Fall-Winter 2018 Fashion: Part 2 of our favourite seasonal looks

Last week, we delved the Part One of our favourite Fall-Winter 2018 fashion collections, ranging from Chanel to Givenchy. Below, we highlight seven more of our favourite collections from the world’s leading haute couture labels. Here, androgyny and chic asymmetrical cuts meet flamboyant neon hues and more, with a limitless array of wardrobe must-haves that are sure to suit every fashion-forward woman.

Gucci

Gucci’s latest looks are all about embracing the outré with a smorgasbord of visually striking colours, patterns and textures drawn from the contrasting cultures of the world. For creative director Alessandro Michele, it was a statement as to how people draw on their experiences to construct their self-identity. He says: “We are the Dr Frankenstein of our own lives.” The stark, almost disjointed nature of the haute couture on display – from the ethnic-inspired headdresses to the heavily brocaded overcoats – sees Michele’s vision brought to full fruition.

Hermès

The French haute couture label seemed determined to eschew all things indoors and embrace country life with its Fall-Winter 2018 collection. This more athletic inspiration was perfectly demonstrated in its sturdy pencil skirts, cigarette pants, fashionable yet durable layered overcoats and no-nonsense leather boots. Subtly sensuous shades of beige, brown and yellow are interwoven throughout the line, giving it an entirely sleek, mature tone. Hermès’s signature pyramid shape – after its iconic Hermès Watch – could be seen in the detailing of the studs and as a dress motif.

Loewe

As one might expect at the onset of cooler weather, the vast majority of Loewe’s upcoming collection is dominated by sturdy overcoats, tweed suits and extremity-cladding long dresses. But amidst more sombre offerings, creative designer Jonathan Anderson has thrown in a few surprisingly tongue-in-cheek flourishes. Take, for example, the white bra affixed to a sombre patterned gown, or the cut-out column dress held together by a tangle of colourful threads. The artistic melding of these two disparate styles perfectly demonstrates Anderson’s deft hand at creating playful yet functional apparel.

Louis Vuitton

In stark contrast to last season’s ostentatious, Baroque-inspired designs, Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière has railed against his own typical flamboyance and opted for a more downto- earth new look. However, his outfits all offer that little bit of eye-catching detail, be it the ’80s-style shoulders of a suit jacket or the intentionally jarring pairing of bright colours and a monochrome tweed. Ghesquière’s more contained collection, inspired by the French women who surrounded him while growing up, encapsulates the sophistication of the female entrepreneurial spirit.

Prada

Femininity, sexuality and empowerment were the central motifs of Prada’s Fall-Winter 2018 collection. As a protest against how women are expected to be vanilla by day yet seductive by night, Miuccia Prada has addressed “the constant struggle between femininity and being strong” by ramping up all things feminine to an almost violent extent. Silky dresses are paired with armour-like corsets, while unassuming pastel hues have transformed into blinding neon shades, paired liberally with unapologetically loud patterns, all reinforcing the notion that pretty and powerful can, indeed, be a perfect pairing.

Salvatore Ferragamo

There’s an unmistakably androgynous air to Ferragamo’s newest designs. The latest collection – the first with Paul Andrew as creative director – was created alongside the menswear line by designer Guillaume Meilland. “We started the entire process together. Everything we’ve done from the colour palette to the fabric selection – there was a guy and a girl there all the time,” says Andrew. Small wonder, then, that his models are draped in silhouette-hiding trenches, high-waisted baggy trousers and workmen’s boots. Even the leather handbags are in monochrome hues.

Versace

Donatella Versace has exiled the Baroque prints that dominated last season’s catwalks and welcomed in another, no less vibrant pattern to punctuate her Fall-Winter 2018 designs – the Scottish tartan. From cropped jackets and slinky dresses to voluminous skirts and stiletto shoewear, this classic Highlander motif graces almost every piece. There’s also a hint of the casual running throughout, with T-shirts emblazoned with the Versace logo peeking through, lending a laidback aura to the highbrow designs.

Text: Tenzing Thondup