Camellias typically bloom in spring, but that didn’t stop Virginie Viard from placing a snow-white, supersized iteration of the flower at the centre of her black Chanel autumn/winter catwalk. The Brobdingnagian bloom loomed large in the collection, too, comprising silk brooches on the lapels of black coats and prints on fluid monochrome dresses. Note the relative absence of colour – florals have taken on a faintly gothic feel for fall. Gently grungy at Burberry, they were remixed with black lace at Rabanne, and were positively otherworldly at Noir Kei Ninomiya.
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Fashion

# The Key Autumn/Winter 2023 Trends To Know Now

19 December 2023

The Key AutumnWinter 2023 Trends To Know Now

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The biggest autumn/winter 2023 fashion trend? Not clothes, but a pose – or a clutch, to be precise. At Giorgio Armani, the models clutched powder compacts; at Ann Demeulemeester, they clutched their breasts. From the model clasping her crimson edge-to-edge coat at The Row, to the girls illuminated by the glow of the iPhones clamped in their palms at Courrèges, to the woman grasping her ivory liquid-silk dress round her shoulders like she’d just stepped out the shower at Loewe, the meaningful gesture was everywhere. All conspired to make the autumn/winter catwalks in New York, London, Milan and Paris feel a little more human.

Those real-life gestures chimed with the season’s biggest look: pared-back, everyday clothes, executed in best-in-class fabrics. The runways at Bottega Veneta, Miu Miu and Loewe were all filled with outfits one could easily imagine throwing on before heading out to take on the day. And if you’re rolling your eyes at a publication extolling the merits of clothes you can actually wear, the difference came in the details that elevated them from mundane to magazine-worthy: a pair of socks rendered in peachy-soft leather at Bottega Veneta, say, or a chain attaching the hem of an oversized white shirt to a shoulder at Loewe, lending its silhouette an artful ripple.

If we thought the post-Covid 2020s were set to mirror the Roaring Twenties, with Champagne for breakfast and sequins for the supermarket run, well, we were wrong. One year on from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the autumn collections found fashion wringing its hands a little less energetically. It was business as usual – and big, ballsy 1,000-capacity-fashion-show business at that. But a sense of anxiety still hung in the air.

Perhaps that’s why strict black coats made their sober presence felt, along with classic white shirts styled in myriad ingenious ways (good news if you have one in your wardrobe already). Ditto corporate-infused looks blending shoulders that could fill trading floors with pinstriped suits and ties – if a financial crisis is on the cards, you may as well dress for promotion.

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There were moments of levity. Shimmering metallics prevailed, with draped liquid lamé a welcome addition to sequins. Then there was the defiant, punkish energy that knowingly or subconsciously paid tribute to the late, great, Dame Vivienne Westwood, who passed away in December. Florals took on a faintly gothic tinge (make the Wednesday Addams connection if you wish – it’s undeniable the Netflix series has been on multiple designers’ watch lists) while sheer, lingerie-style fabrics and knickers worn with tights lent a “woke up like this” nonchalance.

Sparkle aside, timelessness has been the watchword in fashion trends for some time now – as we’ve all shifted to a more conscious approach to getting dressed – but there has surely never been a better time to seek out investment buys. When the new season’s hero pieces include a white shirt and a black coat, looking current and curating a future-proof wardrobe are one and the same.

From nonchalance to insouciance, and the best way to ease into autumn when the mercury starts to drop: throw on a dramatic scarf. Drape a tartan blanket across your blazer and secure it with a gold pin, à la Saint Laurent; invest in a brooch in the shape of a miniature trumpet, like those at Louis Vuitton, the better to accessorise the long, woollen scarf you already have hanging in your closet. You could knit one yourself, if you like. After all, we should all be following Westwood’s maxim: “Buy less, choose well, make it last.”

## Real talk

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There’s a plain-speaking chic about the season’s most wearable looks that at first glance appears formulaic. Take one grey hoodie and pair it with a strong-shouldered camel coat and leggings, like the Miu Miu girl and her doppelgängers on the way to spin class in Notting Hill; pair your baggy blue jeans with a striped shirt and a trench, like the Gucci woman and her counterparts buying a coffee in Brooklyn. But such insouciant luxury boasts superior specifics: those blue jeans at Bottega Veneta are crafted from wafer-thin leather, that Fendi trench coat is lined with beige sequins.

Bottega Veneta

Gucci

Miu Miu

Coperni

Ferragamo

Wales Bonner

Chloé

Botter

Fendi

Courrèges

Tove

Petar Petrov

Tory Burch

Tod’s

Hermès

Lemaire

Brunello Cucinelli

Ulla Johnson

Stella McCartney
Marc Piasecki

## Shop the trend

Everlane

Oversized Blazer

Ralph Lauren

Relaxed Fit Two-Tone Striped Shirt

Totême

Twisted Seam Jeans

Arket

Scuba Zip Hoodie

Kurt Geiger London

Margot Loafers

FRANKIE SHOP

Corrin Pleated Wide-Leg Trousers

## The great black coat

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Next season’s key wardrobe investment doesn’t, at first glance, set the pulse racing – unless, that is, you’re a Wednesday Addams acolyte. Still, there’s something about a strictly tailored black coat that feels absolutely right again. Pick wisely, and you’ll be wearing yours for years to come.

