Fall 2024 Trends

Protection, vulnerability, and strength were the emotions designers channeled in their Fall 2024 collections, proposing clothing that balanced functionality with style power.

While many trends were an evolution of things we’ve seen before, the abundance of fresh layering ideas proved to be one of the most interesting. Outerwear was a standout category with cocoon shapes, funnel neck collars, military coats, and duvet-inspired padded jackets and scarves all on trend. Tactile textures continue to inspire designers, whether it’s feathers and fringe, shredded fabrics, or oversized looped knits.

Highlights of the season?

The first was Chemena Kamali’s debut at Chloé, which brought back the brand’s mojo. Her luxe boho remix included fluid maxi dresses, romantic capes, and an array of accessories to lure in first-time clients. So much for creative directors ignoring a house’s history to pursue their own vision, because Kamali’s success at Chloé rests on her understanding of the brand’s design heritage and loyal customer base. Let’s hope she can keep the good vibes going.

Second was Hedi Slimane for Celine, who in a genius move released his Fall 2024 collection via video after the official calendar. Slimane gave the industry a master class in presenting a coherent brand vision and an immersive audience experience. Revisiting the “golden age of Celine,” the show in a modern move mixed ready-to-wear with couture, presenting a tight edit of 1960’s shift dresses, miniskirts, and cropped jackets accented with angular sunglasses and strands of pearl necklaces. The video also introduced the new Celine beauty collection through black and white closeups of models with precision eyeliner. As ex-Gucci CMO Fabio Becheri stated in a LinkedIn post, Celine is everything Chanel could be, but is not. With over 11 million views on Instagram alone, Slimane’s approach means he can engage directly with a wide audience and bypass platforms like Vogue and WWD.

The future is here, and the fashion industry needs to embrace it.

Quiet Luxury 2.0

Quiet luxury isn’t so quiet anymore. Designers evolved the stealth wealth trend into a conversation about everyday staples worn in a non-everyday way. That translated to voluminous A-line skirts and dresses, oversized jackets cut closer to the body, novel layering, and overall sexier silhouettes. As seen at: Adam Lippes, Altuzarra, Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, Marie Adam Leenardt, Maria McManus, Max Mara, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Sacai, Tove.

The Sportif Life

Comfort continues to be a focus for many designers, but now it’s less about riffing on activewear and more about luxe textures that envelope the body. A standout show was the debut collection by Alain Paul for his namesake line, Alainpaul. A veteran of Vetements and Louis Vuitton, his Fall 2024 collection was rooted in dancewear silhouettes (he trained as a ballet dancer in his youth) with look 22 – a layered charcoal grey knit ensemble – an ultra-chic standout. As seen at: Alainpaul, Gauchere, Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Ruohan.

This Woman’s Work

Menswear staples like pinstripes, tweeds, herringbones, and plaids made a runway appearance cut in jackets and suits that were not your typical boardroom power looks. Instead, designers worked them into louche and deconstructed ensembles that oozed both femininity and strength. As seen at: Balmain, Dilara Findikoglu, Gauchere, Loewe, Nehera, Talia Byre, Yohji Yamamoto, Yuhan Wang.

Renaissance

Fantasy for fall came in the surprising embrace of the Italian Renaissance. Billowing sleeves, floor-length gowns, flora and fauna motifs, and even stately dragons were a nod to the era of the Medici. As seen at: Alexis Mabille, Antonio Marras, La Double J, Luisa Beccaria.

Michael Kors Collection, Fall 2024, photo courtesy of Michael Kors

Tactile Textures

Leave the knitwear basics to the DTC crowd. At Zankov, knit tufts reminiscent of Moroccan wedding blankets were applied to separates, while Colville crafted a maxi dress from crochet patchwork and at The Row a shaggy shearling was accented with what looked like a Berber-inspired scarf belted around the waist. Even accessories got the treatment, like Stella McCartney’s oversized looped handbag. As seen at: AKNVAS, Brunello Cucinelli, Jil Sander, Michael Kors Collection, Missoni, Molly Goddard, The Row, Stella McCartney, Undercover, Zankov.

