Paris SS16 trends

After another season of anything goes on the catwalk, there were certainly trends which emerged from the Paris catwalks which resonated after the London and Milan shows.

To start, the Spring Summer 2016 collections shared the sulphuric colour palette from the AW15 season, with autumnal hues staying put. Warm shades, such as burnt orange, faded military green, terracotas and beige, all made an appearance, but the looks this season where all encompassing, with many designers featuring colours in full ensembles, such as Lanvin and Maharishi, and was seen previously at Dolce & Gabbana in Milan and Pringle of Scotland.

There were plenty of twenty-first-century references, namely the 1950s through the 1980s, in Paris this season as designers offer a modern-day approach to utility. Additionally, there was a loosening of silhouette, with designers reviving the 1980s New Wave and more sexy rock 'n' roll movements, as seen at Lanvin, Haider Ackerman and Saint Laurent.

The utility trend is here to stay

The utility trend was heavily featured, although this season it was about exaggerating detailing, such as at Balmain, or using more structured fabrics, as seen at Valentino and Wooyoungmi. There was less camouflage this season, but the pale military green shades kept it fresh and relevant.

Designers also looked to Asia for inspiration, with elegant robe collars and wrapped belts in black or white referencing the traditions of Japan. Stiffened compact textiles nod to the martial arts uniforms of karate and kung fu were also featured, as seen on the catwalks of Juun.J and Andrea Crews.

A new, roomier, silhouette emerges

There was notably a new silhouette in Paris, with designers playing with proportions and volume, but keeping the styling to a minimum. Drawing a multitude of references from oversized 1990s skater T-shirts to North African traditional clothing, the oversized looks felt contemprary and modern, as seen at Lanvin and Etudes Studio.

Sheer fabrics, traditionally lent to sportswear, was seen as an overlay. Organza voile and chiffon appear in sporty shapes blurring the line between active and casualwear, as seen at Givenchy and 3.1 Phillip Lim. Similarly, silk fabrics highlight this season's Asian trend, including the pyjama dressing style that has been running the past few seasons, as seen at Dries van Noten and Louis Vuitton. Another textile trend was crinkled fabric, shown by Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto and Julien David.

Denim is a mainstay staple for menswear, but in Paris it was a utility vibe that made it look cleaner and more industrial, rather than streetstyle. Lemaire, Valentino and Juun.J all had sophisticated raw denim looks.

If there was one print that summed up the Paris catwalks, it was an Eastern birds graphic, adorning souvenir jackets and suiting, either printed or embroidered, as seen at Louis Vuitton, Thom Browne, Valentino and Dries van Noten.