London Fashion Week Trend: RUFFLES

LONDON FASHION WEEK SS 2018

THE description of a ruffle as an ornamental frill first entered common parlance in 1707. Prior to that, “ruffle” meant "to disturb the smoothness of", perhaps from the low German “ruffelen”, meaning to wrinkle or curl. The spring catwalks are cascading with ruffles and it's neat to think that perhaps it's an antidote to all the smooth, languid silks and long, lean silhouettes we enjoyed last season. After all, as Balenciaga said, "a ruffle must be intelligent".

“The past few seasons of Balenciaga has seen the clothing become a bit more refined and a bit less extreme. The first season was a tough sell as the shapes were so overboard they scared the customer. But lately there’s been a rise in pieces that have the Vetements-spirit with an added sense of luxury.

Demna Gvasalia new designer at Balenciaga

At Preen they were certainly flattering, not to mention fluttering, imbuing shoulders, waists and shins with an waifishness that rendered the already airy models sylph-like. At Simone Rocha, the designer subverted their childlike associations via an ominous soundtrack and satirical proportions - "my aesthetic is a little bit 'off'," she told Vogue. Meanwhile at Erdem, king of the waterfall ruffle, they felt courtlier, given the numerous references in the show to Queen Elizabeth II splashed in amongst jazz and Billie Holiday. And atMarques'Almeida they just felt cool.

Marques' Almeida

Zimmerman Ruffles and whisper-thin dresses have long been Nicky and Simone Zimmermann’s strong suit—the fact that both are having a moment in the sun is good news for the designer. (As is the fact that Beyoncé wore one of her ruffled looks in her “Formation” video earlier this year.) For Resort, Zimmermann continued to riff on the style signatures that made her name, sending out deshabillé dresses in sun-bleached hues. Some of the more romantic options came in dusty floral patterns, but the real heroes were two short-sleeved white numbers, one in cotton organdy, the other in French chantilly lace, that are perfectly lovely. also tried her hand at board shorts but with flared hems, ruffles, and slits at the thigh. The white crochet dresses felt fresh and well-balanced within the collection, as did the simple, striped knitwear. The belted white trousers and gauzy button-down shirt combination was also quite lovely. 

Zimmerman Spring Summer Ready to Wear Collection

You can always count on Nicky Zimmermann to deliver a beautiful, feminine lineup, and spring was no exception. “This time, I wanted it to be light and sunny, which to me, is very Australian,” she said backstage. Photographs of her parents’ honeymoon on Queensland’s Gold Coast and the energy of that time inspired the color palette and vibe of the collection. “There are amazing white sands and blue waters there, but it’s not about the beach; rather it’s more about the freshness of that time.” This all translated into vibrant floral prints on white backgrounds in everything from purple and aqua to citrus and pink combos — done in either super short or long flirtatious dresses with puff sleeves and her signature nips and details. Elsewhere, Zimmermann provided clean slate moments via white linen looks such as a button-down shirt and matching trousers and an engineered lace dresses with graphic appliqués. “We experimented with the appliqués and French knots — it’s all done by hand — it’s a bit bolder and heavier rather than delicate but still pretty,” she explained.