Women Autumn-Winter 2013/14 Trends

Latest Fashion trends

Tickle your fashion taste buds with our specially selected trend page for Autumn-Winter 2013. From pastel colours for the minimalists, to gothic for those who like to indulge their dark side, this is the go to page for your winter style inspirations.

TOTAL LOOKS: GOTHIC

Last year we saw a revival of the Gothic look. This season, it would seem, is no different. With palettes of dark blues and black, mixed with feathers and floral lace, the ‘Goth’ is here to stay and remains a firm favourite with designers this season.

This season’s looks from Ann Demeulemeester were darker and more edgy than a 1920s German Expressionist film. Looking down the runway was like peering in to the mind of Tim Burton. Still struggling to picture it? Think: dark, twisted and full of intrigue.

With a Wednesday Adams inspired dress there’s no denying that one of the looks featured by Giles Deacon Autumn-Winter 2013 was the ‘gothic’ look. His other looks featured full length gowns in black and midnight blue.

Alberta Ferretti teamed short and full length dresses with intricate, floral lace and sheer, panelling. Chandelier earrings were added to the mix for a gothic look that screamed ‘elegance’.

Elie Saab’s designs also featured sheer panelling and floral lace, yet, the heavy embellishment and detailed beading featured on her designs set her aside from the other designers who showcased this trend.

TOTAL LOOKS: PUNK

Mixing tartan, tight leather trousers and spiked hair with too much eyeliner can only mean one thing: punk is back. This season’s big fashion houses show us the chic way to embrace our inner rebel.

Versace’s punk embodied tight, leather skinnies and tartan blazers with heavy chain detail. Spiked collars were also added to maximise the rebellious feel.

Punk never looked as playful as it did in Junya Watanabe’s show. Watanabe mixed punk with colour pop, clashing tartan print with bright heels, belts and patchwork detailing for a look that was both refreshing and lively.

On the opposite end of the scale, Gucci’s punk was not to be trifled with. Oxblood leather, sharp, statement jewellery and slick back hair created a look that screamed: punk and disorderly.

TOTAL LOOKS: GRUNGE

Who said grunge couldn’t be chic? Well, plenty of people, probably. However, those people would be wrong as this A/W’s designers prove that all the chicest women will be dressing it down this season.

Givenchy’s take on the trend was the ultimate lesson in how to clash and mis-match. Cartoon print jumpers were teamed with flowing, floral skirts for a dressed down, kooky feel and, when that wasn’t enough, paisley print, sequin embellishment and floral caps were added just for good measure.

Clashing prints, leather jackets, tie-dye and sneaker heels were all aspects of Rodarte’s take on the trend. Baggy, knee length trousers were teamed with flowing, open jackets to add to the casual feel. Furthermore, models teamed fluorescent yellow and orange hair with pastel pink to maximise the pretty, grunge aesthetic adopted by Rodarte Autumn-Winter 2013.

Saint Laurent’s take on the trend embodied the perfect balance between ‘tomboy’ and ‘girly girl’. Flowing, mini dresses in cute prints were teamed with open jackets and chunky biker boots for a look that epitomised ‘grunge chic’.

COLOURS: SCARLET

Forget the red carpet, the only red we saw this season worth remembering was on the runway. Designers worked hot reds in to their lines to create show-stopping and eye grabbing outfits that screamed ‘starlet’.

When it came to this season’s hottest colour there’s no denying that Dolce & Gabbana reigned supreme. With mini, lace dresses teamed with large, cross necklaces and crowns, Dolce’s look screamed royal superiority.

Valentino’s reds came in a series of beautifully cut, uniformed, red satin gowns.

With John Richmond it was all about the leather! The leather skirts came with a laser, cut out print and scalloped hem and the show-stopping leather coat was one of the most memorable looks from the show.

Dior’s take on the colour was playful and bright. By mixing an array of textures, colours and shapes, Dior’s range was far from uniformed, but remained equally memorable and sought after.

COLOURS: GREY

Grey is a perfect colour for Autumn/ Winter 13/14. It’s cool, ladylike, screams sophistication and gives us an excuse to pull out our perfect set of pearls. Chanel agrees. Thus, surely that’s reason enough to ditch the brights and embrace the grey?

For those of us looking for a ladylike take on the wintery colour Chanel provided their infamous tweed suit jackets and skirts. When the outfits needed breaking up pastel pink belts and knee high suede boots were provided.