Victoria Beckham

Alaïa

Balenciaga

Dolce & Gabbana

Prada

Courrèges

Stella McCartney

Alberta Ferretti

Khaite

Givenchy

Chanel

Michael Kors Collection

No.21

Margaret Howell

Max Mara
Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images

## Shop the trend

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Double-Breasted Tailored Coat

COS

Oversized Rounded Wool Coat

JOSEPH

Rainwear Chatsworth Coat

Totême

Raglan-Sleeve Leather Coat

Filippa K

Slim Wool Coat

Wardrobe.NYC

Double-Breasted Wool Coat

## Classic sequence

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White shirts have always been a wardrobe binder, but this season they transition from chorus line to spotlight in the capsule of classics. Take them long and lean, via the gown-like styles sweeping the floor at Valentino, opt for boyish and pair yours with a chic miniskirt at Prada, or enjoy the uncomplicated charm of a pinstriped style paired with boxers at Bottega Veneta.

Loewe

Valentino

Christian Dior

Balmain

Alexander McQueen

Proenza Schouler

Bottega Veneta

Sacai

Louis Vuitton

Prada

Simone Rocha

Zimmermann

Max Mara
Estrop/Getty Images

The Row

## Shop the trend

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Women’s Dropped Shoulder Shirt Dress In Optic White

Raey

Oversized Lyocell-Blend Shirt

& Other Stories

Relaxed Fit Shirt

LOEWE

Silk Shirt Dress

COS

Zip-Up Denim Shirt Dress

With Nothing Underneath

The Dress Shirt

## Executive suite

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Things are heating up over in corporate comms. A shirt and tie combo, on the fringes of a breakthrough for the past couple of seasons, has circled back and been promoted to catwalk staple at Dior, Valentino and Alexander McQueen. Meanwhile pinstripes are vying for employee of the month, striking a C-suite note at Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. Then there’s the strong shoulder that bolsters winter’s key silhouette, impossible to ignore at Balenciaga and beyond. We say: dress for the job you want.

GCDS

Kenzo

Diesel

Thom Browne

Saint Laurent

Christian Dior

Dries Van Noten

Louis Vuitton

Dolce & Gabbana

Valentino

David Koma

Alexander McQueen

Comme des Garçons

Undercover

Balenciaga

Brunello Cucinelli

## Shop the trend

Weekend Max Mara

Gabardine Blazer

COS

Asymmetric Pinstriped Wool Skirt

Uniqlo

Pleated Wide-Leg Trousers

Saint Laurent

Exaggerated-Shoulder Pinstriped-Twill Jacket

FRANKIE SHOP

Tailored Gelso Waistcoat

Ralph Lauren

Straight-Leg Satin Trousers

## Swathe yourself

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No need to fear the cold next fall: blankets, scarves and shrugs were thrown over everything from snappy tailoring at The Row and Saint Laurent to evening gowns at Giorgio Armani. Take things in a tonal direction, like Daniel Lee at Burberry and Nadège Vanhée-Cybulski at Hermès, or invest in a cheeky brooch. At Louis Vuitton, Nicolas Ghesquière fastened super-long, home-spun knitted scarves with pins in the shape of miniature brass instruments.

Burberry

The Row

Saint Laurent

Marni

Etro

Michael Kors Collection

Paul Smith

Gabriela Hearst

Balmain

Y/Project

Louis Vuitton

Yohji Yamamoto

Junya Watanabe

Giorgio Armani

Maison Margiela

Roksanda

AZ Factory

Rick Owens

Altuzarra

Acne Studios

## Shop the trend

The Row

Notte Brushed Cashmere Scarf Coat

Burberry

Checked-Wool Hooded Scarf

& Other Stories

Wool Scarf Jacket

Totême

Scarf-Neckline Felt Jacket

The Row

Belted Cashmere Coat

Totême

Ribbed Knit Scarf

## Savage garden

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By Christian Allaire

Camellias typically bloom in spring, but that didn’t stop Virginie Viard from placing a snow-white, supersized iteration of the flower at the centre of her black Chanel autumn/winter catwalk. The Brobdingnagian bloom loomed large in the collection, too, comprising silk brooches on the lapels of black coats and prints on fluid monochrome dresses. Note the relative absence of colour – florals have taken on a faintly gothic feel for fall. Gently grungy at Burberry, they were remixed with black lace at Rabanne, and were positively otherworldly at Noir Kei Ninomiya.

