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Paris is a marathon of a fashion week. It is nine days of some of the biggest, most respected names in the industry including Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga, Balmain, Lanvin, Dior, Isabel Marant, Viktor and Rolf, Acne Studios, Commes des Garcons, Kenzo, Celine, Chloe, Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Elie Saab, Saint Laurent, Chanel, Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu and Hermes.

I wasn’t joking when I said it was a marathon.

Similarly, this post is set to be a marathon. To say I have hundreds of photos from Paris that I want to show you is no exaggeration. I will try my absolute best to keep the photos to what you really need to see.

1. Gorgeous Gold

We saw this trend pop up in a big way at Dolce and Gabbana in Milan. However, many designers embraced their gilded side in Paris also. Gold ranged from full outfits covered in gold, to statement jackets, bags or adornments. Gold was generally quite subtle, not like the yellow golds we saw at Dolce and Gabbana. I have to say I do love this trend, and Paris showed us how gold can be quite wearable in day to day life by injecting statement pieces into our wardrobe.

2. Just add Ruffles

This is trend that was mainly contained to Paris but that appeared on almost every Paris catwalk. Ruffles were everywhere from delicate small ruffles on a dress, to large statement ruffles at the end of skirts. It can either be worn discretely or you can go all out with one large statement ruffle. I think for the average person looking to add ruffles to their wardrobe, it should be one or the other. Large ruffles adorning your clothes can look clumsy and add bulk to your body. But when done correctly, ruffles can look feminine and elegant.

3. Short and Sweet

Designers were loving the leg baring look this season. Usually this is a look we can definitely expect from Balmain but it is a trend that has rubbed off on many designers. It appears that when it comes to skirts and shorts this season, sometimes the shorter they are the better. Keep the upper half structured to make this is a trend that most people can wear. Balance is important, so remember, if you have a short skirt on, its best to pair it with a light sweater or long sleeved blouse to keep it from looking too much.

 

4. Think Pink

Well this trend is going nowhere. Paris cemented it, pink is the only colour that need be on your mind this SS 14. We saw pink appear in London and Milan, and already the colour is flooding the highstreet. As I said in the LFW post, pink really can suit everybody as there are so many shades and tones. You can choose to go all out with a block pink outfit, see Stella McCartney and Chanel, or you can mix it up with prints or separates. I have been obsessed with the idea of a full pink trouser suit for the best part of a year now,  as you can see from my inspiration, and it looks like come next season I may finally get my hands on one!

 

5. Pattern and Print Play

Patterns and Prints were a strong feature of Paris Fashion Week. Kenzo, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu and Acne all had strong prints and patterns in their designs. Checks, stripes, polka dots, graphics and baroque all featured in various ways. This was similar to Milan, where prints and patterns also featured strongly. I love the clash of prints that designers featured but also the more unexpected looks. One of my favourite looks is the first photo here from Chanel. I think the use of contrasting monochrome is really clever. Already this look had been done similarly by Sincerely Jules, so I definitely feel that this is a look for the future.

6. Floral Fantasy

So we have seen flowers in every fashion week so far, and Paris is no exception. To be honest, after four weeks of documenting Fashion Weeks, I’m pretty sick of florals! That being said, Paris has some good takes on the trend. The metallic daisy print coat that Cara Delevinge wore for Stella McCartney is to die for, its photo number eight below, and I think its a great mix of the metallic and floral trends. I also love the trouser/ tee combo from Vanessa Bruno, photo number six, although its more of a butterfly pattern.

7. Metallics

To me, metallics are separate to gold as when I see metallics, I see them as more cold and harsh whereas gold has more warmth to it. Personally I find metallics difficult to pull off. As I am naturally paler, metallics tend to wash me out. I think this season if I really want to embrace the metallic look, I’ll have to go for something like a metallic silver trouser as seen at Isabel Marant. This way I will hopefully avoid looking washed out!

8. Bold and Beautiful

Chanel, Celine, Alexander McQueen, Hermes and Miu Miu all went bold and beautiful this season, and I loved it. Great big splashes of colour, art deco prints and multi colours all graced the runway in effortless style. The multi coloured dresses from Chanel were incredible works of art, tying in with their artwork theme perfectly. Celine’s bold, bright coats were gorgeous with huge collars and simple black belts nipping them in at the waist. Alexander McQueen used red to great effect and similarly to Chanel, had long multi coloured dresses that were amazing. All in all, an incredible look, not for the faint hearted, but certainly wearable. Miu Miu used bold woolen tights with bright printed clashing dresses. Only Miu Miu could get away with it!

9. All about Monochrome

Another trend that is not going away for SS 14. Monochrome was absolutely everywhere for Paris Fashion Week. Even the designers who went for mostly bolder designer, such as Celine, had at least one monochromatic outfit within their collection. We have seen this in New York, London, Milan and Paris, and we will continue to see lots more of it for the foreseeable future. Chanel did monochrome to great effect to contrast with their colour explosions. Acne also produced some lovely white dresses that are extremely wearable.

And that’s a wrap! Spring Summer 2014 has been fully presented to us and what a season it has been. Louis Vuitton said goodbye to Marc Jacobs after 16 years, pink and monochrome dominated the runways, Anna Della Russo delighted us with her daily outifts, and there was even an appearance from little Harper Beckham.

Apologies for the super long post but it truly is impossible to condense Paris down! I hope you all enjoyed my coverage of the fashion weeks as they went along. If there is anything that you would like me to focus on more for next season please let me know. Keep an eye out for my final Beauty round up from Paris. I also will be posting some of my favourite street style looks from the last month soon.

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