Haute Couture is meant to be totally unique; each piece must be special ordered and some take upwards of 6,000 hours to sew. But just because couture isn’t exactly every day wear, doesn’t mean we can’t glean some inspiration to pull into our own wardrobe. We sifted through the season to pull out five totally OTT trends from the Spring 2018 couture collections that you could totally pull off in real life.
Face-Obscuring Headgear
Eyes Wide Shut-style kinky masks appeared to be a potent influence. Dior, Gaultier and Viktor & Rolf delivered fabulous face-coverings worthy of a masquerade ball, while Iris van Herpen went full-on Halloween with her full-head covering mask. It seems like being discreet is very much in season.
Photography via Imaxtree
Chanel
Marabou Feathers
If you grew up in the ‘90s, then marabou feathers might remind you of the fluffy pink pen that Cher Horowitz used in Clueless. But this season, feathers are back in full force adorning Chanel’s cupcake-esque gown modelled by Kaia Gerber, as well as the unexpected “pimp hats” that graced the Valentino runway and more.
Photography via Imaxtree
Chanel
Country-Western
A little bit country, and a little bit rock and roll? The fringe details at Gaultier and Givenchy as well as the reinvented cowboy shirts at Dior and Ronald Van Der Kemp are perfect for the fashion-conscious gunslinger.
Photography via Imaxtree
Ronald Van Der Kemp
Trench Coats, Reinvented
The beige trench coat is often thought of as a classic wardrobe staple, but couture decided to subvert the trench into something strange and unexpected. Jean Paul Gaultier showed a warped, asymmetrical version of the trench coat, while A.F. Vandevorst show one made out of crinkly brown paper.
Photography via Imaxtree
Jean Paul Gaultier
Get Thee To A Nunnery!
Sex? Never heard of it! These gowns with body obscuring proportions by Alexis Mabille, Chanel, Valentino and more were made with modesty in mind. Whether it’s caftans, muumuus, or ginormous ruffles we’re fully behind this demure new look.
Photography via Imaxtree
Chanel
Isabel Slone is a fashion journalist and critic based in Toronto. She is author of the newsletter Freak Palace.
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