The autumn/winter 25 runways read like Amy Winehouse lyrics: black, black, black, and, granted, a bit of burgundy. Yes, I expected you to sing that.
Dior stuck to the shade for everything from leather looks to sheer dresses, Moschino added a classic witty spin to give the black a bit more dimension, and Prada opened with four black dresses and closed with two black coats, telling Vogue Business, “we are in a real black moment”. And, of course, they weren’t the only ones.
Dozens of other collections followed a similar colour palette, showcasing their signature styles in a more restricted shade range. Yet, while fashion has long loved the chic aesthetic of dark, mysterious tones, its proliferation this season seems to signal that something bigger is afoot. Something that stretches far beyond the simple fact that we’re seeing clothes designed for the autumn/winter season. And many editors are marking it as sombre.
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“Black and darker tones in fashion are associated with power, sophistication, and rebellion, mourning and loss,” shares professor Carolyn Mair, a chartered psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion. The latter of which seems particularly poignant given the political unease and current apprehension that’s hitting members of the fashion industry particularly hard.
Additionally, as “global conflicts, climate change and AI-driven transformations continue to rise, their impact on creativity could be taking their toll,” continues Mair. And to further fuel the feeling of mourning, “darker tones have emerged previously during periods of financial downturns”.
It will come as no surprise that we’re currently facing a big fashion slowdown with experts describing the industry as tricky and tumultuous as brands are regularly shutting down and plenty of us being more mindful with our pennies.
All of this only adds to the designer’s distress, and likely leads us to one key reason for the runway’s stark lack of colour. Although, of course it isn’t the only answer.
(Image credit: Isabel Marant)
For many, this swing towards deeper, darker shades isn’t solely emotional. “Today’s widespread industry challenges may be pushing designers to adopt a more serious, grounded aesthetic well suited to investment pieces and wardrobe longevity,” explains Mair, proving that the focus on pared-back pieces is also about reducing risk.
Speaking of the Rotate autumn/winter 25 collection, “the goal was timelessness – pieces you’ll wear season after season,” shares co-creative director Jeanette Madsen. The brand showed during Copenhagen Fashion Week, where the proliferation of dark shades felt most poignant and came as a stark contrast to the colourful designs we expect to see from the Danes.
Each collection shown felt very safe and incredibly commercial – presumably to attract a larger number of consumers and remove worry of bold colours not performing.
(Image credit: Rotate)
Although of course, it isn’t all doom and gloom. As with all aspects of fashion, these shades are also subjective. While some designers are making statements of mourning, others are going back to black to convey a different meaning entirely.
Adding to the timeless touch, Rotate’s co-creative director, Thora Valdimars, stresses “having darker shades in our AW25 collection was a deliberate choice as we wanted to capture that sense of glamour and sophistication,” which they absolutely did. While Antonin Tron, who showcased label Atlein in Paris, used the tones to convey “understated elegance and ease,” creating a sense of “quiet strength and fluidity”.
One thing is for certain, however: we can expect our wardrobes to get deliciously dark come autumn, attaching any meaning to it we feel fit.