Bold-up this winter

As Fashion Weeks close, NIKI CHARALAMBOUS looks back further in the year to see what we will be wearing this season

Even if certain businesses were able to resume operations after the pandemic in 2020, the fashion industry only returned to physical Fashion Weeks this year after a three-year hiatus. The marathon of Fashion Weeks for the Autumn/Winter 2023-2024 collections was held at the start of the year in fashion capitals around the world.

Buyers returned in force, and designers resumed real-life presentations, as thousands of fashion enthusiasts attended the shows, in anticipation for the new trends for the winter season.

The four major Fashion Weeks showcased an original and vibrant colour palette transcending time, location, and identity. The runways of New York, London, Milan, and Paris featured a wide range of colours and tones, providing a variety of alternatives for creating attractive outfits for the season.

Winter 2024 will undoubtedly be stylish, dominated by attractive classical short and maxi dresses, tartans, feathers, bows, leather, and the revival of popular 50s moods incorporating layering. These are just a few of the trends that we can expect to see in the months ahead.

The weather is shifting, and our outfits are following suit. While many summer dresses, such as shirt dresses, maxis, and lightweight knitted alternatives can be worn into the autumn season, winter normally necessitates a major wardrobe revamp. Heavy materials and higher necklines replace breezy sheer moments, and flip flops and clunky sandals are replaced with embossed boots and Mary Janes – bar shoes with a moderate or flat heel height.

Some of the main fashion houses delivered landmark collections on the Autumn/Winter 2023-2024 Fashion Week catwalks to initiate the comeback to their quintessential style, a trend that stems from a desire to assert a creative heritage, which goes back several decades.

The Prada show in Milan, where Miuccia Prada, the Italian brand’s heiress, and Raf Simons, co-creator since 2020, signed a range of deceptively simple pieces, were inspired by masculine ideals and honouring beauty in simplicity.

Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri subtly revisited the house’s early days of the late 1940s. She also created pieces with tighter waists, straight skirts, and corolla dresses in the 1950s style of singers Edith Piaf and Juliette Gréco. Chiuri added a touch of casualness, sensuality, and even masculine characteristics to her feminist approach.

At the Saint Laurent show, Anthony Vaccarello transformed the French fashion designer’s legendary skirt suit into a more lethal and contemporary fashion piece. This garment, which has been a mainstay of women’s wardrobes since the 1950s, inspired the classic trouser suit, popularised by Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s.

After many shows that took the form of music festivals, Olivier Rousteing returned to a more intimate layout and revealed a Balmain collection inspired by the house’s heritage, mixing enormous bows, polka dots, and large hats; a light and elegant look, which was inspired by fashion designer Pierre Balmain and his “new French style.”

Overall, the chromatic trend offers strong comebacks and confirmations, with a colour palette ranging from red to grey, yellow to brown, and pink. Even the most delicate and faint tints were featured on the runways, encouraging experimentation and the rediscovery of classic nuances in novel ways.

Statement earrings, striking necklaces, cuffs, and bracelets will take centre stage in jewellery this season, with the mindset being to be bold and adventurous with one’s fashion choices.

This season’s bags range from medium-sized to sophisticated evening clutch bags, while scarves are oversized to provide comfort and warmth during the cold months of winter.

Finally, large statement belts are also making a strong reappearance as a must-have fashion accessory item, bringing a classy finishing touch to your outfit, and making everything look a little more put-together.

These are just a few of the fashion trends that will be prevalent in the winter 2024 fashion landscape. Classic, feminine styles that are both current and timeless are the way to firmly enter the season, leaving you looking gorgeous, trendy, and unmistakably bold.