She is one of most fashionable women to grace Mumbai’s swish set. Sheetal Mafatlal is known for her love for Fashion and haute couture. From rocking a casual designer dress to killing it with her edgy gowns at red carpet do’s, this lady never gets it wrong. The style diva tells us what is in fashion for 2018 so that you can also step out in your stylish best…

Print Panorama
Florals for spring may not sound groundbreaking, but they have bloomed artistically at every major runway across the world – from Versace’s Baroque Print revival to Gucci’s maximalist take on the blooms to Erdem’s eccentric aristocrats. Donatella Versace in an emotionally-charged tribute show to her late brother Gianni in a stroke of genius revived the label’s game-changing Andy Warhol-esque Marilyn Monroe prints besides some of the iconic Vogue covers, which featured supermodels like Cindy Crawford. The likes of millennial ‘it’ girls like Kaia Gerber strutting in head-to-toe printed jumpsuits and onesies was a moment that’ll be etched in the history forever.
All in all multi-coloured florals on the white base will be the key trend. Macro flowers have replaced the oversized blooms of the past season and they seem to be unstoppable for the coming spring summer too. From hyper realistic prints to the artistic brushstrokes – the print spectrum is vivid. From head-to-toe printed pantsuits to high-collared brocade dresses – I easily picture coming months becoming a rich tapestry of statement blooms.

The Turban Trail
Since modest fashion has taken center-stage, covering one’s head with a statement headgear has been the coolest thing to do. What started historically to protect yourself from a bad hair day is back again as a new fashion rescuer. I see coming seasons nodding in favour of the elaborate turban styles – from printed avatars to beach-inspired offerings. The classic head scarves have surely dialled up the glamour quotient like never before. What’s surprisingly in this trend radar is this specific, out-of-shower, head towel-inspired look, which was recently mimicked by songstress Rita Ora at an international red carpet event. Similar styling has been seen on major runways presentations from – Alessandro Michele’s Gucci magpies to runways at Emilio Pucci and Marc Jacobs. A variety of headscarves drapes have been seen in the form of broad headbands and narrow headscarves bringing back the 1940s DIY war look.

Towering in platform sneakers
What was considered a fashion taboo has slowly kicked in as the most desirable item of 2018 – from Balenciaga’s platform crocs to Miu Miu’s chunky heels – the local basics have got a chic makeover with a generous sprinkle of glam details. Make sure one chooses the oddest of colours, the brightest of prints to stand out in the sea of the towering stilettos. I see performance footwear going mainstream thanks to lust-inducing collaborations like Riccardo Tisci x Nike and Stan Smith x Adidas Originals.

Vibrant leather fetish
The latest issue of British Vogue features Taylor Swift in a puffball Red Leather dress by Saint Laurent says it all. Designer Anthony Vaccarello’s one-shoulder cognac offerings at the hallowed French fashion house come to mind right off the bat. Even Molly Goddard showcased bright red leather pieces and Tod’s structured shirts in pop orange clamour for one’s attention. Looks like the plush toned leather has become bold and wild like never before. The likes of Proenza Schouler too in their fall winter outing presented a pale pink double breasted pink dress.

Disco fever
It’s time to be supremely optimistic as we are all set to bathe our wardrobe with a shower of sequins, shine, glitter. Look no further than Versace’s revived epochal chainmail dresses seen on the likes of Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Carla Bruni, who closed the Versace tribute show. The statement-making chainmail is here to stay and seems a macro trend for the coming spring summer too. From the jarring 80s metallic to the sparkling 70s disco staples have made a fashionable comeback celebrating the joyful spirit of yet another optimistic year. Be it the Indie youthful brands like Ashish UK making fully metallic logo T-shirts or Gucci’s multi-toned sequinned bombers, everyone has showcased that the shiny streak of rainbow which paves a path for a positive future.