Coolest Trends From NYFW SS17

Top 5 Shows

Marc Jacobs

This season the revered designer made a major misstep, by sending out models (who were mostly all-white) in ugly, coloured dreadlocks and received the expected social media outrage. Setting that aside, his show was one big 80s rave party. Sparkle, American patriotism and quriky, OTT layering are a staple of any Marc Jacobs show. This time, he combined them with satin, rainbow colours, denim, camouflage prints, neon stripes and lots of jackets, bringing the 80s theme full circle. There were also some lovely pieces with artist Julie Verhoeven’s illustrations.

Alexander Wang

By now we all know that Wang’s shows capture the spirit of the zeitgeist like no other. We also know that he makes clothes that sell and he makes them for the cool kids, the hip, subversive ones – like himself. Along with being so of-the-moment, this season was a throwback of sorts to the 90s and early 2000s, especially the surf culture of the time. Reflecting his Californian roots, the collection had a lot of neon, roomy shorts, deconstructed men’s suiting fabric, bra tops with straps around the waist and heaps of his trademark cool. His version of closing with a bang included sending his models down in all black, in t-shirts, hoodies, shorts and tracks from his collaboration with Adidas.

Proenza Schouler

A lot of the Proenza collection this season nodded back to their own previous collections. Their usual strengths like impeccable handcrafts, interesting knits and leather work were present, along with the ruffles, pleats and cutouts of the last few seasons. A refreshing addition this season was the use of bright, primary colours. Everything from the colourful clingy knits, the dresses with knotty peepholes, the metal earrings, the woven leather dresses, the juxtaposition of different stripes to the sweaters with cheeky cut-outs worked just so — only enhanced by the styling.

Delpozo

Josep Font’s background in architecture shines in his clothes that are created a lot like couture pieces, even though they are ready-to-wear. As much works of art as clothes, his pieces are delicate and sharp, and his influences are varied. he is a master architect of fabric, sculpting beautiful swathes of fabric in bright colours. His silhouettes and textures may be dramatic, but it is a controlled drama. We love the metallic floral jacquard and the mesh-like texture used this season. The shoulder-grazing earrings were a special touch that tied the looks together.

Altuzarra

Joseph Altuzarra’s collection was everything spring should be and feels like (this is in cities that have a spring season, of course). The clothes were colourful, pretty and flirty with healthy doses of sexy. Prints included bright lemons, pineapples and other fruits. There were stripes, cute bralets, ruffle-edged dresses, floral pencil skirts and clingy knits. The colour palettes was refreshing and the optimism infectious.

10 trends to try now

1. Cut-outs

From left to right: Proenza Schouler, Tibi, Cushnie Et Ochs, Dion Lee, Sally LaPointe

Cut-outs were seen in many forms on the runway. The reign of the cold shoulder continues, with some designers like Sally LaPointe and Alexander Wang exposing both shoulders, while those like Tibi went with a single shoulder cut-out. The slashes and rips at Cushnie Et Ochs and Dion Lee were seamlessly sexy and sophisticated, leaning more toward formal looks, while Proenza Schouler’s knotty peepholes were more innovative and cheeky. We especially can’t wait to DIY a heart-shaped cut-out in our sweaters, a la Proenza.

2. Deconstructed workwear

From left to right: Alexander Wang, Baja East, DKNY, Rosie Assoulin, Monse, Sies Marjan

This season, whether as a statement or not, designers took to re-appropriating shirting and suiting fabrics. While some like Hood by Air and DKNY had slightly grunge, futuristic and streetwear interpretations, Alexander Wang and Baja East’s versions had a more surfer luxe vibe. Yet others like Sies Marjan, Monse and Rosie Assoulin used fabrics typically associated with bankers to create beautiful dresses and separates that evoked anything but the boring boardroom.

