Anne Wright, Derbyshire fashion guru and owner of Young Ideas, gives us her advice on the key designer pieces to invest in this season.
“The most common question my customers ask me is ‘What are the big trends this season?’. It’s a question I love to discuss, but also one that my shop displays must answer for themselves. Each season I go to designer’s fashion shows and identify the trends I think will be the strongest and most appealing to the Young Ideas customer. The Autumn Winter collections are always my favourite: soft leather boots, luxurious knitwear, sumptuous coats and show stopping party dresses exude a lifestyle of glamour and warmth.
In this article I have selected my favourite pieces from the new season’s collections; pieces I think are the most stylish, the most luxurious, and the highest quality; pieces that are worthy of investment, that will carry you through this season and remain in pride of place in your wardrobe for years to come.
1. A Fabulous Coat
Everyone needs a Winter coat, but when selecting it you need not be restricted to purely practical values. A coat can be a statement, a glorious wrapping to cocoon you from the cold.
This year the designers have spoiled us with a glorious range of textures and colours. With cashmere, mohair and angora on display there is a luxury coat for everyone. I absolutely love the luxury of double bonded wool. The beige and black colour block version from Weekend Max Mara represents this season’s big monochrome trend and is cut along simple lines: a perfect way to make a bold statement without any unnecessary fuss.
One of this season’s biggest catwalk trends, across all garments, was animal print. The leopard has been unleashed on knitwear at Boss Orange, bags at Armani Jeans and dresses and skirts at Marc Cain. But if you are looking for the biggest, boldest statement of all, look no further than Moschino Cheap & Chic. For me, this is the most fabulous coat of the season.
2. Luxury Knitwear
High quality knitwear is an investment that your body will tell you is worth it before you even look in the mirror. I have introduced two new knitwear brands to Young Ideas this season. The first, Fabiana Filippi, is an Italian brand known for sumptuous knits in neutral shades. My top pick from this collection is the Sand and Grey Cardigan. A chunky knit combination of merino wool, silk and cashmere which fades from sand into soft grey; this piece is absolutely scrumptious to snuggle up in on a cold day.
The second new addition is Derbyshire knitwear brand, John Smedley. Showcasing local talent is of huge importance to me, it’s wonderful to have a brand with such a long heritage of high quality knitwear practically on our doorstep in Matlock. These pieces bring a wonderful zing to the Winter season, which can often be dulled by too many greys, blacks and browns. The Kelby pullover would make a striking, but wearable, present for any man of fashion.
3. Boots
A good pair of warm leather boots is one of my favourite pleasures of winter. Of course there are the casual options; classic Uggs are always a provider of instant comfort and this year the brand has introduced some really strong fashion styles. Staying true to the Ugg ethos of warmth and comfort the new designs take the brand fashion forward with higher heels, statement buckles and luxe colours. They also have a fabulous mens range this year.
My personal choice pair of boots this season though, come from Hugo Boss. A black, knee high classic with a walkable 3.5” block heel this boot will finish any outfit, whether it be jeans and knitwear on the weekend, black trousers and crisp shirt in the office or dress and coat for the evening. Buttery soft leather perfection.
4. Bag
A bag is often the piece a younger person will invest in when they first dip their toe into the designer fashion pool. In the last few years MICHAEL Micheal Kors has become established as the go-to brand for bags. Classic styles and transitional colours mean these bags are a wardrobe staple, big enough to fill with all your junk during the day and stylish enough to take you right through the night.
5. Dress
Everyone needs a show stopping dress, especially at Christmas. It’s easy to fall into the trap of being tempted into buying lots of average dresses because you feel you need a different one for each event during the party season. My advice is that one or two utterly fabulous dresses, suitably accessorised for the occasion, will make you the belle of the ball every time. Coco Chanel famously said, ‘When a little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place.’ and I must say I totally agree. Buy the perfect black dress and you can never go wrong. This year designers have adorned them with lace, which adds a beautiful subtle touch of femininity. My show stopper, and it is already safely tucked away in my wardrobe ready to make a big entrance in a few months’ time, is the long black lace dress from Moschino Cheap & Chic. Diane Von Furstenburg and By Malene Birger also have good versions. Simply change the shoes, the jewellery, the lipstick, and this dress will carry you through party after party, year after year.”
