Hall of Fame AW19 | Skirt Suits

Fashion : Love

22 February 2019

Aaaand breathe…

The London leg of the Autumn/Winter 2019 Fashion Month marathon is done and dusted! Now, with the whirlwind at an end, we’re plucking out the top trends and the best looks of each.

First to catch our eye? Quintessential power dressing in the form of skirt suits.

Feast your eyes. Here are five of the best…

Wales Bonner
Because… Suiting, served with serious thought.

Presenting a co-ed offering, following the launch of womenswear last year – which, itself, arrived as an extension of her menswear Autumn/Winter 2018 collection – Grace Wales Bonner’s poignant showcase cemented exactly why she’s one of the most interesting London designers to watch right now.

With 24 looks across both genders, the designer continued to explore black male identity, a recurring troupe of her work – with African intellectualism and the historically black Howard University both acting as starting points for her collection. Melding archetypal African and American style codes (from varsity jackets to tunics and wide tailoring), all while nodding to the designer’s Jamaican heritage with details like a silk ‘souvenir’ scarf, diversity was the essence of the AW19 collection.

Wales Bonner’s speckled grey, knee-grazing skirt suit makes our Hall of Fame for all of the above, as well as its understated prowess. Working equally well as separates as it does a full ensemble, we'll be wearing it both ways for maximum impact.

Burberry
Because… Green. Power. Suit: Need we say more?

Marking Riccardo Tisci’s second season for the British heritage label, “Tempest” – a 100-piece-strong collection – drew inspiration for its name from the notorious British climates... Both cultural and, well, weather-al!

Amidst the classic beige nova check and edgier styles which affirmed Tisci’s penchant for streetwear, came a daring green skirt suit that, styled with orange leather gloves, harkened to retro favourites of yesteryear.

Killer as a two-piece, it would be rude not to wear each component together at all times…

Charlotte Knowles
Because… 'Clueless' with a twist.

Returning for her third and final season under the Fashion East umbrella, Central Saint Martins graduate, Charlotte Knowles, explored female gaze eroticism with a collection of form fitting and subversive silhouettes.

À la Cher Horowitz circa 1995, a checkered two-piece cemented the '90s epoch as a chief inspiration for the season; however, in diverting away from the yellow look so synonymous with the cult film, and opting instead for a more autumnal and earthy palette of burnt orange and grey, Knowles displayed a tasteful reinvention.

Victoria Beckham
Because… We all need a go-to for getting sh*t done!

Empowered. Chic. Elegant.

The pinnacle of a modern, cosmopolitan woman, Victoria Beckham knows what her customer demands from their tailoring: That is, to be statement and sure of itself. For Autumn/Winter 2019, strong shoulders were the name of the game in the suiting department... Think 1980s power dressing to a tee, and sartorial boldness with a pragmatic point of view.

Simultaneously feminine and insouciant, while confident with poke-your-eye-out shoulders, a muted checked two-piece arrived as a show stealer… And we’re touting it as the bold boardroom move we all want to make!

Peter Pilotto
Because… Commute-to-cocktails: Sorted in one.

Staying true to their usual dialled-up glamour, Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos of Peter Pilotto, laid the party looks on thick and fast for AW19.

Taking inspiration from the holographic works of Hungarian ceramics brand, Zsolnay, iridescent silk, plissé and velvet looks – with feather trimmings and balloon-sleeve flourishes – made for a decedent collection.

And yet, for all of the floor-sweeping and fil-coupé frocks and pyjama-style suits, our heads were turned by an after-hours skirt suit with a daring thigh-high split, wide lapels and a sparkly trim in tow... Where's the bar?