In a year of big colour stories on and off the runway — Handmaid's Tale red! Prince (may he rest in peace) purple! That Seventies throwback yellow! — there's something comforting in fashion's return to white.
After percolating throughout the resort shows, it's emerged as the shade of choice for ss18 appearing throughout the New York shows and now surfacing everywhere here in London from the puff-sleeved, Victorian-influenced tulle and silk dresses at Simone Rocha, Roksanda's billowing pastoral smocks, through to Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi's light and airy cotton dresses and separates at Preen.
Even Duro Olowu, a long-time loyalist to print and colour, made an argument for wearing head to toe ivory, as did Ralph & Russo, and Nicopanda.
It all feels like the fashion equivalent of a reboot. There's something inherently optimistic in a clean slate, which white often implies. In certain religions it literally symbolises the act of cleansing.
Not to mention white is easy to wear in that, like black, you don't have to think about it too much (other than the challenge of keeping it clean) and when worn head to toe, it's a foolproof way of looking chic and polished.
