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Animal print has been around in fashion for a few seasons. Once seen as the ‘cheap’ side of fashion, animal prints have gone high end and there is no stopping their popularity as everyone latches onto the trend. The modern way to wear it is bold and brash, as the new season designers show us how it’s done.
The S/S catwalks were full of animal references, not just as classic prints but also using the animal as a motif. There were playful references to elephants, pandas, giraffes and wolves. At Louis Vuitton, tigers lurked on lightweight knits, which were tucked into high-waisted skirts and at Prada, monkeys ran riot over blouses and dresses. Erin Fetherstone, showed the cutest parakeet clutch bag, shaped like the bird and covered in glitzy sequins.
Jean Charles de Castelbajac used zebra print to almost ridiculous proportions. One model was sent down the catwalk in a zebra shaped dress, with one arm acting as the zebra’s head and legs left flailing. It could work for a fancy dress party, if you’ve got a really big party outfit budget. Temperley London played with cartoon like tiger prints and Louis Vuitton again worked with bold giraffe prints.
The way to wear this trend is to pick one patterned piece, and mix it with simple separates or sharp tailoring. Team your favourite animal print with a sophisticated palette of beige, black, tan or navy. White is best avoided as it could look cheap. Accessories, shoes and bags are an excellent way to wear the trend. Take inspiration from the Mulberry Bayswater in Camel Leopard (*whispers* £2000). The iconic Bayswater is given an in-your-face makeover for the lady who likes to be noticed. It is made from soft hair calfskin leather and has the subtlest of Mulberry logos.
