The definitive round up of the Autumn/ Winter 2013/14 London style tribes.
Are we really at the mercy of the trends? Do we actually decide we can no longer live without neon blocking, nor be seen dead in anything but sandal flatforms? No matter how hard Christopher Kane is pushing that camo print next season, do many of us really drastically alter what we wear after each run of shows?
Fashion, for most, is a pick-‘n’-mix game of dabbling in particular trends depending on whether they complement our basic style (AKA tribal look). We venture from the tribe occasionally to hunt a snakeskin clutch, or sniff out a taupe fedora, but never wander too far from its main aesthetic. Fashion collections are aimed, too, at specific types of imaginary woman, and therefore not every trend is intended for us. Phew! Which style tribe are you, and which trends will you be wearing this coming season?
VINTAGE TRIBE
Your style icon is Bette Davis, you shop at Battersea car boot and your favourite night out is Itchy Feet. You, my dear, are the biggest fan of everything at least fifty years old, and pine for the days of Grease, Dior’s ‘New Look’ and when red lipstick reigned over nude for daylight hours.
This season you’re in heaven. Louis Vuitton sent some 1940s Hollywood thriller-worthy offerings down the catwalk, with silk negligees worn underneath classic oversized coats and accessorized with deep berry-coloured pouts.
The Prada show featured models with their equal share of drama. Artfully mussed rain-drenched hair, belted hourglass silhouettes, and that blue and white check print that you last saw on the primary school playground. Also Get Inspired By: Bottega Venetta and Burberry Prorsum.
Louis Vuitton
Prada
MINIMALIST TRIBE
All other tribes wonder why you go shopping each season since you always appear to look the same. However, you know that with the minimalist look it is all about subtlety adventurous materials, sharp cut and a range of hard-working separates. A bit like IKEA really. Maybe that’s why Acne, the mid-range minimalist trove, also hails from Sweden. In your book, less is always more. Modern architectural phenomenons of the London skyline provide your fashion references, while alternative fabrics, such as nude PVC, and colour blocking are all you need to make a statement.
Stella McCartney, always the chic purveyor of simplicity, revealed a collection of androgynous oversized coats, unfussy jumpsuits and muted wintry hues of charcoal grey and dark purple.
Queen of Minimalism, Phoebe Philo, worked her, as Vogue labelled it “fashion puristâ€, magic at Celine. Fluted midi-skirts and cleverly draped dresses provided a very put-together Parisian look – aside from racy flashes of thigh leather boots. Also Get Inspired By: 3.1 Phillip Lim and Jonathan Saunders.
Stella McCartney
Celine
KING’S ROAD TRIBE
You just love Hummingbird’s red velvet, you cannot wait to get hold of the new Mulberry Bayswater ‘zipped’, and darling are you going to Val d’Isere this winter? Life is one big Mahiki-whirlwind as you attempt to shake off your former Kate Middleton boarding-house look, and style yourself a tad more like edgy-sloane fashion stylist Phoebe Lettice-Thompson. SW7 may be your stomping ground and you only ever eat at Cecconi’s, but you get your hair done at Percy & Reed in east London, and want your fashion credentials appreciated.
The catwalks did not shy away from privileged looks this season. Emilio Pucci and Dolce & Gabbana opted for serious opulence. The former flaunted Mayfair-friendly short hemlines, Jean Shrimpton-style blunt fringes and drowned models in fur. Domenico and Stefano went that bit more regal, pioneering pea coats, lace and heavy embellishment. Also Get Inspired By: Giorgio Armani and Victoria by Victoria Beckham.
Emilio Pucci
Dolce & Gabbana
EASTERN TRIBE
East in this fashion game means Brick Lane and Dalston. You started listening to Marley when you were in the womb, and now show off your moves at XOYO and various warehouse raves. 1980s punk and Kate Moss circa 1993 are where you source your fashion ideas, as are record stores and Glastonbury. You have perfected your indie eyeliner flick and have ombréd your hair to death, yet looking grungily undone is the aim. Buy of the summer was the Topshop version of those Balenciaga cut-out boots to de-feminise things.
Cue Versace and Vivienne Westwood to step up to the rebellious mark. Donatella included punk references in the form of chains and zips, and dollops of yellow, throughout her collection. Vivienne appealed to the festival-loving crowd with a hippy/ tribal-inspired assortment of messy plaits, ethnic prints and an indulgent array of ‘homeless’ texture. Also Get Inspired By: Christopher Kane and Chanel.
Versace
Vivienne Westwood
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