Like Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana’s line was filled with ladylike shapes, tailoring and silhouettes. Grey suits were cut long and short and teamed with red and gold accessories for a look that was both feminine and classy.

Haider Ackermann’s approach to the colour was far more edgy. Thanks to the sweeping shapes, androgynous tailoring and smooth cut silhouettes Ackermann provided a series of grey outfits we won’t be forgetting any time soon.

MUST HAVE ITEM: CAPE

Forget about buttoning up your mac this A/W, throw it over your shoulders instead to replicate this season’s must have item.

Chloe’s capes were carefully cut and teamed with deep, watery blues, greys and crisp whites. The combination of the beautiful colours and slick tailoring epitomised the idea of the ‘modern woman’.

Costume National took a very different approach to this season’s hottest item. The capes we saw were deep, midnight blue and came in a variety of different lengths. Plus, with floor sweepers with stripes of satin sewn in, these capes really were show stoppingly beautiful.

Unsurprisingly, the capes we saw by Hermès were effortlessly thrown over the shoulder and perfectly pulled together with knee length skirts and cream coloured blouses. Mixed with shades of navy blue and brown, these capes would make the perfect addition to any A/W wardrobe.

MUST HAVE ITEM: LEATHER

Leather is another must have item this season. Whether it’s a leather skirt, jacket or pair of trousers- these designers showcased it all.

Prada’s leather was an interesting and unusual mix of colour pop and metallic. Whilst we saw some items beautifully clashed against the gorgeous, bright leather, others were subtly mixed with stunning metallics.

The leather we saw by Hermès was beautifully cut and featured in a series of chic, wintery colours. With beautiful grey leather skirts and tight grey, leather trousers, Hermès’ take on the trend epitomised ‘sophistication’.

Loewe incorporated a series of different shapes, colours and textures for a catwalk show that was dominated by this trend. Leather jumpsuits with biker collars featured beside quilted, leather skirts and full length coats. There’s no question about it, Loewe clearly knows how to work the leather look.

With leather peplum jackets, high waisted, leather trousers and a series of leather skirts, Balmain’s show really did cover all areas in leather! Bright 80s prints, off-shoulder tops and chunky earrings added a retro feel to the outfits.

PRINTS / PATTERNS: DOGTOOTH

Keep yourself in check this season with the classic, and equally chic, dogtooth print.

Dior kept things simple with chic tailoring and a classic, monochrome palette. A floaty skirt and matching dogtooth heels added an extra dose of ready-to-wear elegance.

Gucci took a rather different approach to the trend by mixing dogtooth with metallic shades for a futuristic and edgy feel.

Rag and Bone’s black and brown dogtooth and v-neck sweaters made for a preppy take on the trend. Yet, in order to keep things interesting, they added a pop of mint-blue leather to the mix.

ACCESSORIES: HATS

– Fedora

Fedora hats were massively popular this Autumn-Winter 2013 season. Featured on the runways of many designers this season were supermodels looking particularly chic in this classic, all-time favourite.

Nicole Miller Kate Spade Issa

The hats we saw in Nicole Miller’s collection came in a series of dark colours including brown, grey and navy blue. Although the design was simple the hats fitted in perfectly with the rest of the collection which featured check print, sleek tailoring and a similar palette.

At Kate Spade the hats came in a deep green colour and a gorgeous orange/pink.

At the Issa show models wore wide brimmed fedoras with feathers, epitomising the ‘English Heritage’ look.

– Beanie

Unsurprisingly, as we’re coming up to A/W, one of the other hats hugely popular this season was the beanie.

BCBG Ralph Laurent

Label BCBG favoured a simple, thin knit beanie and showcased it in a variety of different colours. Grey, blue, black and cream were among those featured by the label. Ralph Lauren also favoured the thin knit beanie however, unlike BCBG, his variations all came in black. A variety of different textures were used to separate the different beanies including a thick wool, a fluffy wool and a glittery wool.

Sibling Victoria by Victoria Beckham

Opting for a much chunkier knit beanie were Sister by Sibling and Victoria by Victoria Beckham. Sister by Sibling’s chunky knit came in several colours, one of the most memorable being the bright coloured bobble hat modelled by Cara Delevigne.

ACCESSORIES: BAGS

– Envelope

Envelope clutches made a regular appearance and the A/W fashion weeks. Models carried slim, long bags with architectural designs and simple structures.

Margiela’s bags all followed the same design and shape, however they came in a variety of different colours. One of the most memorable being a gorgeous, scarlet red.

