Fall/Winter 2014 Trends

Summer is ending and Fashion Month has finally arrived from New York to London to Milan, making it's last stop in Paris, which means it's time for my 2014 Autumn/Winter trends post! This season was so incredibly beautiful fashion wise, from the retro-fresh 60's inspired catwalks of Gucci to the fur covered models of Fendi, I've got the total recap of this years Autumn/Winter designer runways and what you'll be seeing on the streets in the next upcoming months. You'll also find my own Autumn/Winter wish list that has some more affordable versions of the biggest trends on the runways, with all the shopping links provided. Happy Autumn/Winter 2014 shopping!
My Wishlist 

(see links at bottom of post)

Runway Recap

Coats, Coats, and Coats

As normal as this might seem, by far the biggest trend of this season and the staple piece of almost every designer's runway was the winter coat. But not just any regular coat, parkas, capes, ponchos, furs, biker jackets, boxy tailored blazers, long trenches, short shearlings, any type of outerwear you could think of walked each of the designers runways. This Winter's fashion is all about bundling up and  finding those core statement pieces that will serve their purpose, all the while being utterly classic and luxurious fashion wise.  A fairy tale like cape seen at Dolce and Gabbana was a particular favorite of mine. And how could you not love the custom initial stitched ponchos of Burberry,? (Thanks to Cara for rocking it so well) I was pretty surprised to see the Parka make it's return with quite a bang (it's hard to admit how well Balenciaga made such a marshmallow shape look so chic). There's really no wrong way to go with this one. Personally I'm going to be looking for some wild (faux) furs to rock, and if I can find a poncho that I can pull off, you better believe it'll be mine!

Swingin' 60's

Another huge trend for these next months is the swinging' 60's. So think short skirts and tall boots (or take a direct cue from the runway and go with pants), patent Mary Janes, pastels, shiny metallics, trapeze dresses...Even a brand new Go Go boot-anything to create the baby doll like style of 1960's London. This is a whole new look for Winter, it's brighter, fresher, and more effortlessly chic than the usual layered up, darker garb we're used to rocking through the cold. I'm finding this trend can be taken one of two ways, there's the way that Gucci did the 60's; with vibrancy, warm toned leather skirts, neutral toned bottoms like a classic trouser pant and a leather knee high boot-a definite tribute to that time. Whereas designers like Hedi Slimane of Saint Laurent took it in a different
direction; using subtle nods towards the 60's like sheer collared shirts, darker baby doll style dresses, and black leather knee high boots, to give this retro look a much more modern street style.

Dipped in Gold

For some time now gold has been making a statement in the fashion industry. Designers have been using it in the most delicate of ways and also in the boldest, using it as the perfect accent piece to offset any regular fashion piece or as a chunky-chained statement necklace, but this season gold came in with a flashy bang, proving to be a staple trend this season. Labels like Dolce and Gabbana, Prada, Saint Laurent, Moschino and Chloe amongst so many more, all displayed their flare of gold whether it was a leopard printed gold dress, gold shearling fur jacket, head to toe gold and leather, or plates of gold disks sewn into a dress, it was all there and more golden than ever. My favorite of collections to conquer the gold trend is of course, Dolce and Gabbana. They rocked this style and took it to a whole other level of classic feminine beauty. I'm a devoted lover of Dolce and Gabbana because of the lace and the frills and the absolute sensuality they bring to each and every one of their collections-I just think they make clothing made to show off the beauty of a woman, but what they did with gold is absolutely royal. Each and every model looked straight out of a fairy tale, just too, too pretty.

Animal Kingdom

Animal prints were huge this season, tying in with the furs that hit all the runways to give our Winter a sort of animalistic feel...To our clothes. The list of designers that sported an animal print on their catwalk goes on and on, but to name a few that got really into it were Celine, Burberry, Balmain, Gucci, Givenchy, and Saint Laurent. But before you start to go through your head of the usual red lip/leopard print "since the dawn of time" combo, hold off because this is a whole new way to show off the wilder side of prints. Designers like Sebastian Suhl of Givenchy and Olivier Rousteing of Balmain mixed leopard prints with an Aviator-type vintage feel, making this trend a little more, eh hem, dare I say it, badass than previously styled before. Whereas other designers like Gucci, Burberry, and Celine took it a whole other direction, exaggerating leopard prints on coats and dresses to give off a very primal feminine power kind of feel with a little bit of the 60's trend spilling over into it. 

Knit Picky

This is definitely the epitome of what is a trend...Head to toe knitwear is quite the look to pull off, and if you are a die hard wear-it-like-the-runways kind of person then I want to see you rock this one. Designers like Paul Smith, Celine, Haider Ackermann, and Marc Jacobs took on this style whole heartily. It's certainly a comfortable outfit to go for, and the more I look into this trend, the more I'm realizing that this is great when done the right way. The head to toe monochromatic knit might be a tough one to pull off but there are definitely other ways to wear knits this season that are a little more user friendly; Skirts, hats, sweaters, belts, cardigans, if the designers are saying one thing about knits it's that they can be a lot more versatile than what we originally thought. Haider Ackerman, for instance, made a floor length, turtleneck, no shape, knit dress with pockets making for a rather elongated monochromatic looking model. And then there was Stella McCartney who made shorter knit dresses that visually played with shape and form, and look much more street/day friendly than some of the other pantsuit knits. Personally I'm always a fan of a knit hat or knit cardigan any day of the week so this trend will definitely be a part of my wardrobe this Winter.

This 2014 Autumn/Winter fashion season is definitely one of my favorites yet, with what was seen on the runways. I have so many favorites but Burberry, Dolce and Gabbana, and Balmain would have to be my favorite collections with Saint Laurant, Gucci, and Celine oh so close behind them. I can't wait to get started on my Autumn/Winter looks with these trends, and have already started shopping for my favorite ones. I've made my own wish list for myself and provided direct links so that you guys can shop it too! Hope you enjoy!

1. Jeffrey Campbell Lilyn Stud Boot // Nasty Gal

2. Quay Joplin Shades // Nasty Gal

3. Epic Sequins Sleeve Sweater // Chicwish

4. The Boater Hat // Lack of Color

5. Be Bold Body Con Dress // Tobi

6. Vinyl Front Ponte Leggings // Top Shop

7. CONTROL Over The Knee Boots // Top Shop

8. Monroe Sheepskin Rever Collar Coat // Top Shop

9. Pack of 2 Stiff Necklaces // ZARA

10. Roxbury Skinny Jeans // Tobi

11. Mixed Prism Necklace // J. Crew

12. Asha Sunnies // Gypsy Warrior

13. Amore Tulle Midi Skirt in Caramel // Chicwish

14. Embroidered Navy Blue Midriff Jumper // Romwe

15. Brown Metallic Yoke Knit Scarves // Sheinside

16. Nasty Gal English Nights Cape // Nasty Gal

17. Leopard Print Pelmet Skirt // Top Shop

18. Smart Boxy Crossbody Bag // Top Shop

19. Chain Necklace // ZARA

20. Miista Alexia Platform // Nasty Gal

21. Black Mini Backpack // Chicwish

22. Matted Camel Shearling Jacket // Chicwish

23. ASOS Wide Topped Waist Belt // ASOS

24. Motel Ricky Tee in Tango // Motel Rocks

25. One Teaspoon Freelove Denim Skirt // Nasty Gal

26. Tuck Back Beanie // Top Shop

27. Cracked Leather High Heel Sandal // ZARA