New York has been buzzing of late with the recent NYFW for Fall/Winter 2024-25, but most of us are just now starting to embrace the spring/summer 2024 looks. So, here, we will explore some of the most prominent trends we noticed on the runways of NY, Paris, London, and Milan.

Snow White

White on white continues to abound. We first noticed it about a year ago in Resort Wear collections from 2023, for 2024 the look is even more ubiquitous. Dubbed “White Noise” by Vogue, and both “Modern Bride” and “Sheer Whites” by Glamour, the monochrome white ensemble and/or the white blouse trend continues strong for spring and summer this year.

Snowy white looks were seen in some shape or form on many different runways, including Valentino, Stella McCartney, Gabriela Hearst, Michael Kors, Giambattista Valli, Chloé, Prada, Balenciaga, Brandon Maxwell, Dior, Alberta Ferretti, etc. Vogue reported, “Ranging from diaphanous and sheer to embroidered and densely-worked, designers signaled a clear shift away from the euphoric shots of color and frothy pastels that come around every spring with a bevy of swan-white dresses.” Not only in dresses, the oversized or deconstructed white blouse made appearances at Christian Dior, Givenchy, and more; while crisp white pants suit and short sets appeared at Aberta Ferretti, Blumarine, Gabriela Hearsrt, Stella McCartney, and Schiaparelli. The trend is gender neutral, seen in both men’s and women’s ready to wear collections.

With all the white majesty, it is no surprise that pearls continue to be the accessory of choice, but the pearls are now getting bigger. Reported as “Power Pearls” by InStyle, “pearls for Spring/Summer 2024 are decidedly more bold.” Pearl earrings, often mismatched, reigned at Erdem, Versace, and Givenchy. Sizable pearl necklaces completed the looks at Moschino, Sixdo. And bold pearl rings were seen at Christian Dior and Sportsmax.

Lustrous pearl strands are also perfect for the short necklace trend, cited as “Hot Collars” by InStyle, seen at Vivenne Westwood, Valentino, and Christian Dior. Pearl wire collars like the Floating Bubble pearl and diamond necklace by Sean Gilson for Assael offer a modern take on the short pearl necklace. Striking pearl pendants can also add an air of additional sophistication to the many white blouses and some of the ivory sheaths or bridal-like frocks that will be plentiful this season.

Modern Flapper

The swinging sensations of the Roaring ‘20s return in the abundance of fringe seen in ready-to-wear collections of late. Touted “Modern Flapper” by Vogue, the look was prevalent, featured at The Attico, Rabanne, Prada, Lanvin, Paul & Joe, Khaite, Jil Sander, Gucci, Erdem, Givenchy, Akris, Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, and Burberry. These drop-waist “shift dresses with Jazz Age pizzazz” (Vogue) feature both shimmer and shimmy. Complete with head adornments, the look is reinvented for 2024, occasionally paired with leather jackets, tank tops, or blazers.

The vibe calls for long dangling earrings, and either chokers or opera length chains, and of course, Coco Chanel’s famous “ropes and ropes of pearls.” Big pearls are trending (see above) so the look is also made more contemporary with large pearl accents like the Assael large gem South Sea pearl and diamond ring or the Tahitian version, or better yet a stack of both. Pearl drop earrings also mimic the movement of the fringe, swaying gently as you walk. The Assael Akoya Pearl “Diamond Connection” earrings add a fabulous luster to match some of the gilded or sparkling fringe but without competing with it. The metronome look of the Assael NatureScapes Tahitian Pearl, Petrified Wood, and Diamond earrings also adorn the look nicely.

Gender Blender, Masc/Fem Dressing

Another prominent trend in the spring/summer collections included a blend of traditionally masculine and feminine styles. Named “Masc/Fem Dressing” by Glamour, this gender bending trend pairs skirts or super short shorts with menswear sweaters, Polo shirts, oversized button-up, and bulky boyfriend blazers. Seen at Miu Miu, Christian Dior, Prada, Carven, Burberry, and 16Arlington, Vogue dubbed trend the “Polo Club” and it feels quite timely, given the rise of inclusivity and all-gender acceptance in modern society. 

Gender neutral accessories pull the look together. Pearls are the classic example, being worn by any and all genders in contemporary fashion. Short strands are best or a classic brooch (see below). The vibe is nonchalant, with a flare of rebellion as this trend breaks the rules in a youthful way. Single or mismatched pearl earrings also hit the mark. 

The masc/femme approach works well with frilly skirts, as proven by Muccia Prada at Miu Miu, but it also can be felt in the no-pant or extremely short shorts looks seen on many runways for the season. Shorts and blazers, once considered a big fashion faux pas, are now trending and feeling super fresh and contemporary. Here again, pearls soften the masculinity of the wide shouldered blazer and/or dress up the boyish polo tops. It is easy to make this look your own as standard rules do not apply. So have fun with it and dress it up with fun and fabulous fine jewelry. As Senior Vice President and Creative Director at Assael, Peggy Grosz often says, “jewelry should say something about you and your unique sense of style – let the fashions be on trend, but make the jewelry personal.”

Brooches

We also noted the burgeoning rise of brooches last fall. Now the look is not only on fashion runways, but also on red carpets. The look is prominent for all genders. The Assael pearl jabot brooch was the go-to for stylists working with male celebrities this award show season. Seen at the Golden Globes in the Tahitian version on dapper Barbie cast member Simu Liu, as well as in the South Sea pearl version on Michael Evans Behling, the Assael Pearl and Diamond Jabot Pin struck just the right note of sophistication on the lapel of both men’s tuxedo jackets. Later at the Emmy’s, host Anthony Anderson sparkled in the jabot during his epic tribute to the Sopranos!

Noticed often on blazers and lapels for spring and summer, the trend is also appearing at the waistline. Elie Saab, for example, placed a large sparkling brooch at the waist, on the left of the bodice for several of his colorful and flowing spring frocks. Colorful brooches from Assael’s NatureScapes collection feel particularly appropriate.

WhoWhatWear also noted the budding brooch trend, predicting its continuation perpetuation. “Now that they’ve made it onto runways across New York, Paris, and Walton’s own backyard at Blumarine, Carolina Herrera, Chanel, and Schiaparelli, the retro accessory is destined to make a large-scale comeback.” 

Other widespread spring and summer trends include short shorts and high waist trousers, as well as the ubiquitous use of skirts. As the temperatures rise this year, there is lots of newness and ways to bring out some old faves and update them with mixing and matching or pairing just the right accessories. Show off your inner stylist with bold choices and as per the big fashion houses this year, feel free to break the rules!

Feature image at top – clockwise from upper left – Gucci S/S 2024 (Spotlight Launchmetrics), Elie Saab S/S 2024 (Getty), Carolina Herrera S/S 2024 (Spotlight Launchmetrics), Assael Tahitian pearl and diamond jabot pin/brooch, Assael Akoya pearl strands, Assael “New Deco” Akoya pearl and diamond ring, Assael “In Reverse” earrings