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Protective Statements Maximum Drip Unhinged Bows
In case you haven’t heard, New York Fashion Week has arrived for another season, giving us a healthy dose of fresh fashion inspo. So far, the fall 2024 shows are giving us an exciting glimpse at how the trends might evolve in the coming months, and it’s all very zeitgeist-y: Think reimagined mob wife style, an unexpectedly soft pivot on the ’80s power dressing trend, and the industry’s collective preparation for Taylor Swift’s Reputation (Taylor’s Version) era (whenever that might arrive, since she just announced a brand new album instead). While time will tell what takes hold among the wider public, the latest runway trends are offering a new take on what it means to dress confidently, with maximalism fully back and silhouette and texture play top of mind. Ahead, see the top fashion trends from New York Fashion Week so far for fall 2024.
Modern Mob Wife Outerwear
You’ve probably seen plenty of the Sopranos-inspired mob wife aesthetic both on TikTok and in the wild in recent weeks, and it looks like the style’s signature statement coats are set to be more than a micro-trend. The fall 2024 evolution is less of a direct reference, offering the same unapologetic luxury while bringing something new to the table (which makes sense, considering designers had been working on their collections for months so the alignment with mob wife style is more coincidental).
Peter Do's second Helmut Lang show featured stunning padded leather coats complete with dramatic collars, L'Agence presented outerwear that brought furry excess to cropped and longline styles as well as trim for colorful leather, and Prabal Gurung used decadent shearling and feathers on everything from bomber jackets to evening gowns to a voluminous scarlet floor-length coat (fluffy coats are everywhere, BTW—just look at Gabriela Hearst's latest offering). Christian Cowan's sartorial tribute to Upper East Side ladies—one of the most mob wife-adjacent collections of them all–featured a few covetable, unapologetically luxe fur-trim leather jackets alongside all the sparkly evening looks. No matter which is your favorite, it's clear that come fall we'll again be ready to embrace the drama whenever we step outside.
Rep Era
Take a look at the latest New York Fashion Week collections and you may begin to wonder if most of these designers had Taylor Swift on repeat while at work in the studio (and many of them probably did, considering the musician’s astronomical level of popularity over the past year). While Swift may have announced that her next move is the brand-new The Tortured Poets Department, fans have had a collective hunch for a while that Reputation will be the next re-record to drop, and you’ll accordingly find fall 2024 design motifs that embody the era’s style.
That's exactly the vibe I got when a model hit the Libertine runway in a black blazer coat covered in bedazzled snake designs, plus Dauphinette presented a collection of toughened-up details and unapologetic maximalist chaos (think: multiple stacked belts, bedazzled motorcycle boots, and an elaborate beaded cape reading "Bad to the Bone"). Top it off with Bach Mai's futuristic indie sleaze eveningwear and a hint of snake print in 3.1 Phillip Lim's otherwise quiet luxury-adjacent collection, and you can tell that the fashion world is more than "Ready For It?" if the much-anticipated album drops in the coming months.
Soft Power Dressing
Sharp tailoring and dramatic silhouettes have been abundant in recent seasons with the quiet luxury, ’80s corporate, and office siren trends. In the coming season, it looks like all that energy is entering its soft girl era—without sacrificing any of the unapologetic power.
Collina Strada’s entire thesis for fall 2024 was a feminine subversion of gym bro culture, full of flowing, evening-ready takes on workout clothes, a hint of ’90s grunge, and a bubble-silhouette version of shoulder padding that reminded me of a strange yet fascinating poodle workout video that went viral several years back. Christian Siriano’s Dune-inspired collection featured delicious silky fabrics and harmonized sharpness and flow, while Anna Sui’s Agatha Christie fever dream of cozy outerwear and soft academia is a shortcut to cool-girl confidence. The Carolina Herrera show was full of florals, pastels, and a feminine sensibility as always, but a series of strong shoulders took the looks into bolder territory. It’s a fun next step for an industry that’s been so into reclaiming femininity recently via trending aesthetics like coquette and Barbiecore—instead of going back in the other direction, it seems the coming season is all about finding fresh ways to celebrate that power.
Exposed Sheers
Usually when we see sheer pieces and naked dressing, there’s pasties, backless bras, and cleverly placed appliqués at play behind the scenes for a seamless appearance. Not this season: It seems like practically every designer is playing with ultra-sheer, minimalist pieces that free the nipple or expose elements of garment construction (read: That Helmut Lang piece has pockets, and you’re all going to know about it).
Tory Burch explored this concept through translucent hooded bodysuits that felt fitting to her edgier pivot for fall 2024, while Proenza Schouler's sheers had a "half-dressed" look by pairing dark, opaque pants and skirts with barely there drapes and blouses on top. At Christian Cowan, an exposed take on evening gowns and tops were just one method of adding edge to the collection's uptown aesthetic, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin's provocative nature ultimately fit right in during his first-ever New York show. While there's always the question of how a trend like this will translate into everyday life, the casual (and not politicized) take on sheer garments here is refreshing and would be a welcome sight in going-out style come fall.
Protective Statements
If you've read about the Helmut Lang fall 2024 collection, you've probably heard about how Peter Do was exploring the concept of protection and how it comes into conversation with individuality. From flashes of traffic cone orange to cozy outerwear, that theme was abundantly clear, and it turns out that several designers were on the same page this season.
Jason Wu’s showing of deconstructed glamour featured moody knitwear and evening-ready puffers that were instantly appealing as the fashion crowd faced an oncoming snowstorm, while Proenza Schouler’s quiet luxury-appropriate coats juxtaposed the aforementioned sheers and occasionally leaned into all-weather territory. Sandy Liang took a more minimalist approach to her signature girly aesthetic, but the practical, conservative lean actually drew further attention to subtly sweet details. Altogether, this season makes a compelling argument that practicality doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style.
Maximum Drip
If there’s one thing about the evening looks for fall 2024, it’s that they’re not shy about the sparkle. Party-ready gowns that are absolutely dripping with gems and other adornments seem to be everywhere: It’s an opportune time for the likes of Naeem Khan, PatBO, and Pamella Roland to shine with their signatures, while brands like Dauphinette and Area employed this sensibility in a more subversive way (safety pins as appliqués and mini dresses covered in googly eyes? Sure, why not?). On the other hand, Carolina Herrera’s take on drippy details seemed to be making a case for a daytime statement, showcasing eye-catching metallic florals and embroidery on pieces like shift dresses and jackets. It certainly seems we’re set for exciting holiday party style, awards season moments, and unexpected everyday statements next fall and winter.
Unhinged Bows
Coquette girlies, this one’s for you: Bows are here to stay, and they’re getting increasingly dramatic in 2024. There’s been hints of this in recent viral moments (think: Julia Fox’s bow bra and the TikTok trend of tying ribbons around random household objects), and now this shift has hit the runways. Coach featured enormous 3D bows plus bow prints across skirts, going-out tops, and knitwear, while Dauphinette leaned into enormous padded velvet renditions and emerging brand Melke offered a kitschy crochet take. In a world of micro-trends, it’s exciting to see a nostalgic, unapologetically fun aesthetic like this have staying power, proving it’s no longer necessary to go minimalist in order to be taken seriously.