Fashion Month Spring 2024 has come and gone. After four long weeks that saw several buzzed-about designer debuts and departures, a high-fashion heist targeting Balmain, a handful of runway crashers and a citywide bedbug infestation in perhaps the most prominent of the four fashion capitals (ick), it's time to reflect on what designers are saying about how we should all be dressing in six months' time. Or now because what is the fashion calendar?
Ahead, discover the seven biggest Spring 2024 trends to come out of the New York, London, Milan and Paris shows.
3-D Florals
The Spring 2024 collections had their share of traditional floral prints, but as has been true since the Spring 2023 season, designers are intent on taking the motif to new heights. We saw a host of those now-familiar origami-like rosettes at places like Blumarine, Simone Rocha and Balmain. Digging into the theme, Rocha stuffed actual long-stemmed pale pink roses inside sheer blouses, skirts and frocks. And at Balmain, where Olivier Rousteing's team was able to hastily remake about 70 percent of the 50 stolen pieces — we'll leave the math to you — patent red roses and others done in semitransparent recycled plastic sprouted from figure-hugging jackets, skirts, bodices and minidresses.
Micro Shorts
It's official. Spring 2024's must-have item will be a pair of seriously tiny shorts. Hats off to Miuccia Prada, who arguably started the micro bottoms trend with her Spring 2022 collection for Miu Miu. Some designers, including Tom Ford, Stella McCartney and Ferragamo, put forth more tailored, trouser-like cuts. Others (Acne Studios, Dries Van Noten, Benetton) propose we wear glorified underwear in public. As for styling, pair your "legwear" with a matching knit blouse or blazer for an untraditional take on suiting.
Deep Vs
Designers were also keen on 70s-style cleavage. Between the deep-cut dresses at Valentino, Giorgio Armani and Jil Sander, the strategically draped button-downs at Roberto Cavalli, Emilia Wickstead and MM6 Maison Margiela and the strong-shoulder blazers worn with naught underneath at Balmain, JW Anderson and more, plunging necklines made frequent appearances on the Spring 2024 runways. Get that double-stick tape ready.
Head-to-Toe Leather
Despite these being spring collections, sturdy, head-to-toe leather looks were surprisingly common. (Much like the PETA runway crashers at Coach, Burberry, Gucci and Hermes.) Labels like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Diesel and Rokh got inventive with the fabric, showing everything from 2000s-style bandanna tops paired with low-slung skirts (Miu Miu) to 80s power suits (Givenchy) to modern gladiator dresses (Isabel Marant).
Slouchy Shoulders
And now for a Spring 2024 runway trend that doesn't require the purchase of new clothes! Simply adjust one side of your top's neckline so it appears to have been shrugged off your shoulder and voilà, you're of-the-moment. This effect is especially easy to achieve with a cardigan or button-down a la Fendi and Christian Dior, respectively.
Fringe
Fringe was all over the Spring 2024 runways, but not in its usual iterations. (Well, for the most part since we did see some modernized flapper dresses at Alberta Ferretti and Tom Ford.) Instead, designers experimented with fabric and texture. At Bottega Veneta and Erdem, tufts of fringe ran across the pants and lapels of checked suits. At Gucci, Sabato De Sarno showed glittery, tinsel-lined skirts and outerwear. At Mugler, Casey Cadwallader presented floor-sweeping, fringe-adorned tuxedos. Spring 2024's fringe is more about thoughtful accents, less about Western wear tropes.
Sheer Layering
Spring 2024 is the season sheer went mainstream. Done in chiffon, gauze, lace, tulle and more, dresses, tops and pants that left nothing at all to the imagination popped up on virtually every runway. From a wearability standpoint, we suggest you follow the lead of Louis Vuitton, Issey Miyake and Cecilie Bahnsen and use translucent garments as layering tools rather than standalone pieces.
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