Richard Quinn
Aitor Rosas Sune/Getty Images

Erdem

Christopher Kane

Burberry

Louis Vuitton

Jil Sander

Carolina Herrera

Alexander McQueen

Emilia Wickstead

Noir Kei Ninomiya

Christian Dior

MSGM

Chanel

Balenciaga

Paco Rabanne

## Shop the trend

Dries Van Noten

Printed Velvet Midi-Skirt

Acne Studios

Floral-Print Stretch-Jersey Top

ALAÏA

Floral Mesh Maxi Skirt

Rixo

Cinzia Silk Midi Dress

Emilia Wickstead

Lorinda Floral-Print Satin Pencil Skirt

Dries Van Noten

Floral Satin Midi-Skirt

## Rebel, rebel

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Fashion lost a colossus when Dame Vivienne Westwood passed away in December. Famed for her fealty to femininity-with-a-kick, as well as for her relentless campaigning, her legacy lived on in the vibrant tartans, bold bustles and graceful corsetry that enlivened many an autumn/winter collection. Marc Jacobs was the first to pay tribute with his 3 February show. Could it be coincidence that led so many other designers to promote a punkish, non-conformist sensibility? It seems activism is in the air.

Marc Jacobs

Vaquera

Junya Watanabe

Stella McCartney

Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood

JW Anderson

Issey Miyake

Shang Xia

Di Petsa

Chopova Lowena

Asai

Collina Strada

A.P.C.

Anna Sui

Akris

## Shop the trend

Vivienne Westwood

Sunday Off-The-Shoulder Tartan Corset Top

Saint Laurent

Tartan Mohair-Blend Scarf

Chopova Lowena

Carabiner Tartan-Print Upcycled-Wool Miniskirt

Jimmy Choo Didi 45 Peacock Tartan Fabric Pointed Pumps

Ferregamo

Gathered Checked Organza Midi Dress

Saint Laurent

Oversized Tartan Wool Blazer

## Cometh the hourglass

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The hourglass silhouette had been building momentum all season, but then Gigi Hadid strutted out against the backdrop of the Hollywood Hills at twilight in a black Versace skirt suit, its waist moulded to mimic Sophia Loren’s proportions, and the trend was cemented. Chunky belts cinched things in at Max Mara, Alaïa and Schiaparelli; elsewhere designers sought to offset wide shoulders with neat tailored waists and skinny belts at Louis Vuitton and Chanel.

Richard Quinn

A.W.A.K.E. Mode

Ermanno Scervino

Standing Ground, Fashion East

Versace

Jason Wu

Balmain

Sportmax

Nina Ricci

Max Mara

Prada

Alaïa

Schiaparelli

Moschino

Prabal Gurung

Self-Portrait

Stella Jean

Roland Mouret

## Shop the trend

Balenciaga

Hourglass Double-Breasted Wool-Bouclé Blazer

ALAÏA

Leather Corset Belt

Jean Paul Gaultier

Iconic Corseted Minidress

KHAITE

Carmona Double-Breasted Felt Longline Coat

Spanx

Under Sculpt Corset

ALAÏA

High-Neck Stretch-Woven Belted Maxi Dress

## Woke up like this

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By Christian Allaire

The Miu Miu models got dressed in a hurry this season, so much so that the waistband of tights were yanked up over cardigans and unkempt puffs of bedhead frizz bobbed as they walked. In the case of Emma Corrin, they even forgot to put on their skirt – though it didn’t matter, because their knickers were sequinned. Such a memorable closing look chimed with the underwear-centric looks at Missoni, Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana, not to mention the sheer dresses at Simone Rocha and Molly Goddard. Will you trade your trousers for an extra five minutes in bed? This is sleep optimisation as you’ve never seen it before.

Ferragamo

Ann Demeulemeester

Bottega Veneta

DSquared2

Miu Miu

Molly Goddard

Coach

Lanvin

Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini

Nensi Dojaka

Atlein

Mowalola

Missoni

Moschino

Ester Manas

Dilara Findikoglu

No.21

## Shop the trend

Massimo Dutti

Long Lace Camisole Dress

Miu Miu

Pongé Minidress

Acne Studios

Lace-Trim Midi-Skirt

KHAITE

Candita Lace-Trimmed Silk Maxi Dress

Free People

Neon Nights Midi Slip

Raey

Lace-Trimmed Silk-Satin Cami Top

## Precious metals

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Make an entrance in a sequined metallic dress, or an exit in a fuzzy metallic coat – those are your eveningwear choices come Christmas party season. As for the shade, precious metals lent a dose of much-needed colour to a season that heavily lent on black, grey, navy and chocolate brown.

Hermès
Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images

No.21

Simone Rocha

Gucci

16Arlington

Paco Rabanne

Isabel Marant

Rochas

Rick Owens

Emporio Armani

Blumarine

Dundas

LaQuan Smith

Rodarte

Ferragamo

Bode

Emilia Wickstead

Ashish

Dries Van Noten

Giambattista Valli

COS

Coated Denim Maxi Skirt

Dries Van Noten

Metallic Cable-Knit Wool Sweater

Liberowe

NET SUSTAIN Crystal-Embellished Metallic Jacquard Peplum Jacket

Taller Marmo

Tina Mesh-Overlay Sequinned Gown

Oscar De La Renta

Strapless Metallic Ruched Minidress

Isabel Marant

Anea Metallic Trousers

Perfect Moment

Nevada Metallic Padded Shell-Down Jacket

Jimmy Choo X Jean Paul Gaultier

Silver Liquid Metal Leather Slingback Pumps With Laces

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