Military - Mini Trend Report

Khaki and Leather are two big trends we associate with 'military' that have seemed to dominate our wardrobes over the past few years, particularly our Autumn/Winter wardrobe where the khaki parka and leather jacket will be found.

Khaki and camo print dominated the S/S catwalks of 2015, luxury brand collections which showcased a military vibe included, Ralph Lauren (S/S 2015 RTW), Louis Vuitton (S/S 2015 RTW) and Paul Smith (S/S 2015 RTW). The military trend appeared on the catwalk again for A/W 2015/16 with Roberto Cavalli (A/W 2015/16 RTW) sporting the khaki parka, Ashish (A/W 2015/16 RTW) and not forgetting the king of military himself, Oliver Rousteing for Balmian (A/W 2015/16 RTW). I feel that Rousteing really did the military trend justice with his collection of gabardine jackets, drawstrings, gold detailing, heavy pleats and belts. 

Generally the military trend is surrounded by the idea of 'masculinity'', I feel the popularity of the boyish trend has stemmed from the idea of women rebelling from stereotypes. Women are trading cutesy pink for a dirty khaki based colour palette, maybe to demonstrate power and strength linked with fighting in the war. However, having said this I feel that we will now begin to see the military trend feminise. The Asish A/W 2015/16 RTW catwalk embraced the camo print... in the form of sequins and a camo jacket was styled with a sequin dress on Saint Laurent's S/S 2016 runway! I really admire how both Ashish and Saint Laurent have dared to combine such masculine, grungy prints and garments with sequins and dresses which have such strong links with femininity.

Not only have military themed products, garments and colour palettes become broadly popular, military themed fashion photography is also part of what makes up this trend. Props which would stereotypically feature on a military themed shoot include belts, knee pads, back packs, guns, aviator sunglasses and hats or caps. The models alongside these props often have a stereotypically male or 'unladylike' stance or pose which reflects the true nature of the military theme of the shot. Backdrops and locations are usually dishevelled and unkempt with a dusty, grungy feel to them. I feel that all of these aspects I have listed, locations, model stance and props all contribute to giving a military feel and even transforming a khaki product to a khaki product with a military feel.

Feel free to check out my Pinterest board based on military as a narrative;  https://uk.pinterest.com/ichriston/military-the-narrative/

Love, Isabella x

Photo Credits: Google images, Pinterest