Questions over the state of luxury fashion loomed large across the autumn/winter 2025 season. It’s no secret that the industry has experienced a battering post-pandemic: according to The Business Of Fashion, excluding 2020, 2025 marks the first decline in luxury value creation for the first time since 2016 – with brands under increasing pressure to meet the bottom line, while still delivering exclusivity and cultural relevance. But fashion has never been afraid to shake things up in the face of adversity – and shake things up it did.

Quiet luxury may have slunk off the radar for autumn/winter 2025, but we saw the spirit of stealth wealth work its way into the staging of collections this season. In Paris, Loewe transformed an hôtel particulier with an exhibition-style display that celebrated Jonathan Anderson’s immense impact on the brand, and allowed visitors to get up close and personal with his final collection. Elsewhere, for her Givenchy debut, Sarah Burton harked back to the house’s ’50s origins with an intimate, salon-style show that reinterpreted the archive for a new generation. The Row has long been an arbiter of this stripped-back approach, with its exclusive, no-phone shows, but it seems as though the rest of the industry has clocked onto the fact that, when we have the world at our fingertips, sometimes less is more, and, more importantly, sometimes less is luxury.

If salon-style presentations marked a death of clickbait catwalk shows, then the autumn/winter 2025 collections themselves signalled a jubilant rejection of “algorithm dressing”. Miuccia Prada skewered social-feed styling and traditional feminine tropes in one fell swoop with Miu Miu and Prada’s autumn/winter 2025 collections: the former a mish-mash of fabulously frumpy skirt suits and chaotic knitwear, the latter awash with house coats in florals fit for your grandma’s curtains. Vogue Runway’s Sarah Mower summarised the mood as “bourgeois Milanese lady-gone-wrong”. We call it high-fashion frump.

It was quite the motley crew that joined signora Milanese on the runways this season, from Simone Rocha’s headteacher-meets-Barbarella heroine to Dilara Findikoglu’s dominatrix-tinged Venus de Milo, and Haider Ackermann’s leather-clad Patrick Bateman at Tom Ford. All in all: an expressive cast of characters that defy categorisation and, in many cases, fly in the face of “good taste”. Fashion creatives may have their work cut out juggling artistic expression with the pressure of the C-suite, but this ragtag group suggests they’re up to the task.

As for how to incorporate this influx of new trends, moods and archetypes into your everyday wardrobe? Stew on it. Take stock on what you already have before investing in fresh items, and only buy something you can see yourself wearing beyond a single season – even when the “trend” apex has passed. It’s crucial to ensure that any additions blend seamlessly with your go-to staples, so perhaps treat yourself to a “try-on” afternoon to help plan some outfits you might want to wear come autumn. This, of course, is an exceptionally organised approach – especially if you relish the thrill of getting dressed in the morning – but rummaging through your wardrobe can prompt a much-needed clear-out.

A great skirt — whether covered in an expressive print, beads or sequins — shouldn’t be reserved solely for after-dark hours. Sure, some styles may prove impractical for daytime wear (especially those lacking a slit for easy movement), but many have the ability to transform an everyday look. Make like Roksanda and throw on a sculptural blazer, or shroud yourself in a slouchy knit à la Dries Van Noten.

Leather is always a mainstay on the autumn runways, and in recent seasons, suede has emerged as another material of choice for luxury houses. Unsurprisingly, sharply tailored coats and jackets have become the favoured silhouettes for showcasing the material at its best, with toffee, chestnut and chocolate tones proving most popular. Hesitant to invest for fear of damaging the fabric? Simply treat your suede piece with a protective spray… and check the forecast before heading out.

Necklines aren’t typically a talking point on the runways – more often, they’re a subtle design choice, like a slightly exaggerated lapel or the absence of a collar on a blazer. Funnel-neck jackets, however, are designed to be noticed. Fastened to the top and grazing the chin, they carry the same sense of drama as a power shoulder. Phoebe Philo has long championed the look – first at Céline, then with her own label – and many designers have since followed suit. They key benefit of the shape? It keeps the nape warm against the bitter cold.

Necklines aren’t typically a talking point – rather, a design decision that might go quietly unnoticed, like a slightly-exaggerated lapel on a coat, or lack of collar on a blazer. Funnel-neck jackets, however, are made to be seen: when worn fastened to the top, covering the chin, they evoke a similar kind of drama to a power shoulder or voluminous fabrication. Phoebe Philo has been a key instigator of funnel-necks since her tenure at Céline – she introduced her eponymous brand with a statement funnel-neck a couple of years back – and several designers have also had their turn on the cut. They key benefit of the shape? It shelters your nape from bitter cold.

“Dowdy and old-fashioned (typically used of a woman or her clothes),” is how Google summarises the meaning of the word “frumpy”. Similar suggested terms include “dowdy”, “unfashionable” and ”drab” – none of which sounds especially aspirational. And yet, in the face of AI-generated perfectionism, designers have been busy subverting traditional notions of good taste with clothing that feels awkward, off-kilter and… well… really quite frumpy. From Louis Vuitton’s lumpy gilets worn over long skirts and SS Daley’s homely knitwear, to the haphazard layering of Miu Miu and Prada’s “jolie laides”, this look is all about leaning into spirit and spontaneity over Instagrammed perfection.

What makes a good stripe and what makes a bad stripe? Designers pondered the endless possibilities of the pattern on the runways, realised as cartoon burglar jackets and roomy trousers by London talent Talia Byre, patchwork leather at Fendi, thick zingy stripes at Christopher John Rogers (where stripes are a signature) and enveloping fuzzy knits at Marni. The main takeaway? The bolder, the better – but be sure to pare down your stripes with a grounding basic. If loud isn’t your style, then consider Ann Demeulemeester’s fresh take on the pinstripe – courtesy of Stefano Gallici – who rid it of corporate cues with low-rise trousers.

“Suited and booted” tailoring has come in a variety of guises over the decades: from the trademark XXL proportions of Vetements and subsequently Balenciaga, to The Row’s stripped-back, stealth wealth codes, in one form or another, it has remained a consistent success story in the contemporary womenswear market. For autumn/winter 2025, new silhouettes have emerged, like Sarah Burton for Givenchy’s structured jackets and coats with nipped-in waistlines. “You can count on seeing her hourglass grey peacoat and hourglass black leather moto on the streets of Paris this time next year,” Vogue Runway’s Nicole Phelps predicted. Elsewhere at Tom Ford, Valentino and Victoria Beckham, it was a return to a more classic tailored fit – no frills, no gimmicks, just immaculately cut suiting that will look just as good in the boardroom as it does at the cocktail bar.