The must-have buys for the season ahead.
The biggest takeaway from fashion of the new season is a love of pattern and texture. It’s a return to big, fluffy coats by way of Carrie Bradshaw, and maximalist wallpaper-inspired florals. The autumn/winter 2024 collections conjure up the nostalgic and traditional with a focus on tactility and texture. Fringed details, heritage tweed and asymmetric silhouettes are embraced in new ways, most notably by the likes of Valentino, Akris and Victoria Beckham.
From daywear to evening garments, this season showcases the feminine and a fluidity in dressing. Whether you’re heading to the office or stepping out for cocktails and celebrations, we’ve rounded up the biggest trends and AW24 must-haves to see out the season in style.
Voluminous Outerwear
With high-pile hems and bold silhouettes, this season’s outerwear received a maximalist makeover from designers such as Stella McCartney and Moncler. Embracing more than just warmth, this ginger brown plush teddy coat from Stella McCartney, £1,790, elevates your winter wardrobe with a touch of sumptuously soft drama. Leaning into the leopard print trend that has dominated this year, Bottega Veneta’s AW24 shearling coat is a lesson in statement winter wear.
Timeless in Tweed
English country weekends meet French-girl chic with this on-trend jacket. Made famous by Coco Chanel and beloved by modern-day royals, the tweed jacket has once again found its place in our autumn/winter wardrobes, dressed down with denim jeans and Mary Jane pumps or paired with fringed miniskirts and leather Shark Lock boots. At Valentino, tweed reigns supreme, with choices ranging from feather-cuffed tweed suits to an everyday round-collared tweed denim jacket. Opting for a modern reinterpretation of the style is Givenchy’s cropped fit jacket in tweed with epaulettes and front pockets, £3,450. Or accessorise with tweed, Chanel's Mini Flip Bag is perfect for adding a bit of texture to your outfit.
The Return of Chintz
Having seen something of a revival in the interior design world last year, chintz made its way out of the archives and onto the runway for designers’ AW24 collections. Bold florals no longer don just our walls. Etro’s midi dress with maxi ruche detailing, £1,791, features a beautifully golden decorative floral print and kimono sleeves, while Valentino’s take on the chintzy trend is that of European elegance, with a brocade flared midi skirt, £4,800, complete with Metamorphos Tulips pattern.
Asymmetric Matters
Asymmetrical lines are cutting through this season, transforming classic dress and blouse silhouettes through sloping necklines, uneven ruffle detailing and high-low hems. Playing with drapery, Seán McGirr’s debut for Alexander McQueen featured a chic asymmetric midi dress, £1,260. Meanwhile, for lovers of unexpected details look to Victoria Beckham’s asymmetric ruffle blouse, £590, whose collar features a single ruffle drape detail cascading down the front of the blouse for a feminine touch to a classic collared shirt.
On the Fringe
From the Golden Age of the 1920s to the rebellious edge of the 1950s, fringe has taken many forms in fashion and this season we are promised classic leathers and quiet-luxury elegance. Leaning into the most iconic form of fringe – the fringed jacket – Stella McCartney for AW24 brings movement into her clothing with fringed sleeves and panels, £1,690. Bringing a more refined angle to the trend, Akris introduces fringe to the tulle sleeves of its silk tunic blouse, £1,305, and the tasselled embellishment to its silk evening dress, £3,040. The perfect way to introduce intrigue to a sophisticated piece.
Collar Up
This season, like the last, is all about big collars. Spring/summer saw oversized-collar blouses, autumn/winter will look to big-collared jackets and backward button-downs. Inspired by beach clubs on the Italian coast, Gucci’s gabardine jacket, £2,500, in pastel blue boasts a statement collar that speaks to late-season sunshine. On the other end of the scale, Hermès has incorporated a number of big-collared coats into its AW24 collection, including a mock neck collar cashmere coat, £6,970.
All That Glitters
A season full of social soirées and evenings out calls for a little sparkle to brighten up the night. From silvery studded shoes and crystal embellishments to all-out sequinned dresses, glittery garments are in for autumn according to Givenchy and Stella McCartney. This pair of strass- covered Shark Lock biker ankle boots, £3,550, helps you to stand out from head to toe, while this plunging midi dress, £6,300, uses crystal embroidery for a figure-moulding shape that exudes confidence.