It’s that time of year again, where we desperately seek out the key trends we need to apply to our autumn wardrobe. Although it’s hard for us to accept the fact that summer is coming to a close and it’s time for us to put away our sliders and our sunglasses (if we were lucky enough to even get the chance to take them out in the first place), we have so much more to look forward to – autumn/winter fashion.
‘It’ Colour
The ‘it’ colour of the rapidly approaching season is without a doubt red. The runways featured fifty shades of this extraordinary colour, donned by Prada, Fendi and MaxMara to name a few. Not only was red shown on the runways, it was emphasised that when it comes to red this season – the bolder the better. Lucky for us, red also happens to be the colour that is most suited to every skin tone! A recurring trend to be familiar with also is the combination of red and pink, it’s so audacious that you have to love it even if you hate it.
Of course, it’s not practical to assume that we will all be walking around campus wearing red two pieces and a floor length red trench – but incorporate this daring colour into your wardrobe one way or another this season.
Corporate Chic
The tailored twosome is essential when discussing trends for autumn and winter of this year. Whether it be Isabel Marant’s hourglass silhouette two piece or Lemaire’s corduroy two piece, one thing’s for sure – no two are the same.
This trend incorporates elements of the power suit from the nineties such as the boxy shape and the double-breasted jacket but adapted so that it has a relaxed style yet tailored in a modern fashion. Examples of these have been seen on the catwalks of Victoria Beckham, Haider Ackermann and Maison Margiela.
Chunky Knits
Layering is without a doubt the best part about autumnal fashion and a key layering piece, the granny-esque cardigan, is having a fashion reboot. These can be seen at Prada’s shows – both menswear and womenswear. Who doesn’t love a good chunky knit? If you want to amalgamate two trends, you can do so by looking for knits with pearl embellishments or various other embroidering.
A popular trend among the trend of knits is the pairing of knitted jumpers and midi skirts – shown at Balenciaga and Dior.
Decadent Glamour
Feathers are both eccentric and extraordinary, they add luxury and character to a look and can be the minor detail which can alter the entire outfit – from a cliche to something much more unique and extravagant. Feathers were definitely something of the past but fashion is determined to make them fabulous again.
Alexander McQueen and Elie Saab both approached the feather comeback by donning the feather trim, which is a much more accessible approach to this trend. Whereas Balenciaga showed off an overwhelmingly staggering floor length feathered gown. Miuccia Prada addressed this trend by showcasing the feather headdress.
Pearls are a symbol of luxury and elegance, and fashion also saw to the reviving of this jewel in this glamour trend. The autumn/winter shows saw heavy pearl embellishments on the likes of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci accessories, while also showing dainty pearl embellishments as seen on Mulberry’s pearl charmed loafers.
Futuristic Foils
Crystal bodysuits, metallic jackets and glitter boots are all trends to follow if Alessandro Michele, Christopher Kane and Karl Lagerfeld have any say in the matter. Karl Lagerfeld based his entire collection around his Chanel Space Centre where a rocket that was soon to be launched was based in the centre of the Grand Palais. Of course we’re not all going to be able to afford Chanel’s space cadet uniform so instead keep an eye out for metallic detailing when looking to incorporate this theme into our autumn/winter wardrobe.
The Sock Boot
The sock boot is a trend that has been around for a while, and you’ll be happy to know that the trend isn’t going anywhere this season. This was brought in with the athleisure trend and it’s still a very dominant shoe on the runways for this autumn/winter. It’s appeal stems from the functionality and wearability of the shoe – it’s extremely easy to wear, all you have to do is just slip it on. Although the sock boot trend is here to stay, it has evolved slightly. It’s been modified and made into a more sophisticated shoe with a more pointed toe and stiletto heel. You can see this from the likes of Balenciaga and Alexander Wang.
Denier Dreams
It’s no secret that fishnet tights was the accessory of last season, and we have Kylie Jenner to thank for that. However, this season hosiery is far from out. On the catwalk of Mulberry, we found mohair tights in a variety of colours – blue, green, and even brown. Nina Ricci has a complete different approach to the hosiery trend, showing off lace embroidered almost bridal-like tights. Whereas Alexander Wang’s look is determined to take us back in time to our youth with Bella Hadid donning opaque tights under shorts, paired with some stiletto heeled boots.
Equestrian-esque
Stella McCartney paid homage to equestrian fashion in her autumn/winter collection with tweed two-pieces and oversized coats in a minimal utilitarian palette of biscuit, sand, grey and khaki. Stella’s outfits have fitted torsos whilst being slightly oversized which adds to the classic femininity of the collection. She even has knitwear pieces in this collection with images of horses on them. Altuzarra also pays tribute to the equestrian theme as well as the previously mentioned corporate theme with a tweed jacket that has the perfect smart, sophisticated yet stylish look.
Beauty Trends
Now that the colder season is upon us the beauty trends are due for a modification, and the autumn/winter catwalks are the very place to look for this change in trends.
Natural, minimalistic beauty has been in for more seasons than I can count. But this year there has been a focus on a more groomed look rather than a raw or bare one. Aside from the refined look that dominated the faces on the catwalks, there were a few other stand-out trends.
Bold Eyes
The trend of bold eyeliner was flaunted on the runways of all four of the fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, but especially so in Milan. Bold eyeliner trends varied across the board of the four fashion weeks. Pat McGrath smudged out black liner and topped it with blue for Prada. Eyes were lined and smudged with kohl liner from the inner corner to the temple at Balmain and Versace. The makeup artists went for a 60s eye with winged liner at Chloe. Similarly, Prabal Gurung approached the cat eye but in a more futuristic way by using bold primary colours along the eyelid or across the brow bone.
Jeremy Scott opposed the general minimalist rule by adopting a doll-like effect by using lash maximalism. However, since we’re in the real world and not on the catwalks, clumping our eyelashes together might not be the best idea. Instead what we can take from Mr. Scott is to make our eyelashes stand out by layering mascara or even adding a few individual false eyelashes to our look.
Statement Mani
The statement manicure was a prominent feature of the autumn/winter catwalks, so book your nail appointments because it’s time to bring back the claws. The likes of Gucci showed off crystal-studded talons, and Antonio Marras’ models had nails with pearl embellishments. In contrast, Balenciaga and Moschino opted for a subtler approach – Balenciaga with a logo mani, and Moschino with a reverse tan french 60s style mani. Jeremy Scott made a statement by incorporating the ‘it’ colour of the season and donned scarlet red hooks.
Slick Rick
Straight, sleek hair was a recurring look throughout the fashion weeks, Oscar De La Renta had models with glossy, tightly-secured high pontytails. Whereas Loewe and Erdem, who also went for the high-shine look, embraced a low ponytail that tightly gathered at the nape of the neck with a centre parting. The models at Topshop Unique also had sleek, smooth and glossy hair.
In terms of hair styling, the shows were split down the middle in the sense that one side supported the sleek, no frizz look. The other side however backed the tousled, laid-back, minimal effort look. Which you can attempt to achieve by applying minimal effort, but for the most of us that method won’t get us hair like Romee Strijd. If only the minimal look required minimal effort!
Shannon Doherty – Fashion Editor
