Five ageless trends to try now from New York Fashion Week

Power dressing was much in mind at New York Fashion Week, which closed on Wednesday, following the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump the night before. “Is the election the new red carpet?” asked the designer Michael Kors at a preview the day before his show; having had what he described as the “great honour” of outfitting the VP over many years, he’s well placed to judge, and his stellar collection would serve any working woman well (give or take the odd see-through skirt).

Directly or indirectly, politics influenced the runways all week: at Willy Chavarria’s hot ticket show, attendees found a copy of the US Constitution on their seats, while Prabal Gurung wore a “Vote Harris/Walz” T-shirt to take his bow.

At Ralph Lauren’s Hamptons extravaganza meanwhile, where First Lady Dr Jill Biden was the guest of honour, Anna Wintour had a “Harris For President” scarf (made in America, designed by Thom Browne in 100 per cent acrylic yarn, a steal at $55) wrapped around the strap of her handbag.

From rallying cries to subtle symbolism, even those without allegiance – most notably Tommy Hilfiger and Stuart Vevers at Coach – relooked at what American fashion (and by extension, identity) means via classic archetypes: collegiate preppy, sportswear, everyday workwear. It felt like the upcoming election brought focus, giving New York Fashion Week a new and needed energy. Making it great again, if you like.

The new power dressing

“It’s very difficult for women in political office to find a balance, especially if you love fashion,” says Michael Kors. “If you love it too