Hey, haute couture fashion – why so serious? This season, childhood icons, 90s nostalgia and a definite air of irreverent fun is bounding, twirling and tumbling down the catwalks, as cartoons and graphic prints make a glorious return to high fashion.

A modern update of Warhol and Lichtenstein, this season designers were using pop culture characters as muses for their prints and patterns. Last year, Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci transformed Bambi from a sweet cartoon character into the must-have sweatshirt emblem, but while the animated character motif proved a huge hit, this success failed to transcend singular garment success into an outright trend.
This year, however, Jeremy Scott seems to have convinced the fashion world to regress back to childhood, and embrace the shows and characters we grew up with. Blending famous cartoons with a mix of pop art and graphic prints, the Moschino whizkid has inspired fashionistas everywhere to rummage through their wardrobes for the graphic T-shirts and bold prints they loved during the 90s. Celebrities such as Rita Ora and Cara Delevinge have been rocking Spongebob and Bart Simpson prints, and other designers have jumped on this playful trend.  
Preen by Thornton Bregazzi is showing pieces featuring movie heroes, while Disney favourites such as Snow White have become a popular theme on pieces by RED Valentino. However, Moschino is taking the trend to new heights, and have created a whole line based on the images of not just cartoons but children’s sweets, turning the models into a kid’s perfect afternoon.
To embody this playful trend, look for cartoon motifs; Batman emblems, Snow White images and Minnie Mouse-inspired prints and patterns are in plentiful supply. To evoke a more deliberately pop art approach to this look, stick to bright blocks of yellow, white, black and blue. Bold graphic prints and patterns like checks and polka dots evoke Ray Lichtenstein’s iconic 1960s cartoons, while skater skirts and bows evoke fun, girlish femininity.
Team with sneakers or 90s platforms, graphic print accessories and you’re ready to bring cartoon fashion to life.