Item of the Week news and archive

Item of the week: the sailor sweater

What it is: It seemed that for the AW24 season, designers were longing for the High Seas. This was mirrored in the influx of marine-esque designs that were donned on runways throughout the season, with sailor sweaters being a particular favourite among fashion week participants. Initially designed as a cold-weather layer for fishermen, the...

Fashion

Item of the week: the fluffy bag

What it is: In the realm of fun handbags, the fluffy bag is definitely one that stands out. It was also the ‘it’ bag of the autumn/winter 2024 season, seen in a slew of runway collections to complement – typically – varying takes on eveningwear. It must be noted that there was not one type of handbag design that had fluffy material incorporated...

Fashion

Item of the week: the shift dress

What it is: Back when it originated in the 1920s, the shift dress was considered a radical fashion piece for its ousting of more restrictive dress codes. Coco Chanel is often credited with being the mind behind the dress, having designed what is typically deemed the first of its kind, as seen in Vogue during 1926. The look regained popularity in...

Fashion

Item of the week: the patchwork denim jacket

What it is: In the era of upcycling, brands have taken to adopting the DIY look in designs of their own. One method the aesthetic has been translated into is through patchwork detailing, formed using contrasting materials that are layered or sewn together in an either haphazard or more geometric fashion. On the runway, such a technique had been...

Fashion

Item of the week: the bow dress

What it is: There is no denying that bows have had significant coverage as accessories in recent months, taking the internet and runways by storm as the go-to hair decoration. Yet, it appears that this decorative design has transcended the confines of an accessory to become a secured form of embellishment in the outerwear segment. For...

Fashion

Item of the week: the ruffle hem dress

What it is: Voluminous skirting was a big trend for autumn/winter 2024 collections, but none more so than ones with ruffled hemlines. Such a style was formulated through a variety of techniques, whether it be extreme layering or intricate gathering, they all came to a head in billowing shapes that exaggerated the lower half of a gown. These...

Fashion

Item of the week: the Fair Isle sweater

What it is: Geometric patterns are the defining mark of a Fair Isle sweater, a staple knitwear item that has made its way from the coast of 18th century Scotland to the runways of luxury designers. The sweater aptly takes its name from the Fair Isles, where it is believed that a fisherman began experimenting with the look firstly in the form of...

Fashion

Item of the week: the cowboy hat

What it is: If there was one accessory item that has been remarkably inescapable in the recent months, it has been none other than the cowboy hat. Its resurgence can be accredited to Beyoncé, who has adopted the headwear into her staple look ahead of the release of her newly released country album, Cowboy Carter. While there are lots of...

Fashion

Item of the week: the university sweater

What it is: The trend for preppy attire continued on the AW24 runway, building on its dominant presence that has kept it consistently relevant in recent years. One aspect among the many that defined the trend for this season was the university/college sweater, a staple to the preppy wardrobe that has become synonymous with many designer...

Fashion

Item of the week: the leather-look pants

What it is: A staple of the autumn/winter 2024 season is evidently the leather-look pants. They were so common on fashion week runways, in fact, that they extended beyond their typically attributed category of ‘edgy’ daywear to become both that and a piece of more formal attire by brands that experimented with more elevated iterations of the...

Fashion

Item of the week: the retro bikini

What it is: While we have not yet quite escaped the frosty winter months, this week’s item of the week is looking ahead in excited anticipation for summer, and is therefore diving into one of the top swimwear trends for the coming season – the retro bikini. It was the swimwear runways of SS24 that truly brought this bright and colourful style to...

Fashion

Item of the week: the flashy hairband

What it is: If there was one accessory that had a hold on designer collections for SS24, it was that of the flashy headband, so called for its eye-catching design and often glamorous demeanour. From over-the-top ribbons to intricately beaded tiara-like pieces, this stylish hair piece provided much-needed drama on various runways. As such, the...