Reimagining Winter Fashion: The Rise of Wrapped-Up Runway Looks

For fans of Y2K fashion, cold weather isn’t conducive to low-rise jeans and crop tops, so designers – either trying to break away from the extremely saturated aesthetic of this time – are now looking to wrap their models in cashmere and leather.

Unusual-shaped coats have appeared on runways from brands like Balmain, Celine, and Prada, but the frequency shown in designs last season was scarves and blankets. Sometimes evoking the image of “sciura” (middle-aged women living in the center of Milan). Last fashion month seemed like even the most diverse designers had the same idea: wrapping models in meters of fabric.

Perhaps this brand drew much inspiration from essential tools, Undercover brought to their runway models what looked like thermal blankets with silver and gold-padded linings, paired with plaid shorts and hoop earrings.

At Coperni, Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant used the image of “wrapped blankets covering the body” as an oversized coat embracing the slender bodies of the models all wrapped up in sleeves tied together. This imagery was later reimagined by Jonathan Anderson to elevate Loewe’s runway by using shiny silk.

While experimenting with draped coats can easily make an entire collection quickly feel mundane in the early 2000s. However, under the skilled hands of Saint Laurent and Etro, sophistication and meticulousness are asserted through the luxurious appearance.

Designer Marco de Vincenzo on the Etro runway combined Scottish plaid scarves with the modernity of blue.

Anthony Vaccarello returned to the Saint Laurent runway with designs of fabric scarves – one entirely leather – supported by short-sleeved shirts and secured with gold clips.

Meanwhile, Rick Owens has transformed this trend into a bizarre version, fashioning them to appear like a “soft armor”.

Giorgio Armani and Kim Jones at Fendi have also contributed to this style with outerwear reimagining the classic elegance of woolen coats and Charleston-style trim.

Ending this future winter trend is The Row’s Resort 2024 presentation, with multi-layered “scarves” tied into big bows, mimicking the natural folds of petals with multiple layers.