The 12 Runway Trends of Fall 2016

The puffer jacket may not, at first thought, be a “directional piece,” but there’s no doubt as to Fall’s reigning outerwear. Whether you shop Demna Gvasalia’s take, or one of this season’s countless others, this is fashion at its most gloriously functional. Less utilitarian, but infinitely more opulent? The season’s generous swathes of lustrous velvet. Strike a pose in floor-skimming saffron from Valentino or Alberta Ferretti’s languid, blush-hued pajama set; voilà—you’re a lady of leisure. The new look of borrowed from the boys is boxy and charmingly insouciant—and amped up via the “granddad plaids” proposed by Dries Van Noten, Calvin Klein Collection’s Francisco Costa, Isabel Marant, et al. Sumptuous yet substantial upholstery-inspired styles are right in step with fashion’s new mood. These lush brocades and fils coupes make for the season’s most interesting evening bets—and won’t look half bad by day, either. Fashion is an industry that loves to feel as though it’s uncovered something. To wit: its ongoing infatuation with streetwear, which, for Fall, shows no signs of waning. With an amped-up tenor of luxury, track pants, hoodies, and sportif stripes have never felt more right. Roguish and floor sweeping, or mod and cropped? Plaid or crimson? Utilitarian, knit, or lushly embellished? Choose your own adventure with this season’s parade of capes. Evening’s deliciously dark new look takes its cues from the Elizabethans, Victorians, and beyond. Fingers crossed these eclectic dresses will turn up on the red carpet soon. It’s patently obvious—high-shine finishes are in for Fall. These wet-looking vinyls and leathers stormed the runway, to results alternately fetish-chic and artily offbeat. Just the ticket to team with that off-shoulder Balenciaga puffer? The reimagined après-ski sweaters by talents from Joseph Altuzarra to Chloé’s Clare Waight Keller. Vintage-inspired shearlings continue their cozy tenure at the top of the heap, a must-have for street style stars and industry civilians alike. A fitting way to ring in this year’s “Manus x Machina” Met Gala? Fall’s eye-popping fabrications—faultless embroidery and tiers of shimmering bugle beads—as whipped up by both man and machine. You can’t beat a classic, but Fall’s rethought, more-is-more bikers deserve a spot in your closet alongside that well-loved Perfecto. Decked out with fur, studs, patches, and ’80s-inflected shoulder pads, they’ll make for the season’s savviest investment buy.

The 12 Runway Trends of Fall 2016

Balenciaga

Courrèges

DKNY

Emilio Pucci