Bambi Babes

There was a stampede of animal prints on the runways, with streaks and stripes making their mark. While we saw plenty of leopards, zebras, and crocodiles, a surprising species jumped to the front of the fashion pack.

Elegant white-spotted pelts and deer prints found themselves in myriad collections—from Brandon Maxwell, who wrapped his models in dark, shadowy shades of the print, to Tory Burch, who went abstract with her interpretation. At Tod’s, coats were covered with a print that resembled a deer’s belly fur.

Belt Way

For fall/winter 2025, the focus is on bold, statement-making belts. At Schiaparelli, designer Daniel Roseberry showed a sumptuous layering of belts. Meanwhile, at Bally, the thick belt-corset hybrid took center stage.

Whether layered over jackets for a cinched waist or used as a focal point on more minimalistic outfits, these belts bring a sense of strong, utilitarian style while also injecting an element of visual interest into the season’s wardrobe that’s oh-so-opulent. 

Cuffing Season

Blame it on Nosferatu or Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra video, but ruffled cuffs and collars have risen from the fashion graveyard and made their way back on runways.

Elizabethan mainstays felt modern at McQueen, where ruffled cuff collars enveloped models’ chins and organza ruffled cuffs swung as they walked. Dior and Chanel went more delicate with their ruffles, fashioning their models in white, floaty collars that resembled the romanticism of the Renaissance era.

Duvet Dressing

Oversized, quilted pieces that were padded to the max made a statement on runways this season. Instead of designing plain old puffer jackets, designers took the cushy quality of everyone’s favorite winter staple and doubled down on the comfort factor. Versace showed coats that looked as though the model wrapped themselves in a duvet cover, while at Fendi and Cecilie Bahnsen, quilted tops and skirts seemed sturdily fashioned from the most luxurious sleeping bag material.

Green Light

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the green light at the end of Daisy Buchanon’s dock becomes a symbol of hope and obsession for the protagonist, and this season, it seems designers also found themselves entranced by green. The color of growth and renewal sprouted up in the collections Hermés, Prada, and Saint Laurent.

However, these were not the usual neons or earth tones. The most impactful greens for 2025 had pistachio-hued panache, giving collections a ’70s laminate feel that’s both fresh and nostalgic.

Hit the Spot

The playfulness of polka dots popped up in the fall collections, adding a bit of upbeat positivity to the sea of serious styles. From the fitted indie sleaze dresses at Isabel Marant to the grand, jewel-toned evening wear options at Dries Van Noten, this print was spotted everywhere. Dots were even found splattered across the surrealist shapes at Moschino, where they played up the whimsy of the collection.

Light Cargo

Chain strap mini handbags are taking center stage for fall/winter 2025, offering a perfect blend of chic and edgy. These petite accessories, often adorned with chunky metallic chains, add a touch of sophistication and toughness to any outfit, as exhibited by Chloé and Chanel. It doesn’t stop there: Models carried a similar pearl-embellished style on the runway at Dior.

Ideal for day-to-night versatility, a mini size ensures you’ll pack light. With their thin, intricate straps, these handbags make a statement while keeping your essentials close at hand, capturing the essence of modern luxury with a hint of rebellious flair.

Lock It Down

From locket-shaped necklaces to padlock details on handbags, the fall/winter 2025 runways revealed that key and lock accessories will be a must-have for next season. Read into this trend as much as you want, it’s a nostalgia play more than anything else.

Chloé revealed a new version of its signature Padlock bag, for example, an It item of the early 2000s. Other brands like Stella McCartney and Rabanne also featured lock and key details in their collections. The trend adds an edgy, almost rebellious vibe to outerwear, dresses, and accessories, making it perfect for those who want to wear their individuality. Whether it’s a key pendant or a padlocked bag, classic symbols become modern fashion statements this year.

Long Game

This upcoming fall, designers are betting on grand outerwear with a sophisticated twist. Instead of going the big, voluminous route, coats got long and lean with their silhouettes, resulting in a sleeker look. At Acne Studios and Coach, maxi coats in chocolate and caramel colors were delicious offerings for everyday wear. Whereas at Balenciaga, decadent floor-sweeping leather coats felt more couture than ready-to-wear.

Office Desire

One way to jazz up your office attire is to add a bit of silk into the mix, and our pick for the perfect piece is a silky blouse. Thankfully, fall collections from the likes of Chloé, Stella McCartney, and Versace offered strong, seductive blouses that were anything but stereotypical secretary styles. These tops command attention with their stiff shoulders and billowing sleeves.

Point of View

Ladylike pointy shoes are going edgy for fall/winter 2025. And the more menacing, the better, with exaggerated witchy silhouettes taking shape at Dior, Gucci, Ferragamo, Balmain, and Prada. From sleek pumps to sharp-toed boots, this trend brings an eye-catching, elongated silhouette to any outfit.

This season, statement-making V-shaped styles reimagine the classic shoe for an unsettlingly chic look. 

Purple Reign

Another color from the spectrum that shined bright on the runways was purple. Emblematic of luxury and power, this punchy hue pushed wardrobe essentials to new stylish levels. Take, for instance, the berry-colored knits at Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, and Michael Kors, which were familiar in shape and size, but their purple shades made them appear pungent and impactful as opposed to staid and neutral.

Shoulder to Shoulder

From MM6, Stella McCartney, and Saint Laurent, an ’80s-inspired sharp silhouette was seared into our minds as models sauntered down the runways in tops that made bold proclamations with their pronounced shoulders. Grace Jones could’ve easily worn these looks in her heyday, but they also felt firmly wearable for 2025. What kept these bold shoulders from looking gimmicky was that the rest of the outfits were minimal and unadorned, letting the shape do all the talking.

Slick Operator

Clear, plasticky covers proved to be the stunning see-through trend that stood out. But this isn’t your grandmother’s plastic couch cover—these coatings felt slick and chic. Vinyl materials printed with floral motifs made the separates at Saint Laurent shine underneath the runway lights, while at Prada and Rabanne, clear overlays made fur coats and sheath dresses appear laminated—as if to preserve them from not only the elements but time itself.

Slip Knots

Crochet-style maxi dresses made an unexpected appearance in fall collections. Designers cast sartorial rules for seasonal dressing aside and embraced the curvature of their models by putting their forms on full display. But these dresses leveled up the usual resortware fabric. At Dior and Jane Wade, crochet dresses were declarative in their confidence, taking on a medieval maiden look, while at Givenchy, netted dresses felt more ready for a night out on the town than a jaunt around a maypole.

Tied Up

Sweaters this fall are putting in overtime as designers found new ways to twist and tie knitwear. At Brandon Maxwell and Tory Burch, sweaters were cleverly pinned by brooches or flung across shoulders tied in asymmetrical mounds, giving outfits an eccentric Little Edie look. But at Balenciaga, sweaters and hoodies weren’t just worn over the shoulders; they wrapped around the hips and tied as if they were urbanite sarongs.

Two-for-One

This upcoming fall, fashion takes a bold step towards combining luxury and functionality with clothing that incorporates jewelry into its design. Think embellished coat collars at Dries van Noten, tops with dangling charms at Prada, and chain details on handbags at Chloé. The result is a modern take on opulence that makes accessorizing that much easier.

Wild Side

There was a flurry of fuzziness across collections as designers let their imaginations run wild and created a far-ranging menagerie of looks with a zoo’s worth of faux furs and shearlings. Fur stoles were given a glam makeover at Chloé and Nina Ricci, where they chicly caressed model’s shoulders. Etro had ginormous trapper hats worn with dainty floral dresses, and at Prada, the chubby fur jacket was supersized to exciting proportions.