Trendy Trend Report: Stockholm Fashion Week AW16

It’s hard to get a sense of the trends outside of a runway during a Scandinavian Autumn/Winter fashion week because people are just so damn covered up. Sure, there’s plenty of great jacket-boot-bag action, but that can really only take you so far, aesthetically. How many ways can you wear a perfectly cut camel overcoat?

Here’s what Stockholm Fashion Week AW16 had to offer:

Bright Red Accents

Minimalism and neutral colors are still alive and well in the Swedish fashion scene, but the addition of bright red piping, shoes and other accents brought a freshness to what would otherwise be a parade of black, beige and white. The pops of red on Whyred‘s separates, the red patent boots from Minimarket and the red that formed a thread through the House of Dagmar collection were among the best.

Tailored + Shaggy

This is a look that Scandinavians have perfected over the years, but this season it seemed to have hit peak. I personally love a bit of done/undone, but I usually do this by pairing tailored clothing with a lazy-person beauty routine (I’m pretending this is all part of a “look” but actually I am just a lazy person). Much easier now that the whole package comes in one outfit!

Bushel – my favorite collection of the season – did this really well with oversized fringe and maxi dress capes. Oh god, you guys that maxi dress cape. STAND paired their fluffy shearling vests and jackets with a cinched waist and sharp separates to similar effect and it looked very shepardess-chic. Ida Klampborn‘s looks managed to combine the tailored & shaggy into one piece dresses. with large billowing shoulders but otherwise fitted throughout (she was also fully on the bright red train).

Mixing Textures

Because so many of the collections are fairly monochrome – maybe an emerald green or checked pattern breaks the mold on occasion – Swedish designers have become experts at the mixing of textures. This gives you the same impression as mixed colors, only slightly more modern and sophisticated. I particularly liked Whyred‘s patent or metallic leather worn with heavy wool, Stylein‘s full velvet & suede looks and the nearly endless variety of fabrics from Valerie.

The Ever-Shrinking Scandinavian Fashion Week

We’ve only been covering Stockholm & Copenhagen fashion week for 2 years (four seasons) but even to our small comparative pool, they seem to be shrinking. Why this is happening is likely a complex matrix of reasons that, as a non-expert, I can’t possibly begin to speculate on (the global market? It’s the global market, right?). If anyone wants to help me understand the fashion week distinctions around the world, I’m all ears! I suspect it has to do with both market size and export potential, but it could also be that no one likes coming to Stockholm in February, which: fair.

What was your favorite trend of Stockholm Fashion Week? Was there one we missed? Tell is about it in the comments!