3. Bra tops

From left to right: Alexander Wang, Altuzarra, Sally LaPointe, Gabriela Hearst, Tory Burch, Victoria Beckham

Come spring and bra tops will become as common as crop tops. Alexander Wang and Altuzarra had surfer-cool and pretty versions of the top respectively, with both being in-your-face sexy. If you don’t have the body of a supermodel or aren’t daring enough to try it any place other than the beach, wear the trend in its more subtle and chic avatar — under a blazer or jacket, like at Victoria Beckham or Gabriela Hearst. For a night on the town or daytime soiree, go for Tory Burch or Sally LaPointe’s more party-friendly pairings.

4. Wide leg trousers

From left to right: Brandon Maxwell, Creatures of Comfort, Tibi, J. Crew, DVF, Tome

If you, like us, are tired of the skinny fit, it’s time to celebrate! Wide leg trousers are the order of the day and your skin can breathe again. Whether it’s a loose white shirt or a full suit with a jacket, update any outfit by wearing it with a pair of wide-leg trousers. Have fun with frills and bright colours like J. Crew and Creatures of Comfort or go super luxe like Brandon Maxwell. Our favourite is the Diane von Furstenberg trouser with its fold-over waist and dramatic folded-up cuffs.

5. Khaki

From left to right: Public School, M Missoni, Carolina Herrera, Creatures of Comfort, J. Crew

Designers took a fancy to khaki this season, using the utilitarian fabric in fresh new ways. In fact, it was seen in almost all forms other than chinos. From the slouchy cool of Public School to M Missoni and Dion Lee’s more crisp suits, and from feminine dresses to evening gowns, khaki has proven itself to be more versatile than we had believed. Our favourite creation in this fabric is J. Crew’s layered and ruffled gown.

6. Ruffles

From left to right: Brock Collection, Tome, J. Crew, Rosie Assoulin, Zimmermann, Jonathan Simkhai

Ruffles have been around for a few seasons, and this season they continued to add interesting detail to outfits. From lining the edges of thigh-high slits on dresses and skirts as seen at Brock Collection and Jonathan Simkhai to creating flirty layers at Rosie Assoulin and J. Crew, ruffles are the way to channel your femininity – whether girly or sexy. Or both.

7. Sleeves

From left to right: DKNY, Lacoste, Tibi, Vera Wang, Prabal Gurung, Michael Kors

Dramatic sleeves were everywhere this NYFW. Most were between long and extra-long and others had cool slits. Tibi and Prabal Gurung used it to add an interesting dimension to luxurious suits and dinner jackets. While others like Hood by Air and DKNY showed ripped, grunge versions. Next season, prepare to do away with using your arms! They’ll either be cold or inaccessible.

8. Beach Stripes

From left to right: Altuzarra, Banana Republic, Rosie Assoulin, Adam Lippes, Rosie Assoulin

While stripes in general are almost always around, this season saw the rise of the kind that can be seen on beaches – from bath towels to canvas chairs. Not to mention the umbrella stripes seen at Rosie Assoulin. Just make sure they’re in bright, primary colours and remind you of a sandy vacation, and you’ll be set.

9. The white shirtdress

Slide 1 from left to right: Creatures of Comfort, DKNY, Alexander Wang, Hood by Air, Banana Republic
Slide 2 from left to right: Narciso Rodriguez, Prabal Gurung, Rag and Bone, Sies Marjan, Tome

Formal or subversive, feminine or androgynous — there was a white shirtdress for every kind of wearer. Some were asymmetrical and sleek, some were flowing and scalloped, some were crisp and sharply tailored and yet others were deconstructed and ripped. We can’t wait to slip into every version of the shirtdress we can lay our hands on, come summer.

10. Yellow

Slide 1 from left to right: Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon, Creatures of Comfort, 3.1 Phillip Lim
Slide 2 from left to right: Naeem Khan, Creatures of the Wind, Sies Marjan, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang

We know most people think yellow is a difficult colour to pull off and that it isn’t for everyone, but the SS17 collections proved otherwise. From sunshine yellow to a light limoncello, from neon to sherbet lemons and juicy mango, there was a shade of yellow for people of all ages, skin colours and dispositions (it is a cheery colour after all).

Catch all the hottest beauty looks from NYFW SS17, decoded exclusively for Verve, here.