Above (L-R): Tory Burch, Sandy Liang, Proenza Schouler, Tommy Hilfiger

“I was thinking: ‘How do you make the everyday sublime?’”

That was the question on Tory Burch’s mind when she approached her collection for autumn/winter ’24/’25, one she showed amidst the Beaux-Arts architecture of the New York Public Library. But it was a question that also seemed to guide several compatriots this New York Fashion Week: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who looked to Helmut Lang for an uber-quiet, uber-luxurious Proenza Schouler show; Sandy Liang, who toned down her taffy bows and rosettes-everywhere approach for subdued ’90s workwear and dresses inspired by Japanese Imperial women; Michael Kors, whose mother provided the starting point for his sophisticated slips, trousers and coats.

Here, we bring you our trend report from New York Fashion Week autumn/winter ’24/’25. Scroll on for the pieces and colours you might want to start incorporating into your own wardrobe, as the chilly season approaches.

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Above (L-R): Michael Kors, Sandy Liang, Brandon Maxwell

Corporate minimalism

The overarching mood this autumn/winter season? Dress like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy—or at the very least, channel your best chic ’90s office-goer. It meant that designers at New York Fashion Week stripped the aggression from contemporary workwear. Gone were the hulking blazers, sharpened at the shoulders, and the overglossed, skyscraper stilettos. In its place were outfit formulas for the gentlewoman: cashmere turtlenecks, slip skirts, and fluid trousers, all in a buffet of easy neutrals. It was a vision we saw replicated at Sandy Liang, which nodded to the ladylike modesty of Princess Kako of Japan, along with Michael Kors and Brandon Maxwell, where the emphasis was on soft, sinewy tailoring.

Above (L-R): Puppets and Puppets, Tory Burch, Eckhaus Latta

Under the hood

You can blame it on the impending release of Dune: Part Two if you’d like—the press circuit for the film has been a parade of fantastical couture—but hoods were everywhere this New York Fashion Week, shrouding heads at Tory Burch and Eckhaus Latta. At Puppets and Puppets, veils were attached to skirts, wrapping up from the hem to the face, while at Helmut Lang, Peter Do conjured parkas and balaclavas—part of his grittier approach to the label, following the lukewarm reception to his debut as creative director last season. For the Khaite woman wanting to rug up, but stay cool? Catherine Holstein’s hooded dress comes with opera gloves, of course. Meanwhile, beanies were worn taut like swimming caps at Fforme—a subtler way to approach the trend, if you’re willing.

Above (L-R): Ulla Johnson, Coach, Carolina Herrera

To the point

The sweet, rounded ballet flat of seasons past gets an edgier update this autumn/winter, in line with the broader shift towards a streamlined, office-flavoured minimalism. Pointed toe flats were spotted on the runways at Coach and Carolina Herrera, splashed in houndstooth, chrome yellow and affixed with candied bows. At Ulla Johnson, they were Mary Janes. Sharp flats came embellished with wide straps and crystal buckles, styled with boiled wool dresses and bohemian skirts.

Above (L-R): Tommy Hilfiger, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Khaite

Beet red

Seasons after Sabato de Sarno debuted as creative director of Gucci and painted the runway Ancora red, we still can’t get enough. Cranberry, crimson, scarlet, maroon—the shades were adopted by the style set as accents; suddenly the streets were teeming with sartorialists breaking up monochrome outfits with a red scarf, or shoe, or bag, or sweater. The keynote red for autumn/winter ’24/’25 is decidedly moodier. At Eckhaus Latta, Altuzarra and Tommy Hilfiger, burgundy coloured scarves, totes and twinsets, while at Khaite, it was the statement hue on molten skirts and imposing leather coats.

Above (L-R): Khaite, Luar, Fforme

Rounded off

Linebacker shoulders? The designers at New York Fashion Week said yes, please. Silhouettes for autumn/winter were top-heavy, but in all the right ways. Shoulders were distended at Luar, Khaite and Fforme, where burly outerwear was balanced out with tapered maxi skirts and trousers. The same went for looks spotted at Collina Strada and Willy Chavarria—a trend that Bella Baxter of Poor Things would no doubt approve of.

Above (L-R): Gabriela Hearst, Puppets and Puppets, Proenza Schouler

Fur and feathers

On the heels of the ‘mob wife’ discourse—and controversy—the designers at New York Fashion Week plated up faux fur coats galore. Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Khaite, Proenza Schouler, Puppets and Puppets—the list of labels who accessorised pumped-up outerwear with tall boots and stilettos was almost as long as the coats themselves, which almost swept the floor. Gabriela Hearst’s were particularly hirsute, shaggy dusters she spared with equally textured skirts and collars. 

Above (L-R): Proenza Schouler, Khaite, Gabriela Hearst

Soft, sheer, sweeping

Much of New York Fashion Week toyed with softness and draping, a curiosity best exemplified in a series of semi-sheer, liquid gowns peppered throughout various collections. Khaite, Brandon Maxwell and Proenza Schouler experimented with opacity in layering; the effect was demonstrated on diaphanous but wearable gowns that rippled on the runway. Sheerness for Gabriela Hearst came in the form of lace, but even this stiffer fabric was cut to move more elegantly on the skirt.

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