With 2015 coming to a close, there is no better time to reflect on the fashion heights and falls of the year that Marty McFly was meant to travel to.

Trends of the Year

The ‘Barely There’ Dress

Less is more clearly with this trend, which saw daring celebrities such as Kim K, Beyonce and Rihanna demonstrate how some transparent material and Swarovski sparklers can make a feminine and overtly sexy ensemble. Others raised their eyebrows over the dauntless fashion choice, with acclaimed designer Caroline Herrera describing the trend as ‘attention seeking’ and criticising modern fashion for being ‘counter-productive’. Although harsh, I do believe that some merit lies in her argument: how can something be described as fashion if nothing is being worn?

Sky-high slits

We then proceed to the next (bare) trend, being thigh high, or in some cases, hip high slits. Slits in in the middle of skirts and dresses dominated the spring 2015 catwalks, whereas hip high slits dominated the red carpets this year with many celebrities opting to displace their underwear and putting on display their cheeky area for the occasion. Gigi Hadid was most notably a fan of the trend to the point that I have created a collage of her leg-exposed glory. When you have pins like that, I say go for it. Just remember to put your knickers on.

Off-the-shoulder tops

There is just something about bare skin that has become a fashion trend in itself this year. Off-the-shoulder tops are feminine and versatile, in addition to having the advantage of being worn in both summer and winter. Long sleeve, short sleeve and hippie sleeve off-the-shoulder tops permeated celebrities’ Instagram accounts and also manifested themselves as dresses.

Jumpsuits

Why pay for a top and matching pants when you can wear a jumpsuit instead? Not only do they tend to offer the comfort factor, but they also appear remarkably flattering and cut a sleek silhouette when cinched in at the waist. This year saw many fashion-conscious individuals ‘jump’ on the bandwagon and don all-in-ones in a variety of styles and colours. Jumpsuits truly are the only uniforms women need to get some serious s**t done.

Fashion event of the year- Balmain x H&M

 Sold out in a single hour after opening all of the world, the Balmain x H&M collection was one of the most anticipated collaborations of the year with queues forming outside of the flagship H&M stores days before the opening. With Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Jourdan Dunn leading the campaign, the collection that was overseen by Balmain head designer Olivier Rousteing acquired a massive following and proved to be wildly successful. Naturally I was one of those crazy people who eagerly lined up hours beforehand, just ’cause.

Model of the year – Gigi Hadid

You could tussle up between Gigi and Kendall for model of the year, but in my view it was undeniably Gigi. Not only did she dominate the catwalks in 2015 by walking for Balmain, Versace, Tommy Hilfiger and Giambattista Valli, but the blonde beauty also managed to achieve the much-coveted position of walking in the Victoria’s Secret show. She led highly acclaimed campaigns for Max Mara, Topshop and Tom Ford, and successfully took down body-haters with her parade of achievements.

So there we go, an end of another year of documenting fashion’s finest and stalking Victoria’s Secret models’ Instagrams. In fashion there will always be faux pas and trends that will be looked on in 10 years time as disconcerting and ever so slightly humiliating, however it’s always plenty of fun. From the naked dress to pyjama-inspired jumpsuits, there is no end to the versatility of fashion and the ability to demonstrate your personal creativity through the way you dress yourself. Just always remember to wear underwear.

I wish everyone a safe and happy new year and a fabulous 2016! x