With the main runways completed over the past week, the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival is in its final few days, so it’s time for a wrap-up on the main trends. From the runway to the street, Melbournians ditched their traditional all-black hipster attire to highlight the main styles we’ll be seeing this autumn/winter season.
Monochrome mania
The biggest trend on and off the runway revolved around singular colours – keeping it monochromatic, and switching up the look with different textures and tones. Bright, bold colours were the favourites – particularly warm tones like pinks and reds. Kudos to Scanlan Theodore for their all-hot-pink ensemble which makes capris look cool again; and blogger Fredrika Akander for smashing street style in her vivid orange Hope Stockholm ensemble.
Going with the Flow
Flowy silhouettes also dominated the runway – think gauzy fabrics, ruffled sleeves, and frilled hems. Ease into these relaxed silhouettes with a belt to cinch the look in at the waist. Special mention must go to newcomer Lucie Martyr who presented in the National Graduate Showcase, having just completed her Honours in Fashion Design at UTS in 2017 – her all-black ensemble, featuring a floral flowing coat and lace pants, ticked off pretty much every trend on this list, marking her as one to watch.
Power Suits Powering On
The good old power suit is a staple that will never go out of style. This year, brands and influencers switched it up with loose, boxy cuts; bright, colourful accents; and patterns – particularly pinstripe and plaid. We love National Graduate Showcase finalist Shaydn Gill’s modern take on menswear, with her oversized mint-green suit; Kaliver for seamlessly melding masculine and feminine elements with their baby pink tailored suit, complete with floral embroidery and bold blue accents; and Dom Bagnato for their sleek nod to marriage equality with their androgynous wedding suits.
Florals? For Autumn? Ground-breaking
Florals are clearly a favourite this season, as designers and influencers kept summer alive despite the cooler weather with bright, fun patterns. Floral prints were often combined with ruffles and flowing, asymmetric silhouettes to keep things interesting – as demonstrated effortlessly by Alice McCall with her signature dainty playfulness in a striking blue and pink flower-print playsuit; and a sheer, embroidered, bell-sleeved, asymmetrical blue-and-white dress which proved that less isn’t always more. Also notable was singer-songwriter Vera Blue, who was a vision of beauty in an elegant, silky long-sleeved gown by Erdem.
Feeling inspired yet? Take a hint from the pros and dive into these four trends to spice up your style for the upcoming season. Try centring your outfit around one colour in different shades or textures; opt for a looser, more relaxed silhouette; get preppy in a power suit; or just fish out your floral prints. If you’ve seen something you’re dying to get your hands on, you can shop the runway here: https://vamff.com.au/shoptherunway/
VAMFF runs from March 1-18. For more details, visit the website: https://vamff.com.au/
Credit: Lucas Dawson Photography for runway snaps.