The 3 key trends buyers picked up from NYFW

During the Fall 2019 New York Fashion Week, womenswear designers showed a mix of new and old trends. Inspirations and elements that had begun popping up in previous seasons, like a nod to utility, 1970s inspirations and reptilian prints gained strength, while trends that had already grown strong like metallic textures and sneakers as a leading footwear style solidified their place.

“There is a certain ease with American fashion; it’s not always statement making but rather more runway to street, which I think is what is most appealing to our customers and what we see within the trends,” Tiffany Hsu, Buying Director of Mytheresa, told FashionUnited.

She lists a few notable collections as Cate Holstein’s for her new and fresh way of presenting modern, wearable looks, Sies Marjan for the use of unexpected prints in soft silk iterations, and Self-Portrait’s fresh perspective on tailoring and strong monochrome looks.

“Finally, I was blown away by Zimmermann’s eccentric details and metallic outerwear combined with matching footwear,” she said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what other trends will be backed by other fashion weeks over the next weeks.”

Below, Hsu shares her insights as to the top womenswear trends consumers will focus on for the Fall 2019 season.

Leather: both head-to-toe and multi-colored

“The all-leather combination continues to be a mainstay trend - the head-to-toe looks from Sies Marjan and Zimmermann are ones we predict customers will covet,” Hsu said.

Rosa Cha, Re/Done and Sally Lapointe showed leather-on-leather styling, while others like Zadig & Voltaire, BLDWN just kept their collections heavy on the leather, using the material across skirting, trousers and outerwear.

Jyothi Rao, president of Intermix, said to WWD, “Leather had a strong moment this season, especially in the camel, cognac and olive color palette. A leather jacket, blazer or skirt in camel, cognac or olive, knits and outerwear and a metallic layering knit.

To this point, some of the all-leather looks in Sally Lapointe’s collection were done in mint green, lavender and red, in addition to the classic black styling.

“Leather isn’t going anywhere soon in outerwear, from trenches to tailored coats and in deep rich shades such as brown, burgundy and tan,” Hsu added.

Minimalist tailoring

“A wave of minimalist menswear tailoring is definitely something I am following at the moment and one to watch, particularly Monse who master this with sharp silhouettes and layering of various fabrics,” Hsu noted - and she was not alone in this.

A number of retail executives, including Saks Fifth Avenue senior vice president and fashion director Roopal Tatel, Nordstrom designer fashion director Jeffrey Kalinsky, Le Bon Marché style director Jennifer Cuvillier and Harrods general merchandise manager for womenswear Maria Milano, told WWD that they found The Row’s tailoring and minimalism to be amongst their favorite collections.

“Simple, clean sportswear and tailoring is going to really ring the cash register,” Kalinsky said to WWD.

Gabriela Hearst, BLDWN, Moon Choi and Bevza were amongst the top players in minimalist tailoring, each showing clean lines throughout outerwear pieces, jackets and dressing.

Shearling

As far as outerwear, Hsu and Holt Renfrew president Mario Grauso have both noted shearling as a focus fabric. Designers including Sies Marjan, Ulla Johnson, Jonathan Simkhai and Sandy Liang opted for shearling in the Fall 2019 outerwear offerings.

“An oversized shape and cinched waist continues to be a strong piece [in outerwear],” Hsu said, mentioning Nanushka’s heavy robe coats combined with rope belts.

Images: Courtesy of Karla Otto and Purple PR