The buzzword for AW26 at Brown Thomas is confidence. Get a preview of the decadent new season ahead …
As models walked down the runway to the sound of Soulwax’s Heaven Scent, featuring Chloë Sevigny, it was a suitably ‘It’ girl note to mark the turning of the season. According to Brown Thomas, AW26 is a dialling up of the drama on clothes. Colours have more depth, texture is increasingly important, outerwear has a no-holds-barred approach and noteworthy new brands include Alaïa, Lanvin and Source Unknown, as well as minimalist Belgian label Rhúne.
Green checkered cape, €390; blue jeans, €850; both Chloé at Brown Thomas.
White shirt, €1,800; black high-waisted skirt, €1,500; both Alaïa at Brown Thomas.
Tracy Despard, director of fashion buying at Brown Thomas Arnotts, says the key word of the season is confidence. “After seasons of quieter dressing, we are seeing colour, texture and extraordinary outerwear come through in a much stronger way, but it still feels incredibly wearable. There are pieces that make you stop when you see them, whether that is an incredible Chloé cape, the proportion of a Khaite velvet suit or the detail in Erdem’s collaboration with Barbour,” she says.
Off-white scarf, €690; off-white jacket, €3,800; trousers, €1,500; all Celine at Brown Thomas.
Black quilted coat, Erdem x Barbour, €5,195, at Brown Thomas.
First up, the big hitters. Michael Rider’s coveted new look for Celine had three looks on the runway (as did most brands), most notably via an off-white puffer scarf, replete with logo, that looked soft enough to nap on. It was paired with a white collarless jacket and matching trousers. We’d love to see more of Rider’s clever take on what French women really wear as the seasons progress. As always, the Erdem looks were saved for the end, this time as the penultimate segment. A floral jacquard coat featuring patchwork and traditional diamond quilting – the result of a collaboration between the brand and Barbour – made for a scene-stealer we’re still thinking about. Equally, a red Erdem dress with a waist that resembled an inbuilt bustle, and a hint of Simone Rocha, was the most striking piece sent down the catwalk. The tailoring that was present had an impact. A Givenchy pinstriped suit oozed cool. We’re noting the styling, with a white cowl-neck shirt (pictured, far right, in the image above): as if the model had shrugged it on backwards, not realising she was at once déshabillé but totally aspirational.
Of course, there were dresses. A milieu of styles. All classics that will become old-reliables; shirt dresses with cinched waists, lace midis in autumnal shades of aubergine, trapeze styles with fringing. Black dresses are big, as always. Khaite’s strapless black dress – suitably sleek – stood out from the fray, as did Zimmermann’s halter-neck style (it was actually made from a very dark denim) which was teamed with tan studded clogs for an offbeat contrast. Meanwhile, Stella McCartney embraced velvet – it’s big for the season ahead – with a textured black dress. Simkhai’s square-neck dress boasted an embellished neckline.
Dark blue denim halter-neck dress, Zimmermann, €1,650, at Brown Thomas.
Red embellished gown, Erdem, €6,395, at Brown Thomas.
There wasn’t too much colour but, when used, its presence was deliberate. Jewel tones are coming to the fore. Think: saturated red, cobalt and fuchsia. Isabel Marant’s ruby red jeans signified the appetite for crimson as an alternative to true blue indigo. Stella McCartney’s star-print pussybow blouse in bright blue – with comparably softer shoulders than a lot of the boxy styles that dominated – garnered looks for all of the right reasons.
As for accessories, Loewe’s buzzy Amazonia bag – a style that gapes open on one side – was teamed with speckled jeans. Meanwhile, grey ribbed socks were teamed with heels at Chloé, a throwback that some may be hesitant to embrace but one that had a novel appeal when seen in the context of the brand’s country-classic checkered capes. These had a new verve thanks to an exaggerated funnel-neck shape.
Blue star-print blouse, €790; blue tailored trousers, €750; both Stella McCartney at Brown Thomas.
Brown trapeze maxi dress, De La Vali, €635; red double-breasted longline coat, The Landskein, €1,180; both at Brown Thomas.
Black belted coat with gold embellishment, Dries Van Noten, €4,450, at Brown Thomas.
Speaking of outerwear, a tweed coat by The Landskein is the classiest way to offset a sweeping dress by new label De La Vali, which draws on the bohemian essence of Ibiza. Honourable mention should also go to Dries Van Noten’s black belted coat decorated with gold sequins. We could picture more than one seasoned fashion editor coveting it, especially when teamed with black riding boots.
Our favourite looks? Both came from Amsterdam brand Róhe, which isn’t new this season but is gaining momentum thanks to a healthy appreciation of its aesthetic on Instagram. We can happily report that a dalmation print textured coat has as much wow factor IRL as it does online. It’s a worthwhile investment if you’re the kind of shopper who can justify statement outerwear (we always endeavour to). Meanwhile, a cream bouclé collarless blazer, teamed with mid-rise, two-tone slouchy jeans and point-toe black shoes, is the exact look you’ll see the Brown Thomas woman wearing in real life. Directional shapes, an in-the-know brand and an outfit that’s genuinely wearable – name something more aspirational than that.
Multi-colour printed textured coat, Róhe, €2,295, at Brown Thomas.
Off-white bouclé blazer, €845; mid-rise jeans, €335; both Róhe at Brown Thomas.
We may earn a commission if you buy through affiliate links on our site.
READ MORE: 20+ Ultra-Cool Buys To Set You Up For Autumn
