Tailoring takes a sculptural turn for next fall. Arms are rounded, torsos are nipped, shoulders are draped and hips are molded. Fabrics with body are essential, often reinforced with padding, facing, plastic coatings or clever cuts. Simple menswear tweeds or plaids give ballast to these somewhat avant-garde shapes, making them more approachable.
Foil-finish silvers are the preferred metallic for next season. A straight skirt gets a visual flash with an ultra-shiny reflective surface. Crinkled foil coatings have a softer effect, as in a silver-dipped pea coat. Metallic panels juxtapose with stripes and solids for a surprising dose of futurism on an otherwise simple shift dress. A distressed silver coating takes 5-pocket jeans to the next level. Silver’s neutral quality makes it a perfect choice for footwear and accessories.
Patchwork, crochet, macramé, rough stitches and trailing threads are key signifiers of the maker movement, an aesthetic that is elevated on the runways with sleek silhouettes and witty exaggeration. Colorful bulky yarns are used for crafty sweaters, imperfect edging and fat embroideries; motifs suggest finger-painted scribbles or kindergarten florals.
The penchant for fringe and the lust for glitter come together in tinsel-like trim. Sparkling strips enliven fringe skirts or are used as an allover look to create intense texture. The festive strands — whether they are sequin-covered, metallic yarns or cut from Day-Glo plastic — work for everything from ironic Coco-inspired tweeds to smooth techno pieces. Most beguiling, perhaps, is the mysterious allure created when long tinsel peeks out from beneath a menswear suit. 
The padded scarf has been edging its way onto runways for a few years, but this season it seems to be taking hold. There are rich jacquard versions, floral prints, leopard patterns and reversible solids. Some take the shape of a shawl (like a tiny portable duvet) or a shawl-jacket hybrid. Embellishments include fringed edges, toggle drawstrings, or pyramid-shaped brass studs.
Stripes are coming in from all directions for next fall. Mitered placements and sharp angles elevate the pattern from the classic to the unconventional. Uneven spacing, varied widths and vivid color provide more newness, as do textural stitches and head-to-toe styling — right down to the striped tights.
PROPHESY/PROOF: Sometimes an influence continues to evolve for several seasons. Such is the case with the Victorian looks coming down the runways, a look identified in our Spring 18 Trend Tale called Antiqk. High necklines, delicate ruffles, floral upholstery fabrics and black ribbon ties still look right. Newness arrives in the form of spider-webby crochet insets and romanticized running suits where lace appliqués take the place of active stripes.
It was fitting that the Queen, with her famous love of scarves, was in the front row at Richard Quinn’s show. Quinn, the first recipient of Her Majesty’s British Design Award, seemed to use scarves as a starting point for his mix of florals and baroque curlicues; most of these madcap ensembles were complete with a silk square tied under the chin, babushka-style. Several other designers used scarves as accessories or as design elements — like a flowing panel on a tailored shirt or border-printed pajama sets.
Stripes are coming in from all directions for next fall. Mitered placements and sharp angles elevate the pattern from the classic to the unconventional. Uneven spacing, varied widths and vivid color provide more newness, as do textural stitches and head-to-toe styling — right down to the striped tights.
Fur trim is no longer just for outerwear. As seen in the current Norman Norell exhibit at The Museum at FIT, the plush detail adds a sense of luxury to suits, blazers, sweaters and woven tops. The fur can be real or faux and is seen in natural tones or dyed pastels. Extra-deep fur cuffs look new, but designers also use it to encircle a pullover’s entire forearm or apply it in sections along the sleeve.
