Child’s play and monster tailoring: AW24 Trends from Pure London x JATC

Bright and early Sunday morning, the first edition of the newly merged trade show Pure London x JATC [Just Around the Corner] opened its doors to the fashion world and with it came an influx of brands and retailers looking to connect and converse over the latest collections for AW24.

To ensure attendees also had their finger on the pulse regarding trends that will be dominant this upcoming season, creative director of Vesuvius, Malaïka Ewande, opened the trade show’s seminar programme with a presentation dubbed ‘AW24 Trend Update: A Tale of Balance and Creativity’. During the talk, Ewande shared two overarching “mega trends” and their subsequent micro trends that she said would be “all about balancing creativity”, combining “individual expression and new craftsmanship” to inspire community and bring art back to fashion.

Overstimulated

Chaos dress

Based on the mission of achieving “ultimate individuality”, the micro trend Chaos dress is reliant on the motto of “the tackier the better”. Drawing inspiration from subcultures and classicism while referencing eras of the past, the aesthetic of this theme is heavily centred around a bold use of textures, from shredding materials to utilitarian gathering.

Child’s play

To sum up Child’s play, Ewande described the concept as finding “a happy place in the blissful ignorance of childhood”. Taking a departure from the darker trend prior, this one is defined by the bold use of bright colours and cartoon-ish silhouettes, many of which are oversized and emphasised through lightweight textiles that Ewande said are reminiscent of “juvenile drawing”.

Reformed Maximalist

Faux minimalism

Taking a brief departure from the quiet luxury trend that has dominated recent seasons, Faux minimalism instead looks to a more creative and culturally-built aesthetic that retains the elegance of its predecessor but instead emphasises the use of quality textile. Here, Ewande highlights illusion fabrics, contrast printed knits and materials like cashmere and silk that continue to give a sense of luxury albeit in a toned down manner.

Monster tailor

For this micro trend, Ewande references a major shift in tailoring influenced by the adoption of a more casual way of dressing, and as such sportswear detailing and relaxed cuts are becoming more evident. She elaborated that this form of tailoring was “breaking generational barriers”, moving away from traditional rules, especially in the realm of textiles, which are also taking on a more hyper casualisation in the form of mismatched fabrics, such as velvets and silks.