Prepare for Rad Style Lessons From the Streets of Couture Fashion Week

Perhaps it was the fash pack's unanimous decision that 2016 would be the year they rebelled against the norm and branched out into unexpected sartorial territory. Maybe it's the kooky catwalk mood that's in the air. Or it could be down to the changeable weather and, therefore, the requirement for unusual layering combinations and a seasonal mashup of clothing. Whatever has sparked this new mood for individualism, we like it. And it has made the street snaps of Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris look very jazzy—and occasionally rebellious.
Scroll down to see how the FROW is shaking things up this spring.
… and doesn't she look swell? It's not often that we see our favourite pint-size preppy queen in such chunky footwear (and when we do, we like to talk about it), but with a plethora of head-to-toe prints and textures, Olivia Palermo chose exactly the right shoes to ground her look: Sol Sana Tabbie Wedges (£118).
… especially when they are this Vêtements frock that we predicted would be the next street style smash (thank you, Susie Lau, for proving our point!) and when they're piled on top of a Breton roll neck and turned-up jeans. Shop Vêtements' Ruffle-Trimmed Floral Print Dress (£1140) before it gets eaten alive.
… well, when in Paris, right? This trend started to bubble up at the men's fashion week shows and has cemented its status as an accessory du jour by perching atop the heads of taste's main arbiters, such as Miroslava Duma, pictured here. You can get one just like hers; it's the ASOS Wool Beret (£12).
… especially if they've been pulled down and whipped into shape by London's gurus of grunge, Marques'Almeida. Its Floral Brocade Top (£343/£171) and Wide Leg Rose Trousers (£398) got a further madcap injection thanks to a Shrimps Audrey Faux Shearling Coat (£595), silver boots and J.W.Anderson's zippy collar. More is apparently more right now, and Olga Karput is your poster girl.
… should you own one in the first place. Simply pop it on over some flared jeans and enjoy the dramatic, swooshy strides you can take like Chinese fashion designer Lulu Tan Gan did here.
… which means that everything must be beaded, adorned in corsages, ruffled, feathered, sequinned, etc. This is couture week, darlings—what more would you expect from the Dior-clad Russian style princess Ulyana Sergeenko and Elena Perminova?
… and that's down to Raf Simons's penultimate Dior show: Resort 16. OP carefully sassed hers up with leather over-the-knee boots and the all-important Dior So Real Clubmaster-Style Sunglasses (£539).
… ditching her usually safe nude slingbacks for something altogether more adventurous: snakeskin knee-high boots. Consider this your all clear to wear python footwear with everything from now on—Diane von Furstenberg's Gladyss Boots (£512/£256) are slithering their way into our wardrobes as we type.
… but with legs like Gilda Ambrosio's, could it really be a problem? She paired her version of the Dior picnic blanket check with clashing booties, and it worked because the demure neckline and supersize sleeves balanced out an expanse of lithe pins.
… as proven by the very hip Aymeline Valade, who is basically our biggest French girl crush at the moment. This makes for a fast entry into how to wear power pastels before spring, and looks far fresher than the now ubiquitous pink outerwear that dominated the fashion scene two winters ago.
… and aren't you glad to see her? This wild mêlée of inside-out-looking cargo pants, silver-striped knit and a cape-blazer hybrid worn with brassy yellow-gold Gucci Metallic Leather Pumps (£530) and a very regal scarf is true TTH. We've missed her witty combinations.
… so get used to it. Gina Jung's Balenciaga jacket (shop for similar styles at MatchesFashion.com), frayed jeans, mini Fendi bag and Adidas sneakers did all the hard work while her lace slip played up to one of the season's most promising new trends.
… which means that you can basically wear them anywhere, anytime, for any occasion. German fashion leader Veronika Heilbrunner made it happen with this extra-pretty Etro maxi dress and Converse CTA OX Pink Canvas Sneakers (£59).
… highly photogenic and a hot hue for S/S 16. No more so than when set against black à la Helena Bordon in Dior, here. Summer is looking to be ripe with juicy citrus shades, but you can easily get in on the act now.
Who has got your vote from the Couture Fashion Week streets? Let us know in the comments box below, and don't miss out on these tips for expensive-looking clothes.
Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. She joined in 2015 when she launched the UK sister site following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine as fashion news and features editor. With experience in print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 18 years of experience as a journalist, editor and content strategist. Her opinion has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com and she is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits.
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