The Biggest Trend This Spring? No Trends At All

Time to dismiss trends and dial up the joy for spring fashion, says Tiffanie Darke.

Fashion Is Going Trend-less This Spring

There’s a vibe shift going on in fashion, and it is calling time on trends. For the last few years TikTok’s infernal dominance of fashion has allowed the passage of information to move faster and faster, fuelling an ever-increasing trend cycle. Tomato Girl, Cottage Core, East Coast Grandma – these trends came and went in a flash, leaving just enough time for us to pour money into acquiring them, before we consigned them to the ‘irrelevant’ bin a few weeks later. Ugh.

Only now, fashion has eaten itself. The trends are moving too fast for any of us to keep up, resulting in a wholesale rejection. Instead, it’s all about the vibe: less about a specific product and more about your attitude to life. (See the Charli XCX BRAT movement, which fired the starting gun on this).

For spring, the vibe shift is for joy – and couldn’t we all do with a bit of that? As a counterpoint to ‘stealth luxe’, ‘foundational essentials’ or ‘evergreen dressing’, joy signals colour, print, frivolity and femininity. I am going all in for this. Our cues? Chemena Kamali’s modern bohemian nymphs at Chloé (those knickerbockers!) and the wildness of Phoebe Philo’s new Stephen Sprouse-inspired print. Out of the price league for most of us – so also look to Hayley Menzies, a designer who loves to celebrate life, as well as A Perfect Nomad, Hill House Vintage and LoveShackFancy for unashamed frippery.

(c) Anna Mason

If you’re looking for eveningwear, you must check out Annie’s Ibiza. Annie is a vintage dealer who also partners with independent designers and champions craftsmanship and ecological fashion. Oh, and her dresses are unbelievably sexy (a word that may yet trigger a whole new vibe shift).

Me, I’m in the mood for a day dress. The sobriety of the last few years has begun to depress me, so pass me something that turns heads. I have long admired the sculptural shapes of Anna Mason, (shoulders and sleeves, shoulders and sleeves), and I can confirm her back catalogue is thriving on eBay. Or check out O Pioneers, whose prairie chic, patchworking and knitwear is made in London from vintage Liberty fabrics, and knitted by the designers’ mums and friends.

Alternatively, of course, have a rummage through your own wardrobe. If you can locate an old dress you love the look of but feel the design is out of date, why not have it upcycled? Rework the sleeves; reimagine the skirt; turn it into a top and bottom? A jumpsuit even? New platform Loom will connect you with a designer to realise your dreams. And there’s so much joy in that.

Featured image: Chloé