Feathers, florals and modern paisley too: The major style trends from Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019
From New York to Paris, the international catwalks were a flurry of frills and flowers and more
The last women's ready-to-wear shows of the FW 2019 season wrapped up this week in Europe, with Louis Vuitton closing out the Paris Fashion Week schedule. It was a peculiar season, full of emotional moments including designer Karl Lagerfeld's final collections for Chanel and Fendi, grand spectacles such as the Tommy x Zendaya show — which featured black models exclusively and was closed by 70-year-old style icon Grace Jones, and fresh debuts for the newly-installed creative directors at Salvatore Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, Lacoste, and Nina Ricci.
But ultimately and always, the lasting impact of the shows is plenty of beautiful, covetable clothes!
From statement outerwear to tightly-cinched waistlines to feather-trimmed everything, here are the top fashion trends you'll want to shop for fall.
Leather trenches
A great coat will never really go out of fashion, and the oversized leather trench might very well be FW 2019's "it" coat, appearing on the runway at labels including Ports 1961 — founded in Canada and currently London-based — Balenciaga, Simone Rocha, Tod's and Fendi.
Whether you go for a shiny patent or luxe, supple leather, the key is to find a trench coat with fashionable features such as oversized lapels and an extra-long length.
Feather trim
From the chic mixed plumes at Taiwanese-Canadian designer Jason Wu's New York Fashion Week presentation to the delicate, pastel wisps on the catwalk at Roksanda in London, feathers are the trim of choice this season. For both ready-to-wear garments and accessories such as shoes and handbags, the addition of colourful ostrich and other feathers instantly adds texture and drama to any design, no matter how minimal.
Of course, just like the intricate beading and sequins it has replaced (for now), this luxurious trim would have to be worn and handled with extreme care. And don't even think about what the dry cleaning bill will be.
Plaid and tartan
From head-to-toe, mismatched plaids at Derek Lam to exquisitely-aligned tartan separates at Dior, the traditional woven fabric is certainly popular again for fall. (Independent Canadian labels Beaufille and Tanya Taylor also included distinctive plaids in their FW 2019 collections.)
What feels fresh this season is embracing traditional, more muted colourways, freely playing with scale, and layering mixed patterns as much as possible.
Extra-wide belts
The one must-have accessory of the season is not a miniature it-bag or platform shoes (although those are also trending!); instead, you'll want to invest in a wide leather belt with a stylish, sleek buckle that will go with everything in your wardrobe. From floor-length gowns to cardigan-coats, it feels like stylists are cinching every other look on the runway with a smart leather belt, emphasizing waistlines and creating more exaggerated silhouettes.
Modern paisley
Scarf prints have been steadily rising in popularity over the last few seasons, but there's something particularly intriguing about the modern takes on paisley presented by labels such as Loewe, Altuzarra, Etro and JW Anderson for fall. From an oversized, knit sweater to a deconstructed paisley dress, the results look anything but retro.
Midi floral dresses
When done well, fall florals are a surefire hit. This season's crop of flowery prints are most covetable when presented in the form of a midi-length, long-sleeve dress — ideally one that's crafted using plenty of extra fabric. Think dramatic draping, high or knotted collars, and bold sleeves or shoulder details. Canadian Erdem Moralioglu, Peter Pilotto, Marc Jacobs and countless other designers embraced the look for fall.
For maximum sartorial impact, be sure to style this pretty look with novelty hosiery (Peter Pilotto showed his flowy dresses with sparkly, colourful tights) or an unexpected garment such as the wool shorts spotted at Coach.
Vibrant yellow
Golden and marigold yellow looks — a trend that's continuing straight from spring — continue to be popular with designers such as Molly Goddard and Tory Burch for FW 2019. Perhaps it's an aesthetic response to our turbulent politics and economic concerns, but there's nothing more cheerful than a brightly coloured frock, no matter the season.
To keep the trend exciting, look for fabrics with interesting textures, such as velvet, taffeta and tulle. And accessorize with strategic dashes of black.
Truc Nguyen is a Toronto-based writer, editor and stylist. Follow her at @trucnguyen.