Fire-engine red, sky-high boots, textured coats and other top Fall 2025 Fashion Week runway trends

Behind the scenes, this womenswear season was all about change, pauses and fresh starts. Many of the designers hired last year made their runway debuts; the most highly anticipated were Sarah Burton at Givenchy, Julian Klausner at Dries Van Noten and Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford. 

At the same time, the creative-director revolving door meant that many brands who are in between talents declined to show at all, or opted for smaller, more intimate presentations showcasing the work of in-house design teams. 

So while this season of flux contained many exciting moments — Burton's Givenchy debut was lauded and Chappell Roan sat front row at Matières Fécales's first Paris Fashion Week show (the designers hail from Montreal) — there were also many gaps in the usual fashion week schedule.

Proenza Schouler, whose designers left the brand earlier this year, shared a lookbook in lieu of the label's typical New York Fashion Week show. Amidst reports of creative director Jonathan Anderson's impending departure, Loewe swapped its usually star-studded Paris runway show for an artful all-day presentation of its men's and women's collections at a stately mansion in the seventh arrondissement. Anderson didn't show his eponymous line in London this season either.

What was shown on the runway, in large part, were clothes designed to empower, cocoon and elevate the wearer. Embracing big shoulders, full skirts, layered knits, fur (real and faux) and more, the fall collections leaned into both the idea of clothing as everyday armour, and textures and layers that offer tangible comfort. In other words, a wardrobe right for these tumultuous times.  

Here are the top womenswear trends from the Fall 2025 Fashion Week runways.

Maximal coats

Statement coats are a perennial favourite for fall, and this season, designers showed plenty of fresh options, embracing oversized shapes and a riot of textures. After all, a fall coat can be quite an investment, so it might as well be a topper that will turn heads!   

A colourful fringed style delighted at Roksanda; Altuzarra's textured looped-wool coat seemed worth cosying up to; and at Acne Studios, streamlined faux-fur versions of the teddy bear coat appeared in multiple lengths and colours.  

Draped and layered knits

In lieu of heavyweight knits for the coldest days of the year, designers made a case for layering finer tops and cardigans in a variety of colours and patterns. 

At Christopher John Rogers and Tibi, sweaters were tied around waists and over shoulders (the preppy trend continues). The layering was more straightforward at Missoni and Anteprima, while shrunken knits were collaged together as a form of embellishment at Keburia.  

Eye-catching fur accents

Fur was a popular choice for the men's Fall 2025 collections, and appeared in both real and faux iterations for the womenswear shows. Perhaps as a glamorous throwback to simpler times, or a continuation of the so-called "mob wife" esthetic, there were countless classic coats on the runways at Prabal Gurung, Nina Ricci, Sportmax and more.  

What felt new this season, however, were the furry separates at shows like Simone Rocha and MSGM, and accessories at Etro, Ferragamo and Toga. 

Fire-engine red

After many years of burgundy and oxblood, fire-engine red is the colour of the season. This bold hue never really goes out of fashion — there's a reason that The Lady in Red remains an iconic tune — but for fall, designers were gravitating to it for everything from evening gowns to knitwear to tailored separates. 

At Issey Miyake, Alexander McQueen and Marine Serre, for example, this can't-miss-it shade was styled head to toe for maximal impact, with shoes and hosiery to match. 

Sky-high boots

Sky-high boots created statement looks this season, often paired with short dresses but sometimes brushing coat hems and other times long enough to serve as bottoms under long tops. 

It's a trend that continues from previous seasons, but this year, boots at Stella McCartney, Balmain, Balenciaga and Altuzarra were decidedly sculptural owing to their patent and thicker leather construction.