Texture has officially taken over the narrative for Fall/Winter 2025, and not in a whisper, but as more like a bold, tactile mic-drop. Across the season’s runways, designers seemed collectively obsessed with materiality. From plush fleece to high-shine patent, every fabric brings its own character, adding depth, dimension, and quiet distinction. These tactile choices elevate an outfit without the need for excess, creating a balance of ease and elegance.
Woven leather, Bottega’s signature intrecciato and its kin, returns with architectural purpose: straps and bodies braided into sculptural bags and jackets that read both artisanal and aggressively now. These interlaced pieces feel reconstructed for colder months, weighty rather than summery, asserting craft as currency.
Pony (calf) hair and printed pelts crop up as luxe punctuations: footwear and totes in hair-on textures lend instant bravado to an outfit, pairing surprisingly well with ladylike suiting or a slouchy coat. Where once pony hair suggested novelty, on this season’s catwalks it reads like considered ornament, expensive, a little wild, and utterly modern.
Corduroy and suede push back against slickness with a lived-in elegance. Corduroy’s ribs appear oversized and theatrical, while suede lands in chocolate tones and broken-in silhouettes, both textures restoring a tactile warmth after seasons of aerodynamic tailoring. Emporio Armani and several Milan houses threaded suede and corduroy through utilitarian and evening looks alike, canonising them as seasonal essentials.
Patent leather and glossy finishes return as the season’s punctuation marks: piping, gloves and evening skirts catch light like armour, offering contrast to matte wools and boucle. Bouclé itself, Chanel’s perennial fabric, appears deconstructed: frayed edges, mixed scales and hybridized knit-woven hybrids that feel cosy and couture in one breath.
Sheer layers persist, but with new purpose: veils and panels used for layering rather than exposure, adding breathy rhythm to suiting and outerwear, a softness that offsets heavier textures and keeps the silhouette alive. From alleyway to atelier, FW25 is less about single pieces and more about the conversation between surfaces. Wear texture loudly; this season it is your voice.
HOW TO DO IT RIGHT
Play with contrasts
The smartest dressers are mixing plush with precise. Think: A pony-hair skirt below a crisp poplin shirt, or a glossy patent trench thrown over something matte. The tension between surfaces adds dimension and a sense that you know exactly what you’re doing.
Keep it tonal
If the material is loud, let the colour whisper. Taupe suede, chocolate corduroy, storm-grey boucle, texture feels more expensive when it lives in the same shade family. It’s how brands like Prada and The Row made texture look sophisticated, not showy, this season.
Let proportion lead
Oversized boucle coats, sculpted leather skirts, and cropped shearling jackets all command attention, so build around them. Pair volume with structure. A slouch meets a cinch; a puff meets a plane.
Accessorise with intention
Texture doesn’t stop at clothes. Bags and boots are part of the conversation. A glossy croc-embossed clutch or a brushed-suede boot grounds a look without stealing the scene.
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