There was a lot of love for tactile fabrics during the AW 16/17 shows, and it doesn’t get much more touchable than velvet. It was seen across the board, covering everything from smart to sport to casual wear, elevating standard and simple shapes into something much more luxurious.
Richard James and Emporio Armani upped the glamour by using deep jewel tones on their suiting, although there was some more experimental and unconventional tailoring on show, like Tiger of Sweden’s dusty pink velvet two-pieces, coming in both single and double-breasted versions. Hedi Slimane proved velvet can be cool by sliding a variety of jackets – bombers, blazers, even a cowboy-inspired number – into Saint Laurent’s signature skinny rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic. Topman went one further, creating super relaxed lounge looks, including a full-on robe, using crushed velvet and seventies colour palette.
[URIS id=63632]HOW TO GET THE LOOK…
Admittedly velvet does sound like a bit of a tricky wear but it’s actually a surprisingly versatile material. If you stick to one block colour (richer and darker shades are more elegant, more wearable and let the fabric do the talking), it works on both suiting and sweats alike.
Trousers
Topman, £36
www.topman.com
Sweater
DRMTM, £70
www.urbanoutfitters.com
Blazer
Noose & Monkey, £140
www.asos.com
T-shirt
Sik Silk, £34.99
www.footasylum.com
Blazer
Moss Bros, £179
www.moss.co.uk
Sweatshirt
Stussy, €89
www.stussy.co.uk