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The Top 10 Shows of Spring/Summer 2018

In a 'fashion month' full of headline-grabbing moments, these shows cut through the clutter.
The Versace Spring/Summer 2018 collection was a tribute to Gianni's designs | Source: InDigital
By
  • BoF Team

LONDON, United Kingdom — The 'fashion month' that just ended on Tuesday night was full of headline-grabbing moments, but none could surpass the golden reunion of the Supers at Versace's Milan show. Meanwhile, in Paris, Rick Owens' walking sculptures and Thom Browne's tulle extravaganza were poignant reminders of fashion's transformative power. Here, BoF picks the Top 10 shows of the Spring/Summer 2018 season.

1. Versacedesigned by Donatella Versace, MFW

Versace Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital Versace Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital

Versace Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital

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Donatella's salute reanimated Gianni's greatest hits in such a way that the new generation could at least grasp some sense of their exuberant don’t-give-a-fuck quality.

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2. Prada designed by Miuccia Prada, MFW

Prada Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital Prada Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital

Prada Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital

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Miuccia Prada usually questions orthodoxy in a passive aggressive way, but this collection was infected with a no-nonsense grunge-y sensibility of resistance.

3. Rick Owensdesigned by Rick Owens, PFW

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Rick Owens Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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The collection was another way station on the designer's peculiar progress to a kind of peace, where his clothes speak quietly to more and more people.

4. Calvin Kleindesigned by Raf Simons, NYFW

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Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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Whether it was deliberate or not, Raf Simons nailed the lethal anxiety at the heart of the American dream, a self-doubt that inevitably stemmed from its foundation on genocide and slavery. Dream effortlessly turned nightmare in the hands of America’s poets laureate of terminal unease and Simons drew on them all in one way or another.

5. Thom Browne designed by Thom Browne, PFW

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Thom Browne Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: InDigital

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The show's darkness delivered magic on the catwalk with a collection that was as light as the fabric itself, and shot through with colour.

6. Chloédesigned by Natacha Ramsay-Levi, PFW

Chloé Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital Chloé Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

Chloé Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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Natacha Ramsay-Levi gave the brand's legendary romance a slightly eerie edge in a spectacular debut collection. It was obvious how much of the new Chloé girl is her.

7. Dries van Notendesigned by Dries van Noten, PFW

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Dries van Noten Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital Dries van Noten Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

Dries van Noten Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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The designer's always felt it’s fashion’s job to reflect its environment, but with the world currently cast into confusing shadow, that reflection was too dark. So he chose to accentuate the positive.

8. Loewedesigned by Jonathan Anderson, PFW

Loewe Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital Loewe Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

Loewe Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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Jonathan Anderson approaches complication with a playful magic, but the Balearic ease of his recent collections reflected his engagement with 'reality'.

9. Alexander McQueendesigned by Sarah Burton, PFW

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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The designer has trafficked in female paganism for the past few seasons. A garden suggests cultivation, nature tamed, but she was determined to shake that preconception with this collection.

10. Coachdesigned by Stuart Vevers, NYFW

Coach Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital Coach Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

Coach Spring/Summer 2018 | Source: Indigital

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Stuart Vevers, with his outsider’s sensibility, infused the new collection with his love of Keith Haring; the takeaway was an upbeat celebration of youth and beauty.

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