[ot-caption title=”Models wait backstage for the big show. (via Mainstream, Flickr)”]

Now that 2016 has begun, the fashion world is redefining itself. Although winter is coming to an end, fashion enthusiasts already have their minds on fall trends. The fashion seasons are set up in this seemingly illogical way so buyers can place their orders and receive them in time for the upcoming season. This year’s fashion week didn’t disappoint.  Many runway trends  were heavily inspired by menswear on account of the cold fall weather to come, while other collections remained very feminine.

The first category of designs seen were either modern or menswear-inspired, or a mix of both. At Altuzarra, the collection was rich due to dark and heavy patterns while still remaining fresh. Hardware was a main focal point actively seen throughout both Alexander Wang and Public School’s  collections. Alexander Wang’s collection was very wearable, a characteristic rarely seen on the fashion week runways. Contrasting with the extreme structural shape seen at several shows, Public School kept the shapes relaxed. A more sophisticated take on the upcoming season was seen at Victoria Beckham’s corset-filled show. She also incorporated an evolution of shape, most pertinent in her outerwear.

The next trends seen were all about very feminine and fun clothing. Diane Von Furstenberg counteracted any darkness or menswear seen throughout the week. Her collection consisted mostly of girl-friendly slip dresses, even featuring a girl-powered crew of models including Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Lily Aldridge. The key ideas were glitz and glamour, which she showed within the show itself. Instead of having a runway, she had all the models dance around in the clothing for the hour “experience,” as she described it.

Speaking of fun, Jeremy Scott presented a spacey cowgirl collection, complete with high heel rain boots and button down dresses. He explained his design philosophy saying, “That’s kind of my role in fashion, it’s to do something whimsical, something surreal, something playful, something fun.”

Michael Kors focused on the movement of his collection, as well as enforcing shorter cuts of skirts and pants. “Flirty and charming was kind of key,” the designer commented, “spring colors for winter, tweed with flowers; metallic for day, sweatshirts at night.” He created a hybrid of both seasons instead of emphasizing just one.

Another type of woman was showcased at Oscar de la Renta: the polished Parisienne. Olivia Munn, one of the attendees, summed up the collection perfectly saying, “what I loved is that you have these classic pieces that actually make you feel really pulled together and put together, but then it has this really cool modern flare that makes things feel a little bit edgier.”

Finally, a very Gothic approach was taken with three designers’ collections. At Thom Browne’s runway, the clothes were based off of mystical, 40’s inspired pieces. The twist is that the clothing pieces were mixed together so, for example, half a coat could be attached to a skirt. Even though some lighter pieces were seen at Rodarte, the collection felt gothic and the long gowns gave it a bridal feel. Marc Jacobs was the darkest of them all, from the makeup to shape. The designer himself claimed to draw inspiration from the film Beatle Juice; he also took elements of spring and darkened them in terms of the color palette.

We have yet to see which styles will reign supreme on the trend list: modern/menswear, feminine/polished, or gothic. In reality, a healthy mix of all these genres of fashion is what constitutes real style. Fashion is all about self-expression and style is all about applying that self-expression to a variety of pieces that push the envelope a little bit. In the words from one of today’s most prominent designers, Michale Kors: “How do you be stylish? You have to know yourself and you have to know how to break the rules, that’s what this is about.”

Source: Vogue’s Youtube Channel , Flickr