**Maybe it's the threat of nuclear war, imminent Brexit or general malaise, but this season, designers at London Fashion Week seemed united in their desire to make us forget about the bad stuff and try to remember the good. Here are the five most optimistic trends of the spring/summer 2018 season. You're welcome. **
Pink
Whoever said millennial pink was over was premature to say the least. Look no further than London Fashion Week, where we’d wager almost half of the designers showed pieces in the most popular hue of the past 12 months. There were romantic rose ruffles at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and Erdem plus marabou feather and silk slips in candyfloss at Marques’ Almeida. Roksanda did it the grown-up way, with sumptuous pastel and fuchsia shades, while Peter Pilotto opted for highlighter pink teamed with other neon accents. Our favourite way to do it this season though? The saccharine pink coat worn by Hailey Baldwin at Topshop.
Ruffles
There was a romantic feeling in the air in London this season, with whimsical ruffles being a recurring motif. There were cool-girl ruffles at Christopher Kane, in the form of puckered, almost sea anemone-esque flourishes; over-sized, eighties-inspired ones at Marques’ Almeida; pretty waves cascading down lace column dresses at Erdem and girly frills at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and Simone Rocha.
Checks
Check was the only print you needed to know about this season, making a victorious comeback at Burberry and being spotted on every fashion editor on the front row. Aside from being a major talking point at aforementioned Burberry – who reclaimed their iconic house print big time with head-to-toe looks Daniella Westbrook would be proud of – there were also criss-crosses popping up at Marques’ Almedia, in both oversized black and white and tartan-esque green, red and blue; at Erdem, in the form of Fifties-era wool coats inspired by the Queen, and at Peter Pilotto, where they were sequinned and vibrant-hued. Check mate.
Sequins
Maybe it’s the current end-of-the-world climate, but designers seem to be bringing everything from their fun arsenal to spring/summer 2018, with sequins making a surprise appearance to cheer us up. Ashish, unsurprisingly, led the charge – from its opening look, which was a disco-inspired floor-length silver skirt, to the sheer dresses adorned with a hint of glitter that closed the show. Peter Pilotto showed check-print dresses in sequins, while Marques’ Almeida had a show-stopping red and black party dress. Mary Katrantzou, another sequin fan, showed rainbow-hued bubble dresses that were totally impractical but undeniably beautiful, while Molly Goddard’s all-singing, all-dancing girls fittingly wore sparkles, too. More is more, this season.
Fringing
Whether it was on Mary Katrantzou’s tassel-hemmed skirts or Roksanda’s swirls of excess fabric on jumpers and dresses, there was a definite texture trend afoot at London Fashion Week this season, and it was all about fringing. Christopher Kane showed tasselled earrings and booties, as well as textured skirts, while Erdem has one standout dress that shook its bold red fringing as the model walked down the runway. It was largely twenties art-deco in feel, rather than cowboy – which can only be a good thing.
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