The fact is, whether you’re somebody who camps out overnight for the latest sneaker release or simply regularly wears trainers to the office (but never thought you would have done so five years ago), the proliferation of streetwear has impacted the way we all shop and dress. Why? “The luxury market is unrecognisable to how it was 10, or even five, years ago,” says Heather Gramston, Womenswear Buying Manager. “Designers used to dictate the fashion agenda, which would eventually trickle down to the man or woman on the street; today it’s all about the ‘trickle-up’ effect. Designers are looking at what’s happening on the street and building from that – it’s a much more consumer-led, democratic approach to fashion.” 

Off-White C/O Virgil Abloh is arguably the leader of this new wave of designers pushing the boundaries of what streetwear means in 2018. The brand’s raw aesthetic combined with luxury fabrication is catnip to a generation of consumers for whom streetwear is just as credible and covetable – if not more so – than traditional luxury brands.

When Off-White first launched in 2013, it quickly developed a cult following for its signature diagonal black-and-white stripes on tees and sweats. But as the customer has grown up, so too has the brand. In recent seasons, Abloh’s effortless transition into tailoring (which is now just as in demand as the graphic sweats) has proven that he means business, eschewing categorisation as a ‘streetwear’ designer. The current spring/summer 2018 collection was inspired by a seemingly unlikely icon, Princess Diana, with a hot-pink power suit and fierce leather dress among the most buzzworthy pieces. And Abloh’s recent appointment as lead menswear designer at Louis Vuitton is further proof that the future of streetwear and luxury fashion are inextricably linked.

So, what’s flying in the Designer Studio right now? There’s Off-White’s oversized tailoring, retro sportswear from Champion and Fila, and one-off reworked vintage gems from Ragyard – but the real secret is, anything goes. “It’s not about copying a look or wearing one brand head to toe,” says buyer Sev Halit. “It’s about mixing and matching different designers, styles and references, menswear and womenswear, and finding your own distinct, personal style.”

Luxury is no longer about a price tag, and with this melting-pot approach to fashion in mind, the question of nomenclature is an interesting one. “Why label it as streetwear and designerwear?” asks Becki. “You can’t draw neat boxes around these things anymore. Street culture is such a dominant influence on how people dress now; it’s no longer streetwear, it’s just fashion.”