Designers commanded the runway with the use of metallic cool tones, maximalist textiles and ballet-core during September’s spring/summer 2024 Fashion Month. Fashion Month takes place across four fashion capitals of the world: New York City, New York; London, England; Milan, Italy; and Paris, France. Fashion houses use this month to preview their latest collections for the upcoming season.

NEW YORK (SEPT. 7 – SEPT. 12) 

LaQuan Smith

Queens, New York, native LaQuan Smith got his start in fashion at the age of 21 after starting his self-titled brand. In 2013, the designer launched his company and quickly rose to stardom. Smith’s use of flamboyant textiles and detailing, helped garner the brand’s clientele of fashion icons, such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, to name a few. While still early in his career, Smith is one of the most impactful designers of the time.

Smith brought an electric party to the runway with the use of a heartstopping purple. Smith’s designs heavily utilized metals and leathers in the perfect mesh of day to night. The star of the show was Smith’s use of metallics to bring a bright design, even more to life. The designs walked a fine line of retro and futuristic. Smith’s collections continue to be a favorite for many to look forward to.

Christian Siriano 

Mentee of Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, Christian Siriano marks his name as one of the great designers of this season. Siriano launched his collection in 2008, showing whimsical evening designs and cocktail wear. Siriano’s perspective on fashion is appreciated within the period of fashion minimalism. 

Siriano’s collection is reflectant of the designer’s background in ballet. The collection has major balletcore influence with the presence of lace, tulle and ribbons scattering the Siriano show. However, the designer shied away from overwhelming the collection with powder pink and instead opted for a more harsh black and muted earth tones.

LONDON (SEPT. 15 – SEPT. 19) 

Richard Quinn

Richard Quinn’s popularity spawned from his exciting use of textiles and avant garde designs. Quinn established his label in 2016 and was quickly welcomed to higher fashion circles. Queen Elizabeth II gave the London based designer the royal seal of approval after she attended her first commercial runway show in 2018 for the designer’s collection. 

Quinn’s bold, eccentric pieces gave life to the runway. Quinn’s approach to the spring/summer collection took a different direction than most designers, using more maximalist prints. The designer also geared more into ambiguous silhouettes, opting to make the garments proportions more dramatized. The designer’s collection was a breath of fresh air in a sea of minimalism. 

Roksanda 

For over a decade since starting her brand, Serbian designer Roksanda has made the effort to push women-centered designs. Roksanda uses her background in architecture to feature pieces that reveal a woman’s personality. Through the use of color blocking, dramatized proportions and contemporary art, Rokasanda is presenting fashion in its raw form.

Roksanda’s bizarre use of proportions made the collection an automatic favorite. The bold use of this season’s colors of purple and lime added a captivating touch to each design. While the proportions were larger than life, the silhouettes of the pieces perfectly draped. Roksanda’s designs make you want to admire the pieces like artwork. 

MILAN (SEPT. 19 – SEPT. 25) 

Peter Do

After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2014, Vietnam born designer Peter Do went on to work under Céline and Derek Lam. Do’s collections specialize in heavy tailored and poised eveningwear. By 2018, Do went on to establish his self-titled brand in New York City. 

Peter Do’s collection focused on tailored, punctual pieces. The collection takes a bold masculine approach immediately grabbing attention with red patterned detailing sprinkled across the collection. The cut of the trousers stood out most with a flowy, low-rise tailored design. The collection stayed close to a neutral color palette only choosing to highlight the striking red color of the season.

The Attico

Italian based designers Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, push a hedonist mindset within their collections. The designs pull from the opposite personalities of the designers: bold and outward, while remaining calm and reserved. The designers aim for a modern vintage look to play on the brand’s name, pushing that fashion is cyclical.

The Attico takes the use of color to a new level with the introduction of a tranquil but vibrant blue in their collection. The Attico beautifully mixes color and design without washing out either. The use of crushed velvet fabric that resembles denim and the use of feathers to form mesh, keeps you looking for more of these impressive stylistic details. 

PARIS (SEPT. 25 – OCT. 3)

Alexander McQueen

The spring/summer 2024 collection was the last for Sarah Burton at the infamous fashion house, Alexander McQueen. Burton used the collection to say her final farewells and honor the female form. Burton has been at the head of the company since the founder Lee Alexander McQueen’s death in 2010. This season’s collection was an emotional departure for the brand. 

McQueen’s show offered an optical illusion of illustrious patterns and designs. The fashion house was able to show how to do maximalism correctly, in a bold and beautiful way. The ravenous red detailing was the star of the show, as it contrasted with the dark fabrics of many pieces. The show had a variety of minimalist and maximalist looks that reflected the versatility of the brand as a whole. 

Isabel Marant

In 1989, Isabel Marant launched her first brand “Twen” followed by her self-titled brand in 1998 and “Isabel Marant Etoile” in 2000. Marant’s style focuses on creating designs based on real women. Marant’s push to preserve the textile craft keeps her brand revolutionary.  

Isabel Marant’s collection offers a darker twist of fantasy and romance than what has been seen this season. The use of slouchy, masculine pieces, paired with short hot pants reflects the androgynous nature of this collection. Marant balances between bohemian, sexy and comfy in the most inclusive way, allowing for the pieces to define themselves. The Isabel Marant collection leaves you excited for what’s next for the fashion house.

This fashion month showed a resurgence of color and maximalism that has been missing in previous seasons. Be on the lookout for bold illustrious colors, rebellious metallics and lots of tailored leather for the upcoming spring/summer season.