1. Balenciaga might the biggest brand in the world, but no one can walk in it heels
According to fashion platform Lyst, which analyses the online shopping behaviour of more than 8 million people, Balenciaga is the world’s biggest brand – searches have soared by a whopping 5,000% in the past year. Despite this, its models still struggle to walk in the cult label’s shoes, as evidenced in its celebrity-drenched haute couture show. The duck-billed platypus-shaped heels proved next to impossible to walk in, including for Nicole Kidman, whose couture debut was memefied in a matter of minutes thanks to her lopsided walk in the flat-footed pumps.

2. Olivier Rousteing is now designing for Jean Paul Gaultier and we are here for it
Following Jean Paul Gaultier’s retirement in 2020, the French label decided to invite guest artistic directors to design its collections, the first of which is Olivier Rousteing. Since his 2011 appointment as Balmain’s creative director, he has challenged the French fashion establishment at every turn and the same was true for his inaugural Gaultier show, which featured over 100 looks that cosplayed on the label’s penchant for cone boobs and irony. 

3. Valentino won’t tone down its Crayola brights for anyone
Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s couture offering was a smorgasbord of ripe, unapologetic hues, all of which looked as though they’d been plucked straight from the inspiration boards at Crayola. Inspired by the beauty of beginnings, models walked all of the 136 Spanish steps in Rome, the location of Valentino’s first atelier, sporting bright bursts of colours that proved the perfect sartorial antidote to the gloominess of the news cycle.

4. Schiaparelli is having a serious renaissance
A current favourite of Adele, who wore the historic Italian label for her One Night Only TV special last year as well as her Hyde Park concert earlier this month, Schiaparelli’s couture collection – which featured Anne Hathaway and the notoriously private Emma Watson on its front row and went heavy on the socially-distanced XXL shoulder pads that defined the 90s – was followed two days later by the opening of new exhibition, Shocking! The Surreal World Of Elsa Schiaparelli, at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs. No word on whether Adele has requested a VIP visit yet…

5. North West is the celebrity every fashion house wants on its front row
The latest Kardashian to have captured fashion’s notoriously frosty heart is Kim and Kanye West’s 9-year-old daughter, North. Not only did she accompany her mother to the aforementioned Balenciaga and Jean Paul Gaultier shows wearing coordinating versions of her mum’s outfits, she was also a serious mood, holding up a sign at the latter emblazoned with the word STOP to signal to photographers to quit snapping her. And just like that, a style star was born.

Get ready to throw some shade with this summer’s most joyful accessory love-in: a pair of ‘funnies’, a stylish amalgam of tongue-in-cheek sunglasses laden in irony. Pioneered by Loewe x Paula Ibiza’s flower-shaped cat-eye style (£290), the rise of ‘funnies’ has coincided with the hottest and sunniest month on record – because no one needs a stern pair of minimalist sunglasses when the thermometer is melting.

Should the flower-power of Loewe’s pair not appeal, Stylist’s fashion editor Naomi suggests looking instead to Gucci’s diamante-encrusted XXL shades (£810) or Swarovski’s bubble-inspired fuchsia iterations (£230). Meanwhile, Balenciaga’s marble-effect shades (£305) are gaining momentum, while Saint Laurent’s heart-framed pair (£335) continue to be a certified success story if the faces of the style set are anything to go by. Put down those classic Ray-Bans and have some fun(nies).

Look at any surface on which the most famous people alive are standing, and you’ll be sure to find the same Cinderella slippers cushioning their feet. Easily identified by its propensity for more-is-more glitz, footwear brand Mach & Mach has become one of the fashion world’s best-kept secrets.

Founded in 2012 by sisters Nina and Gvantsa Macharashvili in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, it has amassed a cult following in its decade-long existence, with Solange, Dua Lipa and Alexa Chung – who wore a pair to this year’s Met Ball – counting themselves as fans. “Mach & Mach has had a great reaction from our customers since we launched the brand – all styles sell out almost instantly when they go live on our website,” Tiffany Hsu, MyTheresa’s Vice President of Womenswear and Kidswear Buying, tells Stylist’s fashion editor Naomi.

And it’s not just MyTheresa that struggles to keep the shoes in stock. Browns Fashion’s autumn/winter 2022 presentation similarly confirmed that the label’s heart-shaped heels and towering silhouettes are proving popular among its customer base.

For those new to the label, its Crystal Double-Bow pumps (£864) are a firm fashion favourite, while the mule version (£817) is beginning to ascend up Team Stylist’s ‘add to cart’ list. Quite frankly, we’ll take them all. From £771, MyTheresa.com

Forget everything you thought you knew: this summer, dresses are taking a backseat and their lesser-known relative, the luxury summer co-ord, is being ushered firmly to the front of the fashion queue. Net-a-Porter, which has a designated ‘Matching Separates’ category on its website, confirmed to Stylist that searches for co-ords have doubled compared to last year.

Thanks to their versatility, wearability and practicality, a buffet of brands have jumped aboard the co-ord bandwagon, with Deiji Studios, Zimmermann and Frankie Shop’s matching duets among those proving to be a true success for Net-a-Porter.

Australian labels like Zimmermann are dominating the co-ord space, with Aje’s zesty two pieces – we love this green pintucked shirt (£250) and matching midi-skirt (£350) – and Alex Perry’s tailored short suits struggling to stay in stock in the UK.  When it comes to British brands, With Nothing Underneath’s no-fuss poplin shirt and shorts co-ords are a cut above the rest, and we also have a soft spot for Ukraine’s Vita Kin – especially this topstitched broderie anglaise top (£1,482) and matching skirt (£1,212). Alexa, start playing the Spice Girls’ 2 Become 1.