Your Recap of London and Milan Fashion Weeks

Images courtesy of Getty Images, Imaxtree, Vogue Runway
As we near the end of Fashion Month, the trends hitting our Instagram feed just keep on coming. While London and Milan may neighbor each other on the fashion calendar, the two cities present very different kinds of designers. London has more of a upstart, rebellious feel to it, while Milan brings the heritage houses that have historically defined European fashion. Today we're recapping some of the top trends we spotted coming off both London's and Milan's runways. (Scroll to see the full album!)
For the Love of the Perfect Coat
From left to right: Burberry, JW Anderson, Molly Goddard, Prada, Rejina Pyo
It's no surprise that some of the best coats come from London, what with the constant threat of rain hanging over its designers' heads. This year we saw updates on the classic trench and overcoat. But with coats, usually the simple updates are best as Molly Goaddard's perfect ruched-tied trench showed us.
Study in Contrasts
From left to right: Ashish, Gucci, Victoria Beckham, Versace, Emilia Wickstead, David Koma
Did you happen to catch the Emmy's over the weekend? If you did, you probably caught sight of this trend already. Whether contrasting red and pink, red and green, or even pink and orange, designers mashed up contrasting colors, well, complementarily. If you were more in the mood for a subtle touch of contrast, look no further than Victoria Beckham's rust-colored dress with a royal blue sash.
Neon Re-emerges
From left to right: Versace, Blumarine, Supriya Lele, Bottega Veneta
If you have decade whiplash, you're not alone. But guess what, it's the eighties again. At least according to some designers - particularly to several in Milan. From Versace's re-imagining of the Jungle collection (and J.Lo's walk down the runway that broke the internet) to Bottega Veneta's bright orange parka, you'll be seeing more neon - whether that's green, orange or pink - on the racks come spring.
Monochrome Dressing
From left to right: Giorgio Armani, Boss, Max Mara, Jil Sander, Fila
For those who favor looking less like a traffic cone, there was plenty of riffs on monochrome dressing. The monochromatic trend continues carried in themes from suiting to sportswear.
Sporty Spice
From left to right: House of Holland, Marques Almeida, Fila, Iceberg, Christopher Kane
Of course you couldn't miss sportswear on this year's runways in London and Milan. There was moto sports inspiration at Marques Almeida, body-hugging dresses at Fila, and sporty layers meant to seamlessly transition from the beach to the party at Iceberg.
Ruffled Effect
From left to right: Simone Rocha, Erdem, Christopher Kane, Victoria Beckham
London designers were besotted with the ruffle this season. There was the light touch of feminine ruffles on view at Victoria Beckham and then there was the maximalist Victorian-inspired ruffle accents from Simone Rocha and Erdem.
Denim Remixed
From left to right: Versace, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Alberta Ferretti, Peter Pilotto, MSGM
Denim may not always play a starring role on the runway but we saw enough this season to tell us we'll be seeing some new styles come next spring. In particular, we saw some washes that we haven't seen much of recently - almost verging on acid - at Versace and Peter Pilotto. And another trend to have on your radar - which shouldn't surprise us given the ongoing biker short trend - is the knee-length skinny fit denim short brought to us by MSGM.
Sheer Layers
From left to right: Gucci, No. 21, Fendi, Etro, Simone Rocha, Sportmax
Nothing says spring like sheer, delicate layers that graze the skin. Some designers offered up solid interpretations, while others went the printed route, but either way, sheer layered dresses are a versatile and welcome addition to our spring/summer wardrobes.
The Shoes Make the Outfit
From left to right: Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Marni, Halpern, Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta continues to wow with its shoes - and shows us the square toe trend will keep on going. We also couldn't take our eyes off the yummy pink loafer pumps at Fendi. Oh, and those wooden soled sandals at Marni? Delightful.
Bag Love
From left to right: Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Sportmax, Emporio Armani, Fendi, Missoni, Marni
Whether you're looking for a miniature or maximum-sized bag, there was something to choose from. Hands-free? Try Emporio Armani's necklace style pouch. Need to fit a costume change in there? Bottega Veneta, Burberry, and Sportmax had structured and freeform bags for living large.
Star Accessories
From left to right: Gucci, Prada, Prada, Roland Mouret, Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana
And of course, there's the rest of the accessories. Where to start? We loved Prada's hat, modeled by Gigi, and we're also betting that the sunglass chain, as interpreted by Gucci, is going to continue to be an accessory category to watch.
That wraps up our London and Milan runway recap - if you didn't get your copy of our New York Fashion Week editorial, get yours here!