Fashion in the Liberties

Leia Clothing on Meath Street in Dublin 8. Credit: Andrea Byrne

Now that New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks have concluded, what have we learned about the current Spring and Summer collection 2018?

It is clear this Summer that there are two clear trends. The runways were filled with strong primary colours such as candy red, electric blue, emerald green and bumblebee yellow. Designers raided the Pantone colour chart as inspiration for their fabrications. Using a pastel palette filled with colours such as arcadia green, pink lavender and of course, Pantone’s colour of the year, ultra violet, which encourages fun and playful outfits, perfect for those long summer evenings. With an air of complexity and distinctiveness, we find ourselves in a sanctuary of color that is ideal for unique and dramatic color mixing.

Summer is a time when skirts, shorts and string tops are brought back from the depths of our wardrobe after nine months of waiting for sunnier days. But, summer approaching is not the only reason designers like Victoria Beckham, Dolce & Gabanna, and Michael Kors are bringing colour back into our wardrobes. After 2017’s complex and distinctive year of politics, designers reacted the only way they know how. They want the people wearing their clothes in a sanctuary of colour, by bringing bright and joyous colours to lift people’s spirits.

Sanjay Behal from Leia Clothing, which has been open in the Liberties for the last 16 years, said “We mostly sell clothes for teenagers with our party stock such as our skirts and dresses, and on the way for the summer is our new bikinis. This year the colours are really strong, green in particular.” Located on 83 Meath Street in Dublin 8 there is a vast selection of fashionable shoes and clothes to get that perfect summer outfit.

This year is all about vibrant and bright colours, this bodes well with the theme of mixing and matching patterns in the same outfit. Use your creativity and judgement to experiment with pairing different and daring prints. Sportswear pieces and fabrics, along with skirts and silk dresses are all in this year for a new take on athleisure, or if you want to be more creative and mix and match with less sporty items in your closet, you can try bike shorts made famous by Kim Kardashian. Jumpsuits are going to be a staple item in our wardrobe this year as there is going to be one for every taste and body shape. Who knows what trends will be in for the Autumn collection 2018?