British Vogue March 2020

As you might imagine… a question I am often asked is, “What is the big trend this season?” It won’t surprise you to know that not every season of late has provided a distinct answer. Not that you won’t find an ocean of ideas, of course. In this era of too much instant gratification, no one is lacking options of what to wear. But sometimes you do rather long for some good, old-fashioned big trends. You are in luck. When it came to preparing this, our lead spring fashion issue of 2020, my editors and I were spoilt for choice. After the spring/summer shows, we reconvened at our offices in London, all struck by the same standout elements: thoughtful minimalism, delicious denim, remixed trenches and the timeless power of tailoring. So many…

COMPILED BY TIMOTHY HARRISON. ZOE GHERTNER; BEN HASSETT; PAOLO ROVERSI; JOHAN SANDBERG; JENNIE SCOTT; @IRINASHAYK…

PARIS “There was a silent disco at the Lanvin show. We’d forget we had on headphones, and the team would turn to each other and say things like, ‘Great bag!’ But quite loudly.” Laura Ingham, fashion market director “I arrived in Paris and jumped straight into a taxi to Celine. Steinberg (right) stomped down the catwalk in her embellished dress and stole the show. Black bob, black boots… Stunning.” Venetia Scott, contributing fashion director LONDON “Bulgari Hotel’s outstanding spa (right) is my secret weapon when London Fashion Week gets hectic. I can’t wait to try its latest experiential treatment, the 90-minute Stress Melting Ritual, which features Kloris natural CBD balm with aromatherapy oil and hot stones.” Rosie Vogel-Eades, fashion bookings director “Breathtaking is a phrase too often used in this industry – but Noir Kei Ninomiya’s show…

“Cinch this wear-anywhere dress with a horse-bit belt, and team with bourgeois boots or cork platforms”SARAH HARRIS DEPUTY EDITOR & FASHION FEATURES DIRECTOR HAIR: SHIORI TAKAHASHI. MAKE-UP: LAURA DOMINIQUE. NAILS: ZARRA CELIK. SET DESIGN: AFRA ZAMARA. MODELS: AGI AKUR, MALAIKA HOLMEN, ISABEL JONES, FUYAO LI, KARLY LOYCE. JASON LLOYD-EVANS; MITCHELL SAMS; PIXELATE.BIZ…

Something was up at Valentino. Within seconds of the spring/summer 2020 show opening, it was clear to the assembled fashion press that Pierpaolo Piccioli, famously a wizard with colour, was feeling, well, off colour. Specifically: he was feeling white. Twelve pristine, ultra-feminine variations on a white cotton shirt opened the show – a palate-cleansing gesture from Piccioli, who said he wanted to infuse the white shirt with “a couture sensibility” – and just like that, pale was interesting again. Elsewhere, the consensus was clear: white for spring isn’t diaphanous or virginal. It has poise. At Loewe, it’s executed with charm, with the finest lace and embroidery. At Proenza Schouler, it comes in clever swathes over the body to create a sexy, cut-out-riddled silhouette. And at Helmut Lang, it had a…

ALEXACHUNG’S FIRST Barbour collection saw the designer take personal memories of the storied label and run with them to create a considered edit that modernised the classic country wear for the city. For spring/summer 2020, Chung, who is now a regular in the 125-year-old company’s South Shields headquarters, started to experiment within her honed Barbour vision. New fabrications and colourways have been developed; interior materials are transformed into exteriors and jackets are cropped to reflect Chung’s personal style. “This collection marries British heritage with contemporary living – classic, durable, irreverent but respectful,” Chung tells Vogue of the 14 pieces of outerwear and a shirt on sale now. “We are looking back but moving forward. Not literally, as you’d probably fall over.” A highlight of AlexaChung’s contemporary take on Barbour’s utility pieces…