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The lexicon of the new season    

Find fashion week coverage overwhelming? Just want the top takeaways from the spring/summer 2019 shows? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Because we’ve put together a definitive guide – via a list of the key terms, pieces and styling titbits – to get you prepped and primed for the new season ahead. This is spring/summer ’19 according to Selfridges.

A
Accessories
Because it’s all about the details – especially for SS19.

Think big bows, silky hairchiefs styled à la Grace Kelly, suped-up headbands (Miuccia Prada showed 50 headbands with every one of her SS19 runway looks), and extra-elegant belt bags. 

Shop ladylike accessories

B
Beige
No longer the preserve of the retired generation; it’s the colour of the season.    

“The dominant hue came in an assortment of tantalising tones (caramel, latte, oatmeal, stony ground…) and tactile fabrics such as suede, silk and chiffon. Best worn head-to-toe, look to the likes of Burberry and The Row (the masters of pared-back neutrals) for your inspo,” explains Lydia King, our Womenswear Buying Director.    

C
Céline Celine
The most-talked about show of the season.

Hedi Slimane’s controversial debut collection caused some fashion fans to label it “narcissistic”. But Slimane defiantly told ‘Le Figaro’: “We don’t enter a fashion house to imitate our predecessor, much less to take over the essence of their work, their codes and elements of language…” All we can say is: watch this space…

D
Designer
The vision – of one or many. 

The one to watch from SS19? “Julien Dossena at Paco Rabanne is really coming into his own,” explains our Fashion Director Nabil Aliffi. “Reimagining Paco Rabanne’s golden age with all the chainmail dresses feels current again, and his vision of a romantic Indian summer is a nice response to the house’s typically sexier approach.”

Shop Paco Rabanne

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D
Designer
Increasingly hard to define – classic crafter, image maker, collaborator, multi-disciplined demigod… 

The one to watch from SS19? “Julien Dossena at Paco Rabanne is really coming into his own,” explains our Fashion Director, Nabil Aliffi. “Reimagining Paco Rabanne’s golden age with all the chainmail dresses feels current again, and his vision of a romantic Indian summer is a nice response to the house’s typically sexier approach.”

Shop Paco Rabanne

K
Key
The pieces that will be all over your Instagram feed quicker than you can say “I want them”.

Womenswear Buying Director Lydia King explains: “Neon yellow-green hues were given a sophisticated edge this season, with the likes of Prada, Balenciaga, Off-White and Christopher Kane adding them to gowns, ruched dresses and silk shirts." Her styling tip? "Go head to toe with the highlighter hues or add simple fluoro flashes to this season's utility separates.”

Shop new in

M
Music
When the soundtracks are as good as the shows – or better.

Our highlight: Cara Delevingne lip-syncing Prince’s “When Doves Cry” as she walked the catwalk at Balmain.

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N
Nineties
The Britpop, grunge and rave era is back (again).

This season’s favourite throwbacks? Cycling shorts (yes, they’re not going away), zesty tie dye, and wide, straight-cut denim. Now for those Spice Girls tickets…

Shop the Nineties

O
Overheard
The chat from fashion week. 

A top blogger was seen quietly sobbing in the second row at a top show in Paris because her feet hurt – apparently, she’d been gifted two left shoes by the designer but felt she had to not wear her pro-bono look so made her entrance with two left feet! 

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P
Prairie
Circa 1800s Midwest dresses – ie: high neckline, floor length, and a whole lot of saloon-worthy swagger.

Fanciful frocks are big news for SS19 – and suit just about anyone. Our tip? Watch ‘Westworld’ for inspo.

Go West

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S
Styling
Tips and tricks to steal from the street-style folk.

TBC,

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T
Transparent
An Insta bags trend that’s clearly going nowhere.

They were the most conspicuous carryalls at the spring/summer shows. The best bit? They’re wipe-clean, affordable and come in multiple colourways. Our advice: remember to clear out those old receipts and empty wrappers… 

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U
Unforgettable
When something sticks in your mind long after the event – for all the right reasons. 

For Nabil, this was Balenciaga “Balenciaga’s LED light tunnel felt otherworldly. And the assault on the senses of such brazen use of technology feels like such an apt metaphor for how we interact with technology today.” For Lydia, it was: TBC    

Shop the standout collections

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X
XXL
Because fashion loves extremes.

Designers were thinking big this season – cue that Jacquemus oversized straw bag (seen all over Instagram and coming soon to Selfridges), Victorian-meets-Dynasty puffy sleeves and monster sun shields. One word: MEGA.

Think big

Shop new-in womenswear