical work in the Nineties, when he did minimalism laced with a subversive edge. In shades of black, slate, charcoal and stone, the new-season offerings perfectly balance sensuality with severity; concealing and revealing the body at the same time. Helmut Lang, the brand, is of course back in the headlines with a splashy debut by Peter Do, who carries over the aesthetic of perfect imperfection from his eponymous brand. Sometimes, a little hint of skin can make the biggest impact. See Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, who sliced asymmetrical sections out of her Hermès knitwear and leather dresses—giving her very sophisticated offering an air of sensuousness.
ONE PIECE WONDER
Go on and hang up the catsuit. This season, it’s the jumpsuit that is back in the spotlight. Unlike the disco-ready iterations from the recent past, these new versions are more classic and subtle—rooted in the utilitarianism of the jumpsuit’s military roots. Its biggest proponent is Anthony Vaccarello, who after seasons of churning out high-octane skin-tight evening dresses at Saint Laurent, shifted into a lower-key, more practical mood inspired by YSL’s 1967 safari suit. Workwear-inspired jumpsuits in khaki, tan and cream also showed up at Victoria Beckham, Elie Saab and Max Mara.
NEW JEANS
Denim has been a wardrobe mainstay for decades now and yet, the most inventive designers keep finding new ways to improve on this classic. One of the best in the game right now is Glenn Martens, who does dazzling things with denim at Diesel and Y/Project. At the latter, he wire-twisted it into new forms and tinted it red. Mugler’s Casey Cadwallader and Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton both sculpted their denims into alluring hourglass shapes, while Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli and Dries Van Noten cut theirs like fine tailoring.
LEGS FOR DAYS
Move over, miniskirt—it’s the season of the hot pants! The penchant for baring legs has not let up since that seminal Miu Miu collection, but this season, designers are switching things up with the shortest shorts. Some have even gone so far that their versions are bordering on briefs. One of them is, of course, Miuccia Prada. Her latest Miu Miu collection is a study on how the ordinary can be transformed when proportions and layers are remixed just the right way.
Hot pants also formed the core of Sabato De Sarno’s debut Gucci collection—worn with everything from tailored coats to hoodies, and immediately lending his vision of the brand a sleek, hyper-modern vibe distinct from his predecessor’s.