All-Americana: Top Trends from NYFW Fall Winter 2024
Opening with Peter Do’s sophomore outing for an industrial Helmut Lang and ending with Thom Browne’s gothic fantasy; the two runways posed as fitting bookends for the full spectrum of Americanisms on display throughout New York Fashion Week. Condensed to 6 fleeting days, the shows were not only tasked with kicking off the Fall Winter 2024 season (fresh off the back of Menswear and Couture weeks), but diverting attention from the star-studded Super Bowl.
According to Pinterest Predicts the breakout trends of 2024 include the jazz revival (+180% in searches), bow outfits (+190%), eclectic clothing (+160) and western gothic (+145%) - from 428 million users Pinterest lifts its data from, did the week reflect as such?
With all this talk of micro-trends lately, it’s hard not to have a preconceived idea of what Fashion Month will bring, but among the expected tropes there were a number of surprise outings that looked to forge new codes like Sandy Liang and Tory Burch (and celebrity sightings, see: cowboy-hatted Beyoncé at Luar).
On ground, sheer, mesh and see-through garments continued their strong presence across the runways, but have seemingly moved into more conceptual territories. Ludovic Saint de Sernin’s appropriated Robert Mapplethorpe photographs on pencil skirts and tank tops, Helmut Lang worked with bubble wrap and velcro, while Proenza Schouler's sheer shirting and sheath dresses found alluring undertones.
Hometown heroes and cheerleaders of a classic New York returned to appease searchers of the polished capsule wardrobe. Tommy Hilfiger and Coach leaned into this idea with similar, wearable palettes spliced with western fringing, varsity insignia and houndstooth checks. Minimalism found itself looking for something outside of the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic with cut-outs and general dishevelment, a welcome change at Helmut Lang, Anna Sui, Jason Wu and Eckhaus Latta.
As for office wear, while sporty corporate combinations and a muted neutral palette dominated the SS24 New York season, Fall Winter was darker, in terms of colour and concept — it was strictly business. An almost-conservative air of Dior’s New Look meets Jackie Kennedy-style skirt suits were seen at a largely bow-less Sandy Liang, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Bevza and Tommy Hilfiger.
Outwear was a major drawcard for the trend spotters; with leather duster jackets (hoping to move on from their Matrix comparisons) present throughout the collections, while furry, fuzzy shearling and teddy coats were back in a big, big way. Does this mean the mob wife trend actually has legs?
Save for the more outspoken palettes at Collina Strada, Ulla Johnson and Tory Burch, a darker realism perpetuated in endless variations of black, brown and grey, perhaps a nod to the general state of the world. Vibrant red is still having its moment as a pop colour amongst black and white, and has brought with it its winter version; rich burgundy. Khaite, Luar and Eckhaus Latta were among those offering the deep red as an alternative to black.
Let’s take a look at a few trends currently making ground at NYFW FW24.
Cloaked and Swathed
After Phoebe Philo debuted a leather cape last October, it was all capes, scarves and swaddling at NYFW, our security blankets for the season ahead. Cloaked over the shoulders in leather and shearling with signature boxy drama at Khaite, cropped and draped at Proenza Schouler. Blankets were belted in and thrown over the shoulder at Tibi, and Jason Wu made the case for swaddling sweaters and off-shoulder drapery in knitwear and jersey.
Making a Fuzz
Just when you thought fur was firmly in the rearview mirror — despite whether or not it was real — larger than life coats in sumptuous, frayed and furry fabrics were presented en masse. It was hard to ignore just how comfortable shearling coats look at Proenza Schouler and Khaite (a sign of the uncomfortable times?) At Gabriela Hearst, known for her sustainability pillars, the fur on a pair of coats was woven cashmere sheared with vertical lines to evoke the real thing. Even Sandy Liang swapped trenches for kitschy versions of the teddy coat.
The Leather Coat
Leather remains a New York mainstay for the cooler months, but with all those sheer numbers and opaque pencil skirts you’re going to need something that covers head to toe. Enter the leather coat, supple, structured and timeless. Gabriela Hearst presented trenches in crinkled leather, Khaite stuck to her roots with 80s-style shoulders and enlarged silhouettes, while Ludovic de Saint Sernin offered his chocolate brown version conjured an early 80s office-to-club vibe.
Southern Gothic
Just when cowboy aesthetics seemed to dominate menswear (think Pharrell for Louis Vuitton, newcomer Willy Chavarria, oh and Beyonce’s newest look), the western resurgence has gone darker, and little more south for womenswear. A combination of the past few season’s mainstream trends have appeared to inform the look; Victorian era corsetry, lace-up details, dramatically high smocked necks, embroidered western boots and pointed flats, fringing and beading. Thom Browne took a more romantic turn referencing the gothic literature of American poet Edgar Allen Poe to influence a full collection of black and white with exaggerated collars, bows, tweed and tailoring. Looks like Pinterest was on to something.
Main image credit: Phil Oh for Vogue