Karen Walker Daks

Karen Walker’s textured envelope clutch bags made the perfect addition to her ready-to-wear ladylike looks. Daks, on the other hand, provided a series of beautifully simple suede clutches in a variety of wintery greys and blues.

– Colour Pop

It’s difficult to say exactly what specific colour was trending with accessories this year as the colour palette was so varied and bright! Needless to say, colour pop is a trend that remains a favourite with designers alike as bags, new styles and old classics, were all adapted to embody this playful trend.

Chanel Mulberry

Chanel provided bright, mini bags in the form of their classic, quilted shoulder bag. Similarly, Mulberry’s version of of the colour pop bag came in the shape of their classic tote and in a variety of different colours.

PPQ Thom Browne

PPQ also adapted one of their classic shaped bags to follow the trend with two sugary shades of lemon and sherbet pink and Thom Browne’s take on the trend included a variety of bags in a shocking red colour.

– Croc Print

Forget leopard, snake and zebra, this season croc print dominated the catwalk. With a multitude of designers adopting the trend, this season the crocodile proved to be everyone’s favourite animal.

Dolce & Gabbana Armani

Dolce & Gabbana’s take on the trend included a series of small, clasp closed bags. With a patent finish and a thin, hand help strap, it’s highly likely that these beauties will become one of this season’s most sought after accessory. Red remained a popular choice for Armani, who also featured a red, croc print bag.

Hermes Reed Krakoff

Opting against a patent finish, Hermès’ croc print bags were far more subtle and came in a variety of different shapes. Reed Krakoff, on the other hand, chose bright colours to feature alongside his croc print holdall.

– Pastel

Although pastels are traditionally reserved for S/S, this A/W they’ve remained a hit on and off the catwalk. The sugary shade bags remained so popular this season, they featured at several of this season’s biggest fashion shows.

Chanel Hilfiger Kate Spade

In true Chanel fashion, Chanel’s take on the pastel bag was both charming and covetable. The ‘CC’ logo, box clutches were absolutely to die for and the lilac coloured, chain handle shoulder bag was a show stopping piece also.

Hilfiger provided simple shoulder bags with chain strap detailing and clashing pastel shades. Kate Spade featured bags in sweet, pink shades with bows and doctor shaped structures.

ACCESSORIES: SHOES

– Mary-Janes

This season was all about the Mary-Jane. This classic shoe came in a variety of different colours and featured on several catwalk shows this season.

Christopher Kane Jonanthan Saunder’s Maurizio Pecoraro

Christopher Kane mixed wintery shades of deep, oxblood red, navy blue and dark green to create a season suited variation of the shoe. By adding feathers, a chunky wooden heel, sheer panelling and laser cut detail, Christopher Kane showed us the superior way to experiment with and perfect this well-loved classic.

Jonanthan Saunder’s take on the Mary-Jane stood out with its clashing, buckle strap. Maurizio Pecoraro, on the other hand, kept things simple and classic with monochrome shades and a thin, ankle strap detail.

– Boots

It’s that time of year again when everyone ditches their barely-there sandals in favour of some tougher, more cold-weather-friendly boots. This season we saw ankle boots, knee high, suede and even some with a peep toe!

Jil Sander Belstaff Issa

Jil Sander’s offerings had a clear and rogynous aesthetic. The preppy, below-the-ankle, patent boots came in oxblood and petrol black shades. Belstaff was another designer to embrace a wintery palette with these knee-high boots in deep blue and dark red shades.

Suede was the fabric of choice for Issa whose range consisted of ankle cut boots in a two tone suede. The colours consisted of light greys, nude tones and dark, navy blues.

Haider Ackermann AF Vandevorst

Grey was a popular colour choice for other designers including Haider Ackermann and AF Vandevorst. Teamed with skinny trousers in trendy, dogtooth print, Ackermann’s chunky heeled boots looked sensational as they stormed down the catwalk. In contrast to the chunky heel displayed by Haider Ackermann, Vandevorst’s boots had a thin, stiletto heel and featured in a gorgeous, grey worn leather.

Saint Laurent Phillip Lim

Studs, layered buckles and military style laces added to the biker themed, black, leather boots we saw by Saint Laurent.

These peep toe boots by Phillip Lim Autumn-Winter 2013 are, agreeably, slightly impractical for those of you planning any walks in the snow this season. However, the level of attention and detail that has gone in to the design of these shoes really makes them stand out as some of the best boots on the catwalk this season.