Leather

Draped, sculpted, or meticulously cut, leather came in a range of options for fall. Angular, armor-like shapes accented impeccably tailored wardrobe classics at Junya Watanabe, while military coats and jackets were seen at Ferragamo, Loewe, and Prada. At Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy showcased softly draped leather dresses. And at Hermes, a caban-style coat in an unexpected yellow hue could cheer anyone up on a cold winter day. As seen at: Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo, Gucci, Hermes, Junya Watanabe, Khaite, Loewe, Petar Petrov, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Tod’s, Valentino.

All Wrapped Up

Dresses constructed to elegantly wrap and drape around the torso were a runway highlight. Devoid of any embellishment, these sophisticated looks gave collections an understated sense of sex appeal. As seen at: Alaia, Brandon Maxwell, Courreges, Di Petsa, Ferragamo, Fforme, Jason Wu, Kallmeyer, Rokh, Saint Laurent, Toteme.

Old School Elegance

Thanks in part to Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, designers referenced mid-twentieth century haute couture silhouettes. Cocoon coats, opera-length gloves, portrait collar necklines, rounded hips (reminiscent of panniers), Le Smoking, and Watteau backs all were rethought for a modern audience. As seen at: Ashlyn, Balenciaga, Balmain, Carven, Erdem, Harris Reed, Nicolo Pasqualatti, Rochas, Schiaparelli, Simone Rocha.

Color Theory

Designers worked in either tightly edited color palettes, like the understated fall shades of ochre, olive, caramel, and merlot (Saint Laurent, Hermes, The Row, Mame Kuroguchi, and Bottega Veneta) or sedate neutrals (The Row, Adam Lippes, Chloe, and Alexis Mabille). But for others, it was anything goes from mixed magpie hues at Miu Miu, Prada, Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, and Rochas to space-age pastels at Louis Vuitton and Jil Sander, and bold, technicolor at Issey Miyake, Marie-Adam Leenaerdt, and PH5.

Security Blanket

Duvet style coats, shaggy shearling maxis and voluminous capes are just a few of the silhouettes that made outerwear the strongest category on the runways. As seen at: ACNE, Alaia, Altuzarra, Balestra, Chloe, Jil Sander, Khaite, Marina Moscone, Marni, Proenza Schouler, Stein, Stella McCartney, The Row, Tod’s, Toteme, Tove.

Cropped Bombers & Jackets

Maxi length coats may still be a runway favorite, but shorter outerwear pieces made the biggest statements. Designers put cropped trenches, denim jackets, ladylike bombers, and aviator styles all in rotation for fall. As seen at: ACNE, Celine, Dries Van Noten, Hermes, Loewe, Sacai, Yohji Yamamoto.

Gucci, Fall 2024, photo courtesy of Gucci

Craftsmanship

Creative directors continue to embrace artisanal constructions and embellishments as a brand differentiator. Think: Oversized dégradé paillette embroideries at Gucci, lace and floral appliques at Roisin Pierce, corsetry at Simone Rocha, elegantly distressed fabrics at Bottega Veneta, a modern take on crochet at Noir, and yards of fringe applied to a suit and matching pair of shoes at Erdem. As seen at: Bottega Veneta, Cecile Bahnsen, Diesel, Erdem, Fendi, Gucci, Lutz Huelle, Noir, Róisín Pierce, Simone Rocha, Valentino, Victoria Beckham.

The New Evening

While breathtaking gowns are always a runway favorite, the understated pairing of beaded skirts and dresses with knitwear felt both fresh and functional. As seen at: Altuzarra, Brunello Cucinelli, Chanel, Carven, Louis Vuitton, Lutz Huelle, Prada, Valentino.

Belts

From thin rope styles and ribbons wrapped around the waist at Prada and Lutz Huelle to wide leather options at Saint Laurent and Nicolo Pasqualetti, belts are back on the accessory radar for fall. As seen at: Albino, ATXV, Emilia Wickstead, Giada, Lutz Huelle, Nicolo Pasqualetti, Petar Petrov, Prada, Ruohan, Saint Laurent, Tod’s.

Fuzzy, Long Scarves

Whether gracefully draped around the neck or tucked underneath a jacket to frame the face (as first seen at Haider Ackerman for Jean Paul Gaultier), a long scarf in a textured fabric is a necessity next season. As seen at: Alexander McQueen, No 21, Rokh, Simone Rocha, Uma Wang.

Runway image courtesy of Gucci