Trend report: what to wear for AW25
Here’s my theory. The 2020s hasn’t actually started properly because the first five years were stalled due to Covid and its after effects. Fashion-wise, could we be at the turning point now, with all the big runway debuts ringing in major changes (we hope)? Let’s see. For now, I’m still in my classics era, so I’m spotlighting the people and brands doing that really well, including the labels to target for the best pieces at non-crazy prices. Plus, a 90s shoe revival, some beauty updates and what’s on my culture wish list…
1/ USE YOUR POCKETS. Slouching towards Bethlehem? Slouching towards the local tube station more like, with both hands stuffed into side pockets a la Alaia, Prada and Coach. Something about this gesture signals ease, nonchalance and practicality which are always welcome in my world.
2/ A TACTILE COLLAR. I love an accessory that can easily transform an otherwise verging-on-blah outfit. One of Prada’s furry collars worn atop an overcoat, oversize denim jacket or blazer would add the required amount of ‘Grey Gardens’ awkwardness. Miu Miu showed longer furry stoles for a similar piece of oddball fashion theatrics, and Me+Em demonstrates the ease of upgrading your formalwear with its shearling collar*. Keep an eye out for Arket too (I spotted this one – below – accessorising a sweater on the website), or for the real Little Edie deal, there’s always vintage of course.
3/ IN THE MOOD FOR PAINTER PANTS. Something about the utility staple with its wide leg, high waist and patch pockets is speaking to me. So far I’ve not seen many examples but J Crew’s* is looking like a good candidate (as demonstrated by Olympia Gayot, below) while Polo Ralph Lauren’s Ricky trouser* and Me+Em’s Engineered Pants* and jeans* are in the same ballpark.
4/ LET THEM WEAR 90S MANOLOS. I’m seeing a lot of elegant (50mm) mules and slingbacks and much as I’m mule-averse, I can’t help feeling there’s a Manolo Blahnik revival brewing. It chimes with the relentless 90s CBK redux (Jackie Kennedy meets Helmut Lang), the upcoming Issy Blow biopic) and the subtle shift to hyper-feminine dressing. To back this up, there’s the V&A’s new Marie Antoinette exhibition which boasts its own Manolo Blahnik capsule collection inspired by the shoes he designed for Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film. I’m all about an unexpected twist so I’d love to see these frou frou shoes teamed with long or short socks, a pleated midi skirt or baggy painter pants (see above).
5/ WALES BONNER’S PLAYFUL UNIFORM. I’m so here for Wales Bonner womenswear – “a playful uniform that everyone wants to wear” (top and below). Boyish proportions, fine tailoring (by Anderson & Sheppard, I hope), plus a tee featuring a model photographed for Ebony magazine in collab with Theaster Gates’s The Black Image Corporation.
6/ KNITS FOR NOW. Since 90% of my winter wardrobe is knitwear, here’s my current wish list. 1990s high V necks courtesy of Calvin Klein or Phoebe Philo (below) to wear tucked into slim pants or a pencil skirt; Studio Nicholson’s fine but fuzzy alpaca-merino cardigan (below) – teamed with a full-legged pant; Double-faced Shetland jumpers and cardigans from ex Marc Jacobs Meryll Rogge (now also at Marni) and Sarah Allsopp’s B.B. Wallace (below). Plus, Johnstons of Elgin has had a dose of modernity injected into it with gauzy cashmere rollnecks, superfine layering sweaters and this fabulous cape (I’ve toured the factory and can vouch for the quality).
7/ KNOT A KNIT. And how to wear your knits? In knots! Head to Hermès (below), Sacai (below) and Rohe* for a knitwear knotting masterclass. Max Berlinger on Substack waxes lyrical in his ode to what stylists call a ‘shoulder sweater’: “It is a bit of poetry to offset the humdrum prose of routine existence… And yet it also transmits a variety of moods and flavors, ranging from quirky eccentricity to a slightly patrician formality, an affect that adds a sheen of propriety to an otherwise sloppy look.” Seriously, this is the easiest trend to tap into; who doesn’t have many sweaters in their sweater drawer? But if you need a top-up, I rate M&S men’s pure lambswool crew necks* or Arket* (below) for its styling potential.
8/ LIP OILS CONTINUED. Still on the hunt for the elusive lip product that delivers shine, hydration and more than a suggestion of a tint (but not a full-on stain). I’m inching towards Fara Homidi’s Soft Glass Lip Plumping Oil in Pomme* (loaded with peptides, ceramides and hyaluronic acid) but I need a physical UK store to try it on. Come on Harrods/Liberty/Space NK please!
9/ RETHINKING THE L WORD. Putting aside that everyone has their own definition of luxury these days (I’ve always put it at the intersection of quality, specialness and rarity), it seems there’s a big conversation around what can be considered ‘luxury’ for the tier below Prada, Jil Sander and The Row. Stepping into the void are some relatively more affordable options. They’re design conscious, well-made, logo-free and easy to personalise. Think Lemaire for separates and accessories, Officine Générale for tailoring and outerwear, Literary Sport for workout to workwear, plus Auralee for styling ideas and colour juxtapositions (using their own dying processes – I need this colour combo in my life).
10/ AT HOME WITH ZARA. For small lifestyle uplifts, Zara Home hits the mark. The VM of their home office supplies (below) is especially appealing; the paper goods promising instant efficiency and organisational superpowers, while a desk lamp will hopefully illuminate your ideas. (For the bedroom, these Gwyneth-worthy clothes rails have been getting attention too.)
11/ ARPA STUDIOS. New to Mouki Mou is Arpa Studios, an intriguing fragrance brand from the nose that gave us some classic Aesop fragrances (included my fave Marrakech Intense). Barnabé Fillion’s scent compositions are inspired by his travels as well as synaesthesia and the intersections of art, scent, and other disciplines. The bottles are stunning, made from colourful layers of handblown glass by Jochen Holz. I like the look and sound of Arco Spettro (below) which is inspired by the coloured landscape of an Ethiopian salt desert.
12/ REST AND REVIVE. Nesting season is upon us, so it’s time to pull on your Charvet Prada pyjamas-as-daywear (below), while lighting a Tekla refillable scented candle (below) and sipping your ginger tea from a JW Anderson x Wedgwood mug*(below). Discover ‘The Sleepers’ exhibition at the Women’s Art Collection in Cambridge, which highlights art depicting rest such as Gwen Raverat’s lithograph, ‘Sleepers’ (below). Then indulge in the new Perfumer H bathing collection (including Rain Wood soap, hand wash and body lotion, below) or Sharmadean Reid’s new 39BC oil body cleanser in fig milk (below).
13/ KIM JONES’ DIOR FINALE. The René Gruau blindfolds! The needlework chatelaines! The leather-laminated neoprene! I was a fan of the Kim era and his grand finale for Dior menswear was superb (below).
14/ THINGS TO SEE AND DO. Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World (at the NPG) and Marie Antoinette Style (at the V&A) are the two blockbuster exhibitions you need to book asap first (I’ve heard good reports for both). Kerry James Marshall: The Histories (at The Royal Academy) is on my personal list for his depictions of modern Black American life, and Dirty Looks: Desire and Decay in Fashion (at the Barbican) is the one to go to to get your hands dirty (figuratively speaking) – a deep dive into fashion’s penchant for all things filthy and decayed. Meanwhile, for the bookshelf there’s Liz Johnson Artur’s ‘I Will Keep You in Good Company’, a look at ‘fragments’ from the photographer’s personal workbooks including photos, texts and ephemera, plus ‘All of Us Stars’, Seana Redmond’s tribute to Bobby Busnach’s portraits of 70s glam-era friends and family, an 8-year labour of love (read more here).You probably know about Marisa Meltzer’s book, It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin*. If you enjoyed it, the podcast Fashion People features an insight into the writing process, while her Substack has an excerpt on Jane Birkin and the ageing dilemma.
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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Wales Bonner AW25; Prada AW25; Coach AW25 x 2; Prada AW25; Arket AW25; J Crew x 2; Jo Ellison/Sandra Semburg; Manolo Blahnik; L’Etiquette magazine; Wales Bonner AW25 x 3; Phoebe Philo; Studio Nicholson; BB Wallace; Hermes AW25; Sacai AW25; Arket AW25; Fara Homidi Soft Glass Lip Plumping Oil; Auralee AW25 x 2; Officine Generale AW25; Lemaire AW25; Zara Home; Arpa Studios; Prada AW25; Tekla x Sara Flynn; JW Anderson x Wedgwood; Sleepers by Gwendolen Raverat, 1957; Perfumer H; 39BC oil body cleanser; Dior Men winter ’25 x 5; Kerry James Marshall ‘De Style’ 1993; Bobby Busnach ‘All Of Us Stars’; It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here.
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