Spring fashion 2020: Swap florals for faux leather, neons and crochet

The Spring is in the hues - shades of tan and green. Bermuda shorts are back (but do them right or not at all). Desi collections are going bohemian, with fluid lines in pastel shades.

“Florals for spring!? Groundbreaking!”

A model walks the runway in a deep-green crochet dress during the Salvatore Ferragamo show at Milan Fashion Week.(Getty Images)

That was the sarcastic Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) in The Devil Wears Prada, 14 years ago. Priestly would be happy to know that, in 2020, the fashion world has moved significantly beyond (and away from) florals for spring.

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

Bermuda shorts can be tricky. Do them right or not at all. A simple thumb rule — Bermudas should end three to six inches above the knee. For the Indian spring, opt for dark blues, black or white, especially if you’re playing with a faux leather element — a sleeveless vest, for instance.

If you’re mixing colours, go all the way. Don’t mix bold colours with soft colours — it becomes visual confusion.

If you’re wearing either of the neon shades making headlines this spring — green and pink — opt for silhouettes that are clean and straight. The fewer frills and layers, the better, unless you’re Gemma Chan, who rocked a voluminous and layered gown in bright fuchsia. But that was also the Oscars red carpet. Your colleagues at work are unlikely to look kindly on such an experiment.

If you’re trying the coloured faux-leather trend, don’t do sleeves. It doesn’t work well, most of the time. Also, go with the fitted style; faux leather doesn’t look good when it’s flopping about.

With crochet dresses, watch the weave. If the pattern is too spaced out, it can take you from trendy to tacky without you even knowing it. The aim of the look should be breezy but not negligee-like.

(Courtesy David Abhraham and Vineet Chhatria)

Flowers persist in desi collections, but there are none in the 2020 lines elsewhere in the world. Instead, what you have are a lot of neons, an abundance of tan, and a rather baffling penchant for faux leather.

Bermuda shorts are back, and they’ve half-legged it onto runways not clear and global fashion influencers’ Instagram pages this spring.

If you really want to be on point, get a little of each: neons, tans, Bermudas and faux leather, and mix and match (but carefully). “Gone are the days of sticking to one style. Diversified prints and designs fused with varied silhouettes are what this season is about,” says Kavindra Mishra, managing director of the House of Anita Dongre. “The focus will be split between the palettes of bright and muted tones. Pastels, mid-tones, and bright colours are going to rule.”

BERMUDAS DONE RIGHT

Put those printed, wide-legged things down! The Bermudas for spring are trim, belted at the waist, ending just above the knee — these shorts made significant appearances at the New York and London Fashion Weeks last month, in ensembles by labels such as Tom Ford, Alberta Ferretti, and Celine. If you must have a print, tie-and dye ones are a good bet. Celine had colourful, hand-painted daisies on denim.

The trick to wearing Bermuda shorts and not looking like a poorly drawn cartoon character “is to team them with an anti-fit tunic or an oversized blazer in light-weight cotton or linen”, says designer David Abraham of the label, Abraham & Thakore.

NEONS ALL THE WAY

Every time you sigh with relief and think neons have finally retreated from runways and red carpets, they make a comeback. Actress Lupita Nyong’o, a reliable bellwether of fashion, made a red carpet appearance in a neon green Valentino gown in December. As it turns out, neon greens and pinks are the things to wear this spring. All through the awards season, stars from Charlize Theron to Rachel Brosnahan and Kristen Bell turned up in these colours.

“For everyday wear, pair a neon suit with a black blouse or contrasting belt. A fitted, brightly coloured dress or even just a hint of neon in jewellery will also brighten up any formal outfit,” says designer, Vineet Chhatria, of Advitiye.

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR

Designer Vineet Chhatria’s spring-summer collection is an ode to royal Rajput women, who wore blue on important occasions. (Advitiye)

Global design houses like Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Richard Quinn are experimenting with blues — also the Pantone colour of the year — in their spring collections. “The colour is versatile and suits almost all styles — Western, fusion or ethnic,” says Chhatria. His spring-summer collection is an ode to the royal Rajput women who wore blue on important occasions.

FAUX LEATHER 

It’s not just faux leather, it’s colourful faux leather that’s in this spring. Fashion houses from Alexander McQueen to Marni have put faux leather vests, dresses and fitted and flared skirts on the runway in vibrant greens, lilacs, tangerines and reds.

As the Indian spring is much more hot and humid than the ones in Europe or the US, this is best considered a travelling-trunk trend. If you’re headed overseas, give it a shot.

CHIC CROCHET

Edgy crochet dresses are now a must-have. So are tiny crochet bra tops or long flowing shrugs. They’re light, breezy, add a touch of the personal or lend a boho feel to an ensemble. Labels like Salvatore Ferragamo had crochet dresses in vibrant colours like dark green in their show during the Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020. They are perfect for the Indian weather.

DESI VIBE

A Global Desi gharara jumpsuit with bohemian print and a touch of Ajrakh.

For desi brands, spring 2020 is about floral designs with a twist. Global Desi’s collection has gharara jumpsuits with bohemian prints and a touch of Ajrakh, in pastel shades of green, as well as in bright yellows and neon pinks.

“Combining Western and Indian trends is something that is here to stay, in the ethnic fashion industry,” says Mishra.