Just as quickly as a parade of models walk the runway, mens fashion month is over! There were billionaires sitting front row, cowboys walking the catwalk and a lot of new takes on suits, serving as catnip for tailoring aficionados worldwide. Plenty to get you starting that autumn/winter clothing wish list.
But in between all the theatrics – elevating catwalks, snowfall during the finale parade, celebs-turned-models; that type of thing – that come with these fashion extravaganzas, it can be hard to identify what is actually going to be in your wardrobe next season. Sure, you can have your hopes pinned on a pair of Dior ballet flats or a Louis Vuitton cactus-embroidered blazer, but the likelihood of them ending up in your favourite retailers is all down to the buyers that work for them.
This group of sartorial stalwarts riffle the rails post-show and decipher what’s going to fit best into their customer’s collections – meaning you can count on them to know what’ll flop and what won’t. That’s why we asked a handful of London’s best shops what they loved from the autumn/winter ’24 shows, and what they’ll be stocking next season.
Simon Longland, Director of Buying, Fashion at Harrods
“This season was exciting as we saw a harmony across all collections, a collective coming together of houses with naturally varied codes and aesthetics to drive a shift towards this more elegant, elevated evening proposition – which is the first time in some time that we have seen this type of season-wide alignment.
“From Prada and Zegna in Milan to Dries Van Noten and Valentino in Paris, tailoring dominated this season, totally epitomising modern elegance. A category that always performs for Harrods clients, this shift towards a more considered approach to dressing regardless of brand, or personal style. Rooted in a rich palette of warm neutrals, midnight blacks, and cool greys with bold and brave pop colours, chocolate brown reigned as the key colour to invest in next season, from Ami and Paul Smith to Dior and Loewe, this colour is a perfect tone no matter the style or silhouette.”
Alexander Francis, Buyer at Matches
“It’s got to be this Auralee jacket from the runway. It’s brown – which is the colour of the season, a great cut and weight to transition from AW24 into SS25 as the temperature drops.”
Auralee
Bosse Myhr, Director of Womenswear & Menswear at Selfridges
“This season we are very interested in buying statement pieces, coats and outerwear but also trousers that have a point of difference. We loved the ones from the Loewe men’s show – the high-waisted, wide-leg dark green corduroy trousers were amazing! Further items that are must haves were the jackets. Yes, all the jackets were superb as well as the colourful knits.
“Talking about full looks: The very first Milan showroom from American luxury brand Fear Of God had plenty of them and every one as amazing as the other. Every look was styled to perfection, making it one of the highlights. It is highly recommended to check out to Gerry Lorenzo’s Instagram account where many of them are shown – maybe just check it out for inspiration!
“Junya Watanabe had so many great collaboration items also making it hard to choose, but the Carhartt jacket and Palace skateboard cap is on our shopping list.”
Junya Watanabe
Daniel Todd, Buying Director at Mr Porter
“Loewe showcased a great array of bags in its AW24 collection, from leather totes in bright colours to beaded and denim styles. We’ve seen strong growth from Loewe in the bags category over the past year, so I’d expect these new bags in varying fabrications and shapes to resonate well with our customer base.
“Dries Van Noten’s tailoring, and overcoats also stood out to me in Paris. We’re seeing our customers invest more than ever in luxury essential styles so the relaxed suiting and sharp, statement overcoats are exactly what they are after.”
Loewe
Dries Van Noten
Carmen Bellot is the Style Editor of Esquire, writing on all things menswear and grooming.