Clothing watchers have meticulously examined every starlet and front-row celebrity’s clothing in the hopes of absorbing their style secrets after a fortnight of runway shows.
But there’s one, really important, party whose personal style is typically unfairly neglected: the manufacturers themselves.
These designers, who are mostly women in their 50s and upwards, are the brains behind the airport looks that influence the High Street and have spent decades thoroughly developing their wardrobes to showcase their personal style, while flattering an older figure, from the colorful Miuccia Prada, the 74-year-old matriarch of contemporary European fashion, to the super- polished, 49, who also managed to make a pair of crutches look fashionable on the catwalk of.
We show you how to steal their high fashion secrets on a tight budget here.
Classic with a kooky twist: Miuccia Prada
‘I think many people have different characters in themselves: the feminine part and the masculine part, the gentle and the tough’, Miuccia has said. And this is the key to emulating her style: juxtaposition. Try pairing men’s shirts with bejewelled earrings with feminine dresses with penny loafers.
Appearing on the cover of Vogue last month, Prada wore a pillar box red silk coat over a citrine sweater, both from her first Prada collection, completing the look with thick- as- bicycle- chains gold necklaces. In a different way, she paired her suit skirt with stompy monk shoes, adding a little androgyny to it. Chinti & Parker has a sweater reduced to £76 ( harrods.com ) that’s just as zingy as Miuccia’s archival Prada one, while Baukjen has a recycled wool version of her red silk coat more appropriate for British climes ( £179, baukjen.com ).
Tasteful maximalism: Diane von Fürstenberg
The beige hue of “stealth wealth” is a welcome change thanks to DVF’s devotion to print. To emulate her style, look for intricate florals and geometric prints, and don’t be afraid of the odd splash of leopard.
(£32.99, zara.com) There is a floral shirt by Zara that appears to have been painted by Cezanne himself (£32.99). Tuck into Boden’s tomato- red pencil skirt ( £77, boden. co. uk ) for an unapologetically feminine DVF- inspired look. And don’t neglect her most iconic creation: the wrap dress, which she invented in 1974 and still wears on repeat at the age of 77. Hobbs has a geometric version that’s all kinds of Fürstenberg ( £99, hobbs.com ).
Polished poise: Victoria Beckham
When VB stepped out in Paris earlier this month wearing crutches, on one foot she was wearing a medical cast and on the other a pair of £860 Alaia heels, she demonstrated how committed she is to her ultra-polished personal style.
Tailored flares from her own brand are usually the 49- year- old’s shortcut to chic — floor- sweeping and immaculately cut, they exude’ 70s glamour. However, your next best bet is courtesy of Boden with a price tag of upwards of £500. Their Westbourne flares ( £80, boden. co. uk ) come in an array of colours in a flattering ponte fabric. Typically, VB wears her flares with a roll-neck in a clashing color, such as red with Cadbury purple and lime with lilac. Oh, and sunglasses that are the size that scream “my dad had a Rolls Royce.” Naturally.
Cool casual: Stella McCartney
Talk about putting the cool into Cool Britannia. The aesthetic of Stella is approachable and wearable, but it is also the epitome of aspirational and chic at the same time.
Her essentials? Tailoring, tailoring and more tailoring. See the power-shouldered, London bus-red blazer she wore to an art fair last October or the grey suit she wore for her Paris show last week.
And the golden rule of this tailoring? Four words: Size. Up. In. Everything. Reserved has a scarlet jacket (£69.99) and trousers (£39.99, reserved.com) that, in several sizes bigger than your usual (don’t hold back here), will give the perfect McCartney menswear- inspired silhouette.
By day, Stella, 52, makes her suits errand- running appropriate by pairing them with white trainers, by evening, stilettos reign supreme.
