THE JOURNAL
At MR PORTER, we would never suggest that you should live your sartorial life by the trends only. We believe in carefully and intentionally crafted clothing that vibes with your lifestyle. However, there’s absolutely no harm in knowing what’s new, now and next, is there? After all, we are all souls on an evolving journey and sometimes what we crave is not spiritual fulfilment but a beautiful suit or a fringed leather jacket.
To that end, our buyers (and a few editors) have taken the liberty of doing a thorough deep dive into the AW23 collections and from there pulled out the best, most wearable, most exciting trends of the season. For those of you not in the industry, buyers are the folks on the front line – they know the ins and outs of these clothes, they’ve inspected every stitch and weighed the heft of every wool. They are the ultimate insiders of the proverbial insider’s guide.
So, now that the clothes have finally landed on our shelves, what are our experts putting into their Wish Lists? See below, for the buyer’s picks of seasonal trends.
01. Eye-catching cardigans
Ms Lili Göksenin, Senior Editor
It was thrilling to see these cardigans come whizzing down the CELINE HOMME runway. The nostalgia. Mr Hedi Slimane is having some fun with knitwear, and I’m here for it. Our stylists have paired these cardies with simple tanks and trousers and I think that’s exactly right (not that they asked me). When you have a cardigan this fabulous, it should steal the show. I’ll take one of each, please.
02. Jazzy jeans
Mr Rob Nowill, Content Director
On the whole, I’ve tended to avoid jeans in my day-to-day life. They’ve always conjured too many associations with the big, baggy, scruffy styles of my teenage years in the 1990s – an era which, despite the zeitgeist, I’ve had little interest in revisiting. So, as an avowed cynic, let me be the first to say that the new season’s crop of denim is worth a closer look. If, like me, ripped and distressed styles aren’t your thing, fear not: the best new jeans are neatly constructed and finished with playfully modern design details. I’ll be buying Gucci’s neatly cut blue jeans, which come monogrammed in gloriously over-the-top crystals. They’re a million miles from the kind of thing I’d have worn as a younger man. Thank heavens.
03. New tailoring
Burberry Check Tartan Print BB Blazer With Zip Pocket, Overwashed Quarter Zip Wool Hoodie, Virgin Wool Check Tartan Print Lailored Straight Leg Trousers and Grained Leather Creeper Sole Chelsea Boots all coming soon
Mr George Archer, Buying Manager
Over the past couple of seasons, we’ve seen designers finding new ways to wear tailoring and reimagining it for a modern wardrobe. This year, erstwhile women’s-only designer Ms Simone Rocha added her hat to the ring, combining gently oversized shapes with playful embellishments. At Burberry, Mr Daniel Lee introduces various variations of tailored pieces, which can be worn as outerwear, separates and as a suit while also subverting the brand’s check once again by blowing it up and rendering it in bright colours. The matching jacket and trousers are cut with a roomy fit that I’ll be wearing with sneakers or heavy-soled boots.
04. Elegant velvet
Ms Judith Hempton, Buyer
I loved seeing SAINT LAURENT send this strong-shouldered ensemble down the runway. It’s one of several compelling velvet looks that I loved this season, in various guises: from the slender lines of this collection to roomier, oversized velvet bomber jackets and sharply cut velvet suits. When winter rolls around, and the time for evening dressing comes into full swing, it’ll offer a refined way to make an impression after dark.
05. Statement leather jackets
Mr Olie Arnold, Style Director
It’s been a few years since I’ve invested in a leather jacket, but this might be the season to turn my head. I loved how Bottega Veneta reinterpreted their signature woven leather in a smart take on an oversized silhouette, which could be thrown over anything. And I loved the different ways that brands played with biker-influenced styles, like this one from Enfants Riches Déprimés. Either would look well with dark jeans and a simple shirt or sweater – I’ll just add both to my Wish List and work out the details later.
06. Americana
Mr Joss Long, Buyer
The great thing about fashion that cribs from Americana is that there’s just so much to be inspired by, from cowboy styling to classic workwear. New York darling BODE once again knocked it out of the park with this leather fringed jacket, which offers a fun and tactile variation on a recognisable shape. And though Rhude teamed up with (admittedly non-American) carmaker Lamborghini for this hoodie and jeans, the result is something you might have picked up in the American heartland. Finally, Sacai’s ongoing collaboration with workwear giant Carhartt WIP continues to bear fruit and I for one am looking forward to donning this trucker-inspired cardigan once it starts to get cold.
07. Textured jackets
Mr Daniel Todd, Buying Director
The collections were packed with outerwear this season, and some brilliantly impactful jackets. They’re the easiest way to add some interest to an outfit with the least amount of effort, even if you’re keeping the rest of what you’re wearing simple. I was particularly enamoured with Dries Van Noten’s alpaca-blend bomber, which somehow manages to combine maximum texture with maximum print impact, without feeling overboard. And Rick Owens’ pony hair moto jacket is like a work of avant-garde art – it’s utterly distinctive and will only look better as it ages.