I have finally finished editing the ready-to-wear shows, from my bed with a cup of tea, which I have to admit was a gargantuan task.

So what did I discover that will actually be helpful in our day-to-day lives?

The good news is that design houses must have been feeling the pinch because, in general, the shows were a lot more commercial and wearable, yet still very beautiful and creative.

As a follow-on from last week’s column, I discovered more trends that we will be happy to welcome into this coming spring/summer season in Australia, starting with …

1. Flats. Even Chanel sent out rubber thongs this season, decorated with a tiny CC. Valentino showed the most gorgeous evening gowns and mini dresses, all worn with flat sandals, and a sort of elegant Birkenstock that I predict will be on everybody’s wanted list. Miu Miu featured only a fabulous flat beach sandal and a Mary Jane shoe with tiny heel, which gave the collection a breezy summer feel. If heels were shown, they were mostly kitten-style (Gucci, Valentino) or mid-height mules (Bottega Veneta). I suspect that, especially post-COVID, we have become so used to house slippers and health sandals that it’s going to be very difficult to entice us back to super-high heels.
2. One fab beauty trend I noticed was a lot of great short haircuts, both curly and straight. I’d love to see the end of that long gothic Kardashian hair, and a good chop makes perfect sense as we head into the hotter months.
3. Fabulous eyewear. A lot of the brands took this opportunity to show spectacles (Chanel, Miu Miu) and sunglasses (Marni, Louis Vuitton, Gucci). Again, the trend was mostly chic, oversized cats-eye shapes or clear aviator, although things got more odd at Balenciaga with V-shaped drug dealer-style glasses, which we will probably see on the celebrity crowd further down the track.
4. Beautiful bags. Handbags seem to have become less gimmicky, with most houses sending out a variety of luscious, squishy soft bags in woven leather. One gimmick that did take my fancy was the tiny enamel bags on chains seen at Chanel, which actually doubled as very fabulous necklaces.
5. White. It’s certainly a refreshing change of pace from the Barbie pink that has dominated the landscape recently. There were white shirts (Dior), white cotton dresses (Alberta Ferretti), white cropped pea coats (Gucci, Valentino), white bags and shoes (Valentino) white pantsuits (and white dinner jackets – Proenza Schouler). Think of white as the answer to everything this summer, even the most formal of events (except, of course, if you’re invited to a wedding).
6. The natural look. it might be too early to call, but there could be a departure from the overly made up, plumped, contoured look that has dominated the beauty world. Many of the models appeared fresh-faced and sun-kissed, with freckles and tousled beach hair (Chanel). Even celebrity guest Pamela Anderson attended Paris Fashion Week completely fresh faced, make-up free and looking gorgeous. Here’s to a reality check.