A winter staple which took over the runways, leather became the texture to beat for full top-to-toe looks in sleek cuts and retro revivals. Rendered in classic black and the trending Oxblood, the finishes were far from flat as glossy patents, quilting, and patchworking added interest.
Brands across the spectrum from emerging contemporary names to luxury fashion houses bought into the material for the season, offering the customer an abundance of choice. From maxi belted coats at Burberry to brightly coloured pencil skirts at Tory Burch, a new take on the day dress at Bally and Bottega Veneta, and double-breasted shearlings at Chanel.
Replacing snakeskin as the season’s favoured exotic skin, crocodile – which hasn’t been seen for a number of years except across the most statement of bags – was seen at Daniel Roseberry’s Schiaparelli ready-to-wear show in an oversized pattern on a boxy coat with co-ordinating thigh-high boots, trimmed in fur at Nina Ricci, and demonstrating its wearability for all at Ester Manas, who created a two-tone cropped biker jacket and belted coat worn by curve models who are always a prominent part of their shows.
