London Fashion Week’s top trends embraced ruffles, comfy shoes and printmaxxing | Canada Voices

This year marked the 20th anniversary of Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette, and the French queen continues to be a source of inspiration for fashion designers, from the dominance of ruffles and lace, to voluminous silhouettes on the runway.

On the opposite end of the style spectrum, printmaxxing was everywhere. Shoes were cute and easy to walk in, and ballet influences continued to dominate.

Here are the top five trends that stood out.

Ruff edges

London is going through a ruffle phase. Francesca Lake, McQueen and H&M all approached the look differently, from large and regal to rebelliously narrow.

Lake used ruffs – an oversized collar that circled the model’s head like a garland – and ruffles, layered sumptuously on dresses. Seán McGirr articulated ruffles with defiance – as short, bulbous dresses with asymmetric shoulders and micro-minis paired with strictly tailored jackets. But perhaps the most wearable iteration of the trend appeared at Swedish retailer H&M’s much-hyped show, where dramatic ruffles adorned shirt collars and cuffs, trailed duster jackets’ lapels and wound tightly around capelettes.

Shoes that won’t kill your feet

After years of traipsing around town in bulbous trainers, it’s been challenging to find a shoe that is both comfortable and cute.

Mulberry gave us evidence that shoes can be both chic and wearable without compromising style. Designer Christopher Kane, debuting his collection for the heritage label, brought back loafers with the brand’s signature postman-lock detailing in several shades, from the more muted dove grey and oxblood to the super-fun orange and lemon.

Susan Fang’s collaboration with Crocs meant models could walk with ease. The shoes were embellished with tonal 3-D floral clusters that were delicate yet irreverent. At Ashley Williams, square-toed Mary Janes harked back to girlhood. Simone Rocha is a beacon of femininity, and her footwear is a reflection of that. This season, models walked the runway in flats: sandals adorned with rhinestones and slip-ons topped with the label’s signature bows.

Balletcore

Balletcore has been a buzzword for a few seasons, and in London, the fascination with ballet and dance in general continued.

Nowhere was this more notable than at Edeline Lee, whose collection was predicated on the parallels between ballet and fashion. In a literal interpretation of the trend, the designer sent ballerinas in tutus and pointe shoes down the runway.

Over at Agro Studio, large asymmetric tutus slung low on the hips gave the airy garment a punk makeover, while Erdem’s collection was a love letter to trapeze artist Barbette, who reigned in Paris in the 1920s and ’30s. The Canadian designer paid homage to the performer with feather detailing, lingerie-inspired pieces and visible bras worn with dresses with plunging V-necklines. Through Erdem’s romantic lens, the collection also gave a nod to ballet with gowns and floor-length coats that billowed from the waist.

Lace, lace baby

Many designers gravitated toward lace, which softened harder edges when paired with heavier fabrics. Yuhan Wang, an emerging London designer, added lace to almost every one of her 31 looks: pulled up to the knees as socks, as full-leg hosiery, peeking out from under running shorts and in dresses paired with gingham shorts. The collection exuded a girlish insolence that left guests buzzing.

McQueen took lace down a darker path, wrapping it across models’ mouths and draping it down their arms. Francesca Lake presented the material as a jumpsuit with a matching corset and in an unstructured jacket for men.

Printmaxxing

The Brits love a print, and after years of minimalism, colourful patterns and prints were seen in just about every direction.

Burberry teamed up with British textiles designer Celia Birtwell, adding a bit of whimsy with florals, curling vines and doodled faces embellished on pencil skirts, coats, kitten heels, knitwear and, of course, the brand’s iconic trench coats. Birtwell reimagined Burberry’s signature checks, softening the lines with painterly brushstrokes and adorning them with climbing flowers.

Canadian fashion designer Edeline Lee on perfection, ballet and building a London label

Blue and white florals found their way onto Joyce Bao’s sensual dresses, as well as into Susan Fang’s collection. A distorted and pixelated version on coats and pencil skirts was juxtaposed with a print of clean blue blooms.

Elsewhere, Indian label Lovebirds worked with block-printing artisans to reinterpret classic chintz blocks, which were then hand-painted to create this season’s distinct motifs. They covered outerwear and trousers as well as delicate tops, drop-waist dresses and skirts.