New York Fashion Week has once again come and gone, and in its wake, it left a flurry of delectable runway looks and emerging trends. While the shows in Europe tend to be on the more aspirational side, there’s a special place in our hearts for the designers that call New York home because they tend to offer some of the most accessible and re-creatable runway looks of the entire season. Maybe it’s because the designers on the schedule tend to be a mix of emerging talent and contemporary labels as opposed heritage brands, but regardless of the reason, the F/W 20 runways at NYFW were flooded with outfit ideas and trends we could easily incorporate into our current wardrobes without expending too much effort or imagination.
Now let’s talk trends. It’s hard to play favorites since there were so many we loved, but if we had to choose, we suppose the following eight are what we’re anticipating the most. So you’ll be ready with an answer when someone asks you what you’re looking forward to wearing six months from now (that answer being cutout tops, cropped blazers, and head-to-toe gray, of course.)
Ahead, get your download on the coolest fall trends from New York that are ripe for re-creating, and since we know you won’t be able to wait for fall to actually arrive, we’ve included our shopping options so you can start wearing them now if you’re so inclined.
Cutouts were one of the most dominant trends we spotted across the collections at New York fashion week. With a focus on creative interpretations—holes at the hips, slashes through crop tops, openings made at the sides of dresses—there is no one way designers are executing them.
At Dion Lee, we saw an exploration of skin-baring details—a theme we’re seeing across collections.
With bare midriffs and exposed bra tops, Khaite showed us a collection that felt sexy—a buzzword that has been percolating this season
One of Khaite’s standout looks is this two-piece evening look with a cutout crop top and voluminous skirt.
Suiting is the trend that we’re convinced will never die (nor do we want it to) and with each new season, designers pinpoint a detail or two that ensures these tailored separates feel fresh. For fall, that detail is overwhelmingly the cropped blazer. We saw the shortened jacket paired with skirts, pants, and even long shorts, which tells us that there’s no single way to incorporate this updated classic into your wardrobe.
Emerging talent Alejandra Alonso Rojas proved she was one to watch this season. We love this look in particular because long shorts and knee boots is a favorite styling trick among the street style set.
Eckhaus Latta took a punk-inspired approach to the suiting trend, pairing a cropped blazer with a school uniform-style skirt—in a punchy orange hue no less.
At Christopher John Rogers, sharp silhouettes gave a nod to the ’80s and interpreted the cropped blazer with notably exaggerated shoulders.
We’re calling this the Bottega Veneta effect. Ever since Daniel Lee put chunky chains on the runway, we’ve seen a rise in chunky jewelry and chain details on the runways. The hardware has migrated from jewelry to bags to shoes and will be a defining detail for accessories in the year ahead.
At Ulla Johnson, big chains adorned bags and shoes and we’re already predicting the accessories with be in huge demand next fall.
Jonathan Simkhai brought us a collection of expertly-crafted wardrobe essentials, styled to perfection.
At Longchamp, we saw a nod to ’70s-inspired Parisian style.
Classics with a twist was the leading theme for the outerwear that came down the runways in New York. Blazers, overcoats, and trenches all went under the knife and came out the other end with a transformative look. Deconstruction, mixed prints, and updates on standard silhouettes are all the details to look out for here.
Off-kilter coats grabbed our attention at Proenza Schouler where it was all about asymmetry.
Monse has made deconstruction a signature of theirs and this season the designers set their sights on reimagining the classic trench coat.
Area showed us the most forward take on the deconstruction trend with their heavily cut out blazers with collarless sweetheart necklines.
With the emergence of Victorian-inspired prints and silhouettes, it seems that Greta Gerwig’s Little Women was on the minds of designers this season. Ruffled collars, luxe brocade fabrics, and sweeping romantic dresses all punctuated the runways, lending a sense of soft romance to the collections.
Tory Burch showed us stunning a Victorian-meets-equestrian collection.
Brock Collection stunned with a collection of beautiful floral prints, covered-up dresses, and ruffle-trimmed jackets.
A mastery of gorgeous brocades and ruffles at Zimmermann.
The term groutfit may have a negative connotation but designers this season sought to convince us of gray’s redeemable qualities—i.e., timelessness, practicality, sophistication. Shades of slate, charcoal, and ash ruled the runways and informed us that wearing the so-called “boring” color is actually quite stylish when worn from head to toe.
Sally LaPointe’s sumptuous layered silk separates are an excellent alternative to cocktail attire.
At Tom Ford, various textures from tweed to feathers collided to create a gray look that’s far from dull. Also noteworthy: socks with sandals.
At Marc Jacobs, retro pieces like peacoats, top-handle bags, and sensible pumps ruled the runway in an array of candy-colored hues, but it was this understated gray ensemble that caught our attention the most.
The runways were styled with many buildable layers—collared shirts over turtlenecks, coats over trenches, outerwear over outerwear. The rule here is that there are never too many layers and experimentation is key.
Creative director Stuart Vevers put his own spin on the preppy school uniform with bold colors and leather.
We saw uptown elegance for cool, modern women at Marina Moscone.
The Row continues to iterate on tailoring with a commitment to a reserved palette of neutrals.
For fall, skin is in. If you need further proof, just look to the necklines that keep popping up with showcase shoulder-baring silhouettes. From halter necks to gathered turtlenecks, designers are putting an emphasis on exposed arms.
Collina Strada brought vibrant colors and prints to the runway.
At Michael Kors, we saw a Western-inspired collection brimming with plaid prints, capes, and fringe-trimmed dresses.
Jason Wu excels at eveningwear and this season was no exception.
