Sheer Fabrics Are Taking Over SS24 Runways

Sheer fabrics are making a triumphant return to the runway, seemingly ushering in an era of nostalgia and drawing influence from early '90s supermodels and Y2K dressing. For the Spring/Summer 2024 season, translucent and sheer materials are repeatedly appearing on fashion week runways, spotted more than a few times at Copenhagen Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week.

So far, we've seen the trend manifest in a few ways on the runway, including manipulating the form and structure of opaque fabrics to create sculptural designs, alongside presenting sheer iterations of classic (and typically heavier) garments like turtlenecks, knitwear and shirting for a lighter way to wear popular styles of clothing.

Take a look at some current examples of the trend ahead from Copenhagen, London and Milan and stay tuned for more sheer looks undoubtedly coming soon from Paris Fashion Week.

A Roege Hove

For A Roege Hove's SS24 showcase, the brand presented an evolution of its signature fabric through more sculptural, occasionwear silhouettes, asymmetrical tops and sheer shorts. Worn as figure-hugging dresses, fitted turtlenecks and low-waist pants, the thinly-pleated fabric was paired with materials of contrasting thickness, worn alone as a dress, or paired with matching pleated shorts for a fully-translucent look. With a seeming focus on elevating basics, the showcase proved that the sheer trend isn't just for nights out.

Kernemilk

Kernemilk showcased the sheer fabrics trend with a distinct focus on prints and printed materials, with an underlying theme of "uncensored femininity." Worn as matching sets and separates, the brand took classic silhouettes like maxi dresses, long-sleeved tops and vests and made them sheer, crafted with subtle black and white prints to add a touch of feminine design details to casual styles.

REMAIN

For REMAIN's SS24 runway, the brand utilized sheer fabrics as a means to balance heavier-duty styles. Speaking about the juxtaposition between sheer and opaque, Denise Christensen explained, "The contrast was very important for us. You have some sculptural pieces, and then some sheer lightness." Pairing delicately-sequinned tops with thick, baggy jeans and lightweight sheer knitwear with heavy leather skirts, the translucent fabric offered a way to offset too much heaviness in an outfit.

OpéraSPORT

OpéraSPORT presented a slightly more resort-inspired take on the sheer fabrics trend this season, showcasing numerous fully-embroidered sheer materials, arriving as dresses, shirts and matching sarongs. Worn both over trousers and denim alongside swimwear, the see-through fits offered a beachwear approach to casual dressing, merging swimwear cover-up styles with everyday pieces.

ROTATE

Finally, ROTATE continued to up the ante with their approach to SS24, presenting a mixture of sheer takes on classic garments and, similarly to REMAIN and OpéraSPORT, embellished and embroidered see-through fabrics. Most notably, the collection included head coverings that coordinated with dresses and jumpsuits, offering an extension of the concealed identities trend we spotted at LFW last season.

Supriya Lele

Supriya Lele presented her SS24 showcase at London Fashion Week this season, offering a multitude of sultry, sheer silhouettes in various textures and colorways. Drawing subtle but definite inspiration from the delicate draping of Indian saris, worn by Lele's family members, the collection utilizes sheer fabrics as a way to enhance and highlight the form and structure of the garments, placing a distinct significance on the shape and the way they hang.

Susan Fang

SSusan Fang's SS24 showcase continued to demonstrate the designer's intricate beading techniques and technical craftsmanship, this time with an added exploration of the controversies surrounding AI technology. See-through lace dresses were paired with embroidered sheer fabrics in order to convey a dream-like feeling, with the translucent materials used as a way to portray lightness and an ethereal nature.

Blumarine

At Milan Fashion Week, Blumarine posed the age old question of Saints vs Sinners, seemingly characterized through a slew of sheer looks in varying degrees. Ranging from subtly translucent to wholly transparent, the collection featured streams of sheer fabrics in a bid to convey an angelic being, in the context of fully see-through looks which appeared to signify the "Sinner."

The Attico

Finally for Milan, The Attico took us on a journey of "The Morning After," showcasing sheer silhouettes that aim to convey a sense of dressing in haste, utilizing the specific fabric to create a feeling of unfinished, effortless dressing. Merging "extremely feminine" styles with tomboyish garments, The Attico saw sheer silhouettes as a way to communicate an easygoing approach to dressing.

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