Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

The new collections are coming thick and fast into the shops for the Autumn Winter 25 season and like always what we saw on the catwalks six months ago have been replicated across the High Street.

Brown Thomas launched their campaign Elegance Redefined this week, which they describe as “undone beauty meets retro glamour” and it’s a good barometer of what we can expect sartorially across Irish rails from this month.

“At the heart of the season is Undone Elegance, where beauty lies in imperfection. Scarlet red takes the spotlight and sculptural volume commands attention.

“Womenswear designers reinterpret elegance with bold tailoring and sensual contrasts, shoes and accessories step forward with mesh heels, knee-high boots, raffia textures, and sculptural bags, setting a confident new direction,” explains Tracey Despard, Head of Fashion Buying at BTs.

Here she goes through the major elements of their designers’ collections:

“Dries Van Noten experiments with mismatched prints, Christopher Esber layers sheer fabrics, and Christian Dior finishes hems with poetic frays, while Erdem embraces romantic deconstruction.

“Retro Glam reintroduces nostalgic refinement with an edge. Chloé brings powerful shoulders, Prada adds embellished knitwear, Miu Miu contrasts bold colour tones, and Valentino delivers bow-finished tailoring that feels both timeless and modern.

“A new power suit arrives in Office Siren. Givenchy, under Sarah Burton, unveils slashed tailoring, Stella McCartney embraces oversized silhouettes, Victoria Beckham refines in grey minimalism, while Tom Ford electrifies with pink suiting and lime green blouses.

“Deep burgundy is a prominent colour across the collections. Prada features a lot of suede, while Christopher Esber sculpts leather, Ulla Johnson softens with lace, and Stella McCartney sharpens with structured dresses.

“Silhouette takes centre stage in Scale Up. Cecilie Bahnsen floats cloud-like dresses, Christian Dior expands the trench coat, Dries Van Noten exaggerates skirts and necklines, and Erdem tempers volume with romantic florals.

“Red Alert blazes as the colour of the season. Prada and Stella McCartney bring vibrancy to everyday wear, Isabel Marant tempers the shade with tailored pinstripes, while Victoria Beckham offers refined evening gowns.

“Rebellion comes alive in Grunge Spirit. Dolce & Gabbana delivers oversized parkas, Isabel Marant reworks red checks, Roksanda clashes sequins with tailoring, and Khaite pairs leather corsetry with slouchy denim.

“Leather asserts its dominance. Khaite creates sculptural mini dresses and sharp jackets, Erdem reimagines the coat in vivid green, while Isabel Marant and Acne Studios channel biker heritage with a modern twist.”

Footwear boasts a mix of elegance, ease, and statement-making silhouettes. Mesh and lace feature, with delicate detailing from Amina Muaddi, Valentino and Zimmermann. Chocolate tones enrich the palette across boots and heels at Dries Van Noten, Chloé, UGG, and Isabel Marant. Low Profile Sneakers bring pared-back cool, led by Golden Goose, Veja, and Loewe, while Slip Into Style celebrates elevated ease through sleek slip-ons at Birkenstock, Aquazzura, and The Row. The Knee-High Obsession dominates with sculptural boots from Valentino, directional takes at Khaite, and playful iterations at Chloé and Ganni.

Key bag trends include woven raffia textures, structured doctor bag top handles, directional east–west shapes, tactile soft touch suedes, and cinched belted details.

Pictured: Aine O’Gorman wears Dries Van Noten, Abi Sex wears Erdem and Karyna Manzhai wears Ulla Johnson.