Pre-fall 18 trend-to-go: Big cat alert

Have we reached peak leopard? Not a bit of it. The pre-fall collections may be dropping into our inbox faster than pre-Christmas sale announcements, but it’s still early in the season and so far, animal print has been one of the top trends.

And labels aren’t only back in love with leopard, they’re also treating us to the full range of big cats with tiger, cheetah and jaguar thrown in too.Find them both in realistic and obviously faux renditions. And let’s not forget zebra or giraffe - it seems that for the new pre-season, all of our animal kingdom friends are fair game.

Used in abstract interpretations and non-traditional colourways, the prints feel slightly retro - think back to the 1980s when clearly fake animal prints enjoyed something of a golden age. 

And it looks like we could be in for a mini golden age next season too as designers incorporate animal prints into anything and everything. They make the biggest impact on outerwear with plenty of tailored coats in printed or woven animal skins as well as faux furs. But it’s also an option for both day and after-dark statement pieces with the print adding an edge to dresses that you might usually expect to see in pretty florals.

And don’t forget animal print’s potential for details - hosiery, patches, bag straps and inserts all contribute to pre-season’s love of mad pattern mixes.