'I went to Fashion Week in Europe. Here are the 7 trends that really stood out.'

A few weeks ago I managed to work my way into Athens Fashion Week amidst my European holiday. 

On a scorching hot day, in between jaunts to the beach, my two dates and I made our way to the outskirts of Greece's capital, to an abandoned airport, and waited for the fashion show to begin.

Now I have been to fashion weeks before – first in London then in Sydney. There's a formula to these events, so I (thought I) knew exactly what to expect: a lot of tottering around, posing, peacocking, and then a fashion show. 

As a vintage aficionado, I'm more into timeless style over what's next in fashion, but witnessing what's on the horizon can still be fun and telling.

Watch: Non-family-friendly fashion with Mamamia's Clare Stephens. Post continues after video.

At this fashion week, whilst the pace was a little different from what I'd experienced before, the people-watching was perfect!

I got to spy all sorts of local Greek celebs and influencers hardly anyone in Australia's ever heard of, and witness many distinct summer trends for us to embody as we slowly make our way towards warmer months.

Here are the trends that really stood out.

1. Bright, block colours.

Everywhere I looked – from the fashion week punters to the people on the streets of Athens – everyone seemed to be wearing brightly coloured clothes. 

Not just in the usual hues either, they wore unexpected colours like lime green and orange. 

From where I was sitting there wasn't a pastel colour in sight, instead, it was people going hard in the brightest colour or going home.

2. All white.

Following the previous point, I also saw a lot of head-to-toe white looks – mostly with glittery gold jewellery and brown leather shoes. 

I'm not sure I'm ready to take this look for a spin myself, but it certainly looks chic on the right person.

3. Ankle-length hemlines.

Supposedly mini skirts are in but I honestly didn't see many in Europe, bar on the odd English or Australian tourist.

Instead, I saw ankle-skimming skirts, dresses and trousers. If they weren't wearing this, the hemlines at least hit below the knee. 

4. Return to structure.

As for up top, I witnessed all kinds of structured bodices, shirts and blazers. These paired with longer, more relaxed bottoms combined for a fabulous style statement. 

It was also a main feature of the show by Greek designer, Vassilis Zoulias, that I saw. I was so convinced by it that I even began wearing the combo myself!

5. Statement earrings.

With this trend, people really expressed their playful side - combining bright colours and out-there designs in their earring choices. 

Even those who wore more classic designs, say a gold hoop, did so with panache, opting for larger versions of those timeless styles. 

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6. Bright manicures.

Rather than acrylic claws and nail art, I witnessed loads of bright, bold manicures, all on short, blunt nails.

This summer opt for a bright, fruity palette on short clean nail beds if you're keen to keep up.

7. Single-hued hair.

This was actually something I saw a lot of in Paris late last year – clearly, a trend that's taken Europe by storm.

Although many people are still dying their hair – in fact, there were a lot of cool copper or vibrant amber looks which really stood out – but balayage was rarely seen. 

Instead, it seems the locals are picking one hair colour and sticking to it (annoying for me as I'm still in the process of growing out my platinum locks to my natural honey-ash blonde). 

As mentioned before I opt for secondhand style and slow fashion, and fashion week's demanding calendar doesn't always align with this sentiment. 

But the relaxed, sunny attitude of the locals in Athens made this my favourite fashion week yet.

Charlotte Dallison is a writer, podcaster and vintage aficionado. For more from her, you can follow her on Instagram here.

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.