It’s that time of the year, Autumn is upon us and many say it is the most exciting time in the fashion calendar. It’s so much easier to look stylish in Autumn, don’t you think? Less flesh on show, more layers to play with! What’s not to love.

So, we at FIPI have done our homework and are delighted to bring you our ‘best of the rest’ AW Trend Report. We hope you are inspired to share with your clients all the opulence the season has to offer.

VELVET CRUSH

The catwalk has spoken and the verdict is in, velvet is hot news. It’s not a new trend by any means but by adding a little colour this luxe fabric has had an on-trend make-over. Everyone from Prada to Gucci have all paid homage to this opulent fabric. Go for rich, classic colours like moss green and burgundy and they’ll work hard for you year after year.

FRINGING AND TASSLES

Grab your curtain ties and get to work. Hassle earrings are the accessory of the season. Expect to see skirts, jackets and lots and lots of handbags with this super fun, super sexy detailing taking influence from Moschino and DSquared2

THE FASHION RENAISSANCE

The fashion world is not one to shy away from dramatics and this season’s renaissance trend is definitive proof. Design giants like Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton were just some of the shows which incorporated renaissance-inspired embroidery, jewels and ruffles.

STUDS, SEQUINS AND TINSEL

Yes, a little early for Christmas bling but put up with it, we may! Christmas is coming early! Sparkles, studs and bling are shown in a whole new light this season. Dolce and Gabbana, fend and Adam Selman all picked up on the trend and made the catwalk shine. We are beyond obsessed with Adam Selman’s tinsel covered jumper dresses.

MILITARY VIBES

This is a trend that resurfaces a lot. Whether it is tailored jackets at Marc Jacobs or edgy, structured pieces from Alexander wang, military inspired utility pieces are big news for Autumn.Expect the high street to really catch on to this one with Zara, Monsoon, New Look and a whole host of others already offering up this trend in spades.

COSY CAPELETS

For those days when you just need the tiniest cover up ever, designers present us with this option. A little retro but also very chic. Take inspiration from Christian Dior, Burberry, and MSGM.

METALLIC DETAILS

Not for the faint hearted what shocked most about this trend is that metallic was seen in detailing not just on ‘out there’ designers but also more demure fashion figures. Check out collection from Alexander Wang, Ji Oh, Dion Lee and Michael Kors.

ASSYMETTRIC SHOULDERS

Off the shoulder shirts have had their day. Now it is time to make room for a new shape. Spotted on no fewer than 5 shows, it was popular on the runway. It was seen at Herve Leger, Rodarte and Self Portrait, which is one of the hottest brands crossing the designer – high street fashion line right now.

PLENTY OF PLEATING

One of the top fall 2016 trends and spanning further back than that is the look of pleats. It was Alessandro Michele who made the pleated midi skirt and lacy underwear combination so enticing and that is where we have continued onwards from. Pleats exist on just about every piece of fashion now. We see them on Gucci quite a bit, with multiple layers of colorful goodness, Arthur Arbesser, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo and many more adding to the pleated fashion collections.

SIMPLY SUEDE

The suede is very much a trend left from 2015, where the 1970s was the era of choice and the designs were retro and blasts from the pasts. One of the most practical and wearable fall/ winter 2016-2017 fashion trends, suede has that special shine to it that only suede can have, the softness of the pieces all the more reason to invest in this winter-perfect material. At Tory Burch, we see suede in denim blue colors, falling to mid-calf. Narciso Rodriguez brings in lovely suede coats worn over satin slips, and Derek Lam does a dual colored midi skirts in pencil dimensions to keep up the cowgirl meets 21st century look alive.

LEATHER

We have always loved the leather jackets, the leather tops and skirts and everything in between. How can one get enough of leather anyway? Leather skirts in black, falling to mid-calf, appear under oversized sweaters at Rag & Bone. Leather was found on trousers, skirts, dresses and more, even on hoodies for a cleaner effect. Leather was spotted in synthetic, shinier forms on Mulberry, with high necks, ruffled front, long sleeves, and above the knee hems.

Effects at Mary Katrantzou were a little more on the psychedelic side, with images of blue butterflies, red stars and a whole lot more appearing on those skirts.

EMBROIDERY & LACE

While more common in 2015 and on the spring runways, both embroidery and lace are still a vital part of Autumn. At Mulberry, the gorgeous lace dresses also come with leather jackets worn over and shiny studs adding to the swishing effects of the skirts, making the pieces all the lovelier to own. Roberto Cavalli and Alberta Ferretti were two of our favourite designers showcasing this beautiful trend.