From The Runway to the Streets of Beirut

Every season, we are introduced to new combinations of textiles—fabrics complete with intricate designs, bold colours, and unique textures. This summer’s fashion gurus brought colour blocking and fabric blocking to the runways, as well as one of this summer’s hottest trends, the idiosyncratic styling of combining prints. From pastels to neon, from neutral to bold, and from nature prints to graphic patterns, this summer’s runways are bound to have a look appealing to all tastes.
Florals for ladies are no longer delicate and old-fashioned, but are rather bold and contemporary. Floral prints of various shapes and sizes are being mixed and matched together, as well as combined with other patterns such as stripes. Those in the “fashion know” are pairing striped tops with floral skirts and floral blouses with striped pants and even with red pants—another trend we saw this summer that’s staying strong through Beirut’s warm fall season.

Similarly, men are also donning floral patterns this summer. Floral prints in menswear have made it onto every piece of menswear imaginable. From shirts to shorts to full length trousers, men are seeing floral in various pastel hues of once feminine pink as well as green and orange. It is said that the fashion world is cyclical in nature, with new continuously being replaced by old with a modern twist. Designers are channeling inspiration from the 70s and matching muted tones of floral and foliage in menswear.
Geometric patterns are another print trend that is extraordinarily cyclical. Throughout the decades, we have seen geometric prints appear and disappear from the fashion scene. Of course, geometrics are seen on simple Ts, but this season, designers have opted to utilize this print in tailored pieces such as men’s two-piece suits. The colorations of these prints are highly reminiscent of the 70s.
Dare to be bold and wear head-to-toe prints by pairing a printed top with printed pants—try the same pattern, or even something audacious and contrasting. Mismatch patterns or keep a uniform print from head-to-toe. Start with an all-over neutral look, until you’re ready to be more venturesome. After all, you don’t want to get stopped by the fashion police for looking like you’re wearing pajamas rather than something haute couture