Emma Waight takes us through five of next season’s trends, and show us how to do them ethically.
Leather
From soft leather at Valentino and Calvin Klein to tough chic silhouettes at Tom Ford and DKNY, black is the colour of choice for leather. If that is too much for you however, YSL and Acne rebelled with maroon leather on their A/W runways.
Ethical options: Not only is leather an animal product but there are many concerns about the harm caused to humans and the environment during the tanning process, which is extremely toxic. Vegan shoes are easy to come by, vegan clothing less so. Try this vegan jacket from Urban Outfitters, or an upcycled skirt by Reluxe.
British Heritage
Quilting, flat caps and tweed peplum jackets at that great British brand Burberry; plaid and oversized knits at Chloe and equestrian style at Paul Smith and Paul & Joe made that perennial winter favourite – British heritage.
Ethical options: Buy British! Try Izzy Lane for scrummy sustainable knits made from wool spun in the UK from their own flocks of rare breed Shetlands and Wensleydales and The North Circular for handmade knitted accessories.
Nomad
Picture far-flung adventures for the new season modern nomad trend. Mexican craftsmanship at Altuzara; Russian folklore at Fendi and home-spun patterns at Mulberry and Missoni. Braided hair and fur trims finish off the look.
Ethical options: This might seem the ultimate sustainable ‘hippie’ chic trend, but appearances can be deceiving. Choose a brand which uses artisan skills and fair trade labour like Forever Amano’s Alpaca/wool blend knits made in Bolivia or Pachacuti’s fair trade panama hats (not just for summer).
Fifties
Channel Grace Kelly’s style with a fifties look this autumn as seen on the AW12/13 catwalks. Flirty feminine style was evident at Lanvin and Dior with pastel shades of blush pink and baby blue brightening up the dark winter colour palettes.
Ethical options: Buy the real thing! Scour charity shops, vintage stores, eBay and your own mother’s/grandmother’s wardrobe for full skirts, twin set cardies and retro prints.
New Baroque
Opposing minimalism this season is the new baroque. Grand and exuberant, we saw embellishment at Balmain, gold embroidery and velvet at D&G and Disney princess style at Vivienne Westwood.
Ethical options: Detailed embroidery and sequin encrusted textiles means hours of hard graft for someone, somewhere in the world. Ensure that no one has been exploited to create your beautiful new jacket by buying fair trade. Try the velvet dresses by Nomad and new season collections from People Tree. Or go designer with strong sustainable looks by Ada Zanditon who this season uses fair trade organic velvet and English woven wools.
Emma Waight is a fashion academic and also writes for clothes.org.uk.
Photo: Ada Zanditon collection by Emma Waight