1. Everyday People
Not to be confused with normcore, which is mainstream, this is quiet luxury, or stealth wealth. It’s fashion’s approach to honing elevated style through an arsenal of stellar investment pieces. This fashion narrative was apparent at Miu Miu, where models of varying generations wore age-appropriate, flawless styles. Miuccia Prada fondly referred to their sensible and straightforward clothes as classics, thanks to the styling adaptability that was friendly for all ages.
Over at Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy’s purview on classicism delved deeper into the utilitarian purpose of clothes. Manipulating seamlines through drapes and large decorative buttons, the sleeves on coats, as well as the necklines on shirts and dresses, each formed brand-new 3D shapes. Quiet yet deftly executed, they definitely created noise for Blazy’s less-than-ordinary collection.
2. Cat Person
Coined from a viral TikTok trend, the “mob wife aesthetic” might just be responsible for the abundance of leopard prints this season. Although Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri offered a minimal four exits in leopard, the looks were impactful, while underscoring an elegance of equal parts glamour and Sixties Mod.
Elsewhere, American designer Michael Kors presented a plethora of polished wardrobe staples and then, a single leopard coat. The only big cat pattern in the collection, the opulent piece spoke volumes for the rest of Kors’ enduring collection. On the other hand, Francesco Risso’s Marni collection explored the feline motif more conceptually through peculiar and rigid, dart-less silhouettes.
3. Garden Party
In fashion, flowers are more than just a spring perennial. Thriving all year round, they also bloom in summery shades for many of fall’s austere collections. Some of the season’s very first and cheerfully-bright blooms showed up at New York Fashion Week, courtesy of Carolina Herrera. The sunny yellow and baby pink confections were by far, some of Wes Gordon’s sweeter floral interpretations of the collection. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons also offered their mini take on winter florals, embellishing just a handful of sheer tunics with plush fur floral motifs.
At Miu Miu, Mrs Prada carried on her dabble in petals, in this instance, with big and bold clashing colours, and graphical pizzazz. The most talked-about of fashion florals, however, came from Jonathan Anderson’s Albert York-inspired Loewe collection. Hits included a baggy trousers and a sweatshirt set, both of which were in chintzy florals and fully micro-beaded! Brilliant and exceptionally lavish, it paid sweet homage to the late and reclusive American artist’s Eden.
4. What a feeling!
Behold the drama of tactile creations this season! A majority of these larger-than-life 3D textures came in the form of statement coats spun out of yarn (Gabriela Hearst, Stella McCartney, Missoni), or sheared wool (Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors Collection, Chloé). Appearing at both Erdem and Saint Laurent, exotic marabou made it to the luxury list, washed in neutrals and gemstone violet hues alike.
Trust Matthieu Blazy to give Bottega Veneta’s intrecciato weave a shoutout with a striking belted coat. The masterpiece could have easily been mistaken for checked fabric, but it was well far from it. Closer inspection would reveal the precise artistry of criss-crossing leather strips in an assortment of homogenous hues artfully woven to include an excess of decorative fringe. Other standouts included a chubby puffer tailcoat made from tweed at Thom Browne and at Comme des Garçons, a balloon-y, black polyurethane wonder.
5. Look Ma, No Pants!
As if going out in lingerie-inspired clothing isn’t subversive (or chilly) enough, designers are also suggesting the ditching of pants for fall. This is not a joke nor is this a new-fangled trend. Remember the itsy-bitsy boy shorts at Miu Miu last fall, or for that matter,
Miuccia Prada’s bold declaration on going out in panties if she still had youth on her side? This ballsy look also caught on with celebrities in the past year, with Bella Hadid, Kristen Stewart, and Kylie Jenner all getting papped, while stepping out dressed in their fashionable tightie-whities.
But on a serious note, designers are aware of the radical aspect of pant-less ensembles, hence, all the dressy separates/add-ons for pulling together and—with irony—dressing up these skimpy looks. Tailored jackets at Dior and Dolce & Gabbana reinforced an after-dark glam, while a flirty, sheer blouse defined femininity, and a boho dreaminess at Chloé.
6. Leather Business
There was no shortage of leather pickings this season, judging from the parade of exquisite head-to-toe, matchy-matchy looks on the runway. Hermès stood out for its inimitable collection with an equally unique inspiration. Titled Une Bikese Équestre (French for an equestrian biker), the clever combination of the two riding/racing disciplines saw Nadège Vanhee skilfully straddle equestrian attire and motowear, at times interchanging the sartorial components of the two, or simply marrying them into one very super-cool look—think biker jacket on top, aerodynamic ribbed leather leggings (read: riding jodhpurs) on the bottom, or vice versa.
Meanwhile, Tod’s newly-appointed creative director Matteo Tamburini finessed an oxblood red nappa leather dress with flamboyant fringing, while Gucci’s Sabato De Sarno reintroduced the brand’s Dusty Blue GG Motif in buttery nappa, as opposed to summery gaberdine a la Gucci Lido for Pre-Fall ’24.
7. Enter the boudoir
The season’s lingerie-inspired looks were nothing short of risqué. From ultra-sheer layers to delicate lace, these racy ensembles warrant nerve (and a modelesque physique). In an audacious move, Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vacarrello showed a 48-piece, thigh-skimming collection, most of which were transparent pieces fashioned out of hosiery fabric, no less. Save for two roomy pantsuits, the only “cover-up” pieces were the collection’s rotund leather jackets and floofy marabou coats. At Valentino, Pier Paolo Piccioli’s all-black manifesto gave sweet yet sultry.
The Roman designer sheathed naked bodies in the filmiest of see-through robes adorned
with ruffles and flower appliqués, some reminiscent of nightdresses and dressing gowns.
In other words, clothes for strictly behind closed doors. The infamous slip dress of the Noughties also made a provocative comeback at labels from Gucci to Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and more. The remarkable renditions were naturally ones in barely-there lace.
8. Big Bottom Girls
If there’s one formidable trend that’s going to grab your attention, this is it. The good news? It’s a cool secret on acing oversized silhouettes from the waist-down. For starters, it’s imperative to go snug on the top, purely for the sake of silhouette balance. Case in point: The harem-esque trousers at Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe show that were paired with structured tops, or tailored jackets that were a shrewd styling know-how for elevating louche, voluminous shapes.
Then, there were those charmingly preppy skirts at Miu Miu. They looked incredibly effortless but, boy, are they going to pack on those unwanted pounds? Not with the trickery of two-tone layering on top, they won’t. And since we’re on the subject of the season’s ubiquitous big skirt, one of the most intriguing shapes to make waves was the maxi peplum.
Francesco Risso cut a severe, paper-like rendition at Marni, while Pierpaolo Piccioli leaned in on a softer styling approach by using a long cardigan to weigh down the chunky silhouette and create an illusion of narrowing hips. Nicolas Ghesquière, on the other hand, went all out with a pageantry of razzle-dazzle ruffles on some of the skirt hems. Perhaps to celebrate his remarkable 10th anniversary at Louis Vuitton?
