Designer vs high street: the fashion week edition

For those of us who can’t afford to take out a loan to blow on the hottest looks straight from the runway, here are the strikingly similar top picks from our faithful high street. If it’s cheaper, then surely that means we can buy even more, right?

With designers jumping on board with the see-now-buy-now runway collections, there is even more demand for high street retailers to keep up to date with the best trends from the catwalk, and get them into stores while there’s still a post-fashion-week-buzz. The purpose behind these see-now-buy-now collections is to prevent shoppers from turning to replicas of designer items during the agonising wait from runway to store. Yet it seems our high street is just too good — earlier this month, Kourtney Kardashian posted on Instagram a photo of her in that Gucci-inspired-but-really-its-H&M tracksuit. Within days, copies were popping up on online retailer sites such as Missy Empire.

If buying straight off the runway is just a hopeful but distant dream, fear not, because the high street has got you covered.

Burberry

The trench coat is synonymous with Burberry, and this season we’ve seen a spin on the classic style of what you and I would call a raincoat. Yes, it is still plastic and waterproof, but it has been given the more luxurious name of a ‘car coat’ because if you’re wearing Burberry then why on earth would you be walking in the rain? If you don’t have a spare grand, then ASOS have a great selection of rain/car coats to satisfy all of your travelling needs. Rains macs and Monki, in particular, are great.

Erdem

The London show was a nod to the 50s silhouette — cinched in waists and full skirts, with a cardigan draped over the shoulders. In true Erdem style, the collection plays with textures and patterns from floral to feather, and fringing.  Spring/Summer 2018 is a beautiful collection for Erdem. Whilst it is near impossible to find items on the high street that have the same exquisite detail as Erdem, take inspiration from the shape of their clothes and the prints. All hope is not lost, however, because Erdem is collaborating with high street juggernaut H&M this season. Expect the signature style, but at a fraction of the price. The collaboration hits stores on the 2nd of November.

JW Anderson

This London fashion week saw JW Anderson showcase a collection inspired by the simplicity of homemade clothes. Patch-worked fabrics and raw hems in muted tones were the main features in this season’s show, as were cropped peasant tops paired with flowing cotton trousers and skirts. Of course, no JW Anderson show would be complete without an assortment of corset style tops, and this collection has seen the fail-safe style revived in leather and knitwear. Check out these corsets on ASOS, or you can head over to Uniqlo and check out their collaboration with JW Anderson to get your hands on pieces designed by the man himself. The Uniqlo and JW Anderson collaboration is available in selected Uniqlo stores now.