Celeb stylist Courtney Smith on her favourite Fashion Week looks and how to wear them

If anyone knows how to bring catwalk style to the home wardrobe, it’s the uber-stylish Courtney Smith. Always impressing with her perfectly curated collection of both designer and highstreet pieces, she’s nothing short of a fashion maven, so, safe to say, we trust her judgement when it comes to putting an outfit together.

Teaming up with TK Maxx to show people that updating their wardrobe doesn’t have to be a hugely expensive affair, Courtney has picked out what she predicts will be some of the season’s biggest trends as inspired by what we saw at Fashion Weeks around the world. 

So, whether you’re on the hunt for a pop of neon to transition your wardrobe from winter to spring or a touch of classic neutral in the form of a timeless statement jacket, TK Maxx pretty much has all bases covered.

Salted Caramel Tonal Dressing

One of the most popular colour trends at fashion weeks was tonal dressing in an array of biscuit, caramel, latte and chocolate hues. This timeless trend isn’t new, but this season’s take is all about mixing those classic neutral tones head to toe! My top tip is to layer different tones and textures with each other for the ultimate cool ‘city-girl’ vibe. This look requires minimal effort but if you’re new to colour pairings, go the easy route and add another element of interest with a small pop of a bright colour to really bring this look to another dimension (blue or pink is huge this season). 

The TK Maxx Take 

A great investment buy for this trend is the ‘trench coat’ – a forever wardrobe staple but the styles shown at Burberry and Balenciaga are anything but basic. The piece I picked up in TK Maxx has an unusual tie detail at the back for an added bit of interest. Accessories wise, bags came in bite-sized shapes this season, so I opted for a soft mini bag in lush leather with some statement hardware. My pop of colour came through my crochet (another big trend for SS22) skirt.

Men’s Brown Jacket, €69.99, TK Maxx

Sunglasses, €22.99, TK Maxx

The New Monochrome

Monochromatic looks will simply never go out of style, there are lots of examples this season of championing a head-to-toe hue. However, classic black and white looks are reimagined year after year. What’s great about this trend is that you can interpret it in any way you like… minimalists and maximalists alike are getting in on the trend for this season. If less is more is your style, then keep it chic like the Chanel and Margiela catwalks or if like me you choose to have some fun with this look you can add character with zebra print or checkerboard – both big patterns for SS22. 

The TK Maxx Take 

Black and white is always chic but can be dull if not done right – this season it’s important to let the fabric do the talking by mixing knit textures with leathers and faux furs and quality is key. Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that can make the biggest difference to your look – cue accessories! Statement oval white sunglasses dominated the New York fashion week style scene, so I had to incorporate them into my look. 

Black Gold And White Drop Earrings €6.99, TK Maxx

Silver Bag, €34.99, TK Maxx

 

Designer Shorts, €57.99, TK Maxx

Black Vest Top, €9.99, TK Maxx

White Boot, €34.99, TK Maxx

Platform Shoes, €12.99, TK Maxx

Star Blouse, €19.99, TK Maxx

Snake Trousers, €12.99, TK Maxx

Après Pink

This season’s transitional answer to sports luxe. Bringing Après ski to the streets, this trend combines new age sporty sunglasses, cool accessories, and vibrant puffer coats. Looking like a giant marshmallow isn’t the aim, but it gives off a cool contemporary sporty vibe with lots of volume and my version has plenty of bold, bright, powdery, sugary pinks in the mix. If pink isn’t for you, don’t worry – puffer coats are a staple piece for your wardrobe in any colour and something you will be sure to whip out every year!

The TK Maxx Take 

I took inspiration from New York Fashion Week where we saw fashion show-goers dressing practically for the colder snap but keeping spring in mind with plenty of colour. For me, the key here is the sporty sunglasses – a serious 90’s revival. 

Pink Hat, €12.99, TK Maxx

Purple Handbag, €139.99, TK Maxx

Flowers Dress, €9.99, TK Maxx

Highlighter Hues

The party is well and truly back with this season’s hottest trend – searingly-bright neon is here to stay as seen at Versace and David Koma. Some street style icons were brave enough to go head to toe, but I feel this is a look best served in accessories and gentle touches. Think vibrant and electric accessories like sunglasses, shoes and bags. 

The TK Maxx Take 

To tone down such a bold trend I combined my look with another big trend which is the revival of the 90’s grunge. Think ripped denim, motorbiker oversized leathers and a distressed return of Y2K as seen at Balenciaga and Prada. The perfect antidote to avoid looking like a highlighter – just a touch of neon in my jumper and accessories for the ideal combination. 

Women’s Skirt, €9.99, TK Maxx

Women’s Gold Label Mac, €269.99, TK Maxx

 

Sandals, €179.99, TK Maxx

 

 

Green Handbag, €46.99, TK Maxx

Women’s Yellow Jacket, €16.99, TK Maxx

Men’s Orange Shirt, €29.99, TK Maxx

Green Blue Top, €12.99, TK Maxx

What accounts do you turn to for Fashion Week inspiration?

I love to use Instagram to find my favourite Fashion Week inspo because you are getting the looks in real-time directly from the source. I follow influencers like Leonie Hanne because she gives an insight into not just her own personal style, but the entire process from fittings, hair and makeup and finally a sneak peek from the front row at the best shows too. Her style is generally head to toe designer and couture so it’s purely aspirational but always great to take ideas from.

How can you make Fashion Week trends wearable in your own day-to-day

I think it’s important first to realise that not every trend will suit your own personal style; so, don’t get overly obsessed with ‘trends’. The best way to incorporate these into your own style is by smaller touches and accessories rather than always going head to toe. For example – pink is one of this season’s hottest colours but adding a shoe or bag to a look is just as effective as a full pink look.

What are you favourite emerging trends this season? 

I love that the Y2K 90’s is back; but I’m less about the low-slung jeans and butterfly tops and more excited about the return of grunge motorcycle leathers. I also adore the highlighter and neon trend although I don’t think I would ever dare to do it head to toe. For me, it will be about the little details.

Do you have any advice for honing your own personal style?

Care less about what other people are wearing and more about what makes YOU feel good wearing it. I always found taking pictures of my outfits helped me realise what I looked good in, which in turn helped me feel good, but that’s not to say don’t experiment… you need to try new things to figure out if they are you or not. You’ll find that you naturally gravitate to certain items when shopping so try and figure out what it is you like about those items and then work on building a wardrobe around those key pieces.  

What do you envision will be big style-wise this year as we emerge from the pandemic?

As the world begins to reopen so does the opportunity to showcase our love of clothes and fashion. The style across the globe outside the catwalks and on the streets was eclectic, fun and sometimes slightly haphazard (in a good way). There has been a huge shift back to creative and authentic style – more is more, excess is embraced and being the most unique version of yourself and wearing truly personal outfits is praised on every level. So now it’s time for some serious self-expression. Expect more colour, more glitter, more sequins and just MORE.

You can shop Courtney’s edit of Fashion Week-inspired TK Maxx pieces below.