5 TRENDS FROM THE 2018 MW SHOWS

Fashion’s recent 90s obsession has taken us on a tour of the hip-hop clubs, warehouse raves and skate parks of the era we like to think of as ‘the one with all the Friends episodes’. But it’s a more prosaic pre-millennial location that’s the latest retro stop-off – the great British pub.

Dior Homme and Y/PROJECT’s shiny leather jackets and straight-leg, mid-washed denim practically reeked of the stale cigarette smoke and alcopop fug that characterised a UK pub back in the day. Meanwhile, Sunnei’s crew-cutted, baggy-jumpered models were only a pint of mid-strength domestic lager and their own pool cue in a little leather case away from going full regular at the Rose and Crown.

Designers have been doing the whole western thing for a few seasons now but, if the 2018 shows are anything to go by, the trend shows no signs of riding off into the sunset.

Haider Ackermann and Dries Van Noten gave smart wear a cowboy twang with silky button-throughs and polished black boots, while Dsquared2 and Palm Angels added a punky edge to the classic pearl-button shirt with cow-print yoke detailing and extra hardware.

Last time we checked (sorry), the menswear world’s pattern preference was for classic 'heritage' variants – your Prince of Wales checks, your windowpanes – subtle, traditional squares that evoke the 19th century. For 2018’s take, designers have turned their retro lens on a less celebrated checkered past – that of nans in the 1970s.

Marni’s homespun collection included duffle coats in picnic blanket patterns, while Prada featured the sort of brown-and-orange overcoat that looks more suited to shuffling to the shops pushing a tartan cart than strutting the gilded catwalks of Milan. Check it out – this winter, your checks should be big, colourful and just a little bit naff.

When it comes to curating a colour palette, the sartorially-blessed have been opting for vibrant shades recently. Gone are the days of dressing in sombre hues as soon as the temperature dips – this season, popping reds and bright yellows have enjoyed the limelight.

For 2018, it seems that the future’s still bright – in fact, the future’s clad in emergency orange. From standout ski jackets teamed with utilitarian accessories at Christopher Raeburn to oversized puffers in the colour adding to the ostentatious vibes at Versace, you better join the hype for the high-vis hue, stat.

Ah, the humble co-ord – a street-style favourite that has appeared time and time again over the past few menswear seasons. Appropriate no matter the weather, the tonally rich two-piece has been given a practical twist for 2018.

At MSGM, functional matching sets in earthy colours appeared on the runway styled with robust boots and oversized cross-body bags for a work-ready aesthetic with a wavy edge. Similarly, models skated around in pocket-heavy iterations at Boy By Band Of Outsiders.