Self-reflection was at the heart of the recently concluded New York Fashion Week. A number of designers chose to look inward and focused on self-care-meets-fashion.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Proenza Schouler, for instance, looked at the state of the world and fashion and the need to pause and self-examine. Their collection had an all-pervading protectionist touch sublimating the pieces, from the cowls that accessorised jackets to the shawls, which were wrapped around bare shoulders.

Wes Gordon at Carolina Herrera, on the other hand, equated beauty with strength, thereby proposing the idea of evening glamour which was decadent yet tough. From the signature bloom prints to big round shoulder dresses, there was a sweet mix of strength and vulnerability in the collection. Designer Catherine Holstein at Khaite paid a poignant tribute to her late mother, with models sporting glossy red lips (her mother always had lipstick on her bedside table) and sunglasses paired with long leather and shearling coats worn over midi skirts and tapered trousers.

From the Michael Kors collection
(AFP)

Here are some of the few key trends that emerged from the New York Fashion Week:

Chunky, textured outerwear

Chunky shearling, faux fur and glossy leather coats and jackets were a big part of fall-winter collections at Eckhaus Latta, Khaite, Proenza Schouler, Ulla Johnson, Coach and Michael Kors.

Khaite, for example, sent out a litany of desirable capes, hoodies and coats that stood out against a pitch black backdrop of a liquid-like runway. Proenza’s show was brimming with tailored and relaxed outerwear with hoodie-like additions meant to keep one warm, cozy and stylish.

90s minimalism

Proenza Schouler took tailoring references from the 1990s iconic designer Helmut Lang, all visible in the parkas and jackets. There were plenty of covetable slip dresses at Gabriela Hearst.

At Tibi, designer Amy Smilovic was drawn towards 90s comfort-driven sporty dressing, presenting a polo shirt layered with a varsity bomber and styled with a pair of wide-legged denims.

Maximalist red carpet dressing

From the Prabal Gurung show
(REUTERS)

Falguni Shane Peacock, Christian Siriano and Prabal Gurung stuck to their signature styles of adventurous red carpet dressing. Shine and ombré feathers have been spotted across the board this season, from La Pointe and Naeem Khan to Bibhu Mohapatra.

A display of power

At Veronica Beard, the late French music and style icon Jane Birkin informed the collection. Bibhu Mohapatra’s reference was photographer Helmut Newton’s work that documented women in the late 70s and 80s.

From the LaQuan Smith show
(REUTERS)

Pencil skirts galore

It seems fall 2024 is all about owning a sexy pencil skirt. It was seen at several brands, including Laquan Smith, Tibi and Khaite. The one that stood out the most was the Khaite midi leather skirt slashed at the thigh and worn with above-the-knee boots.

Manish Mishra is a Delhi-based writer and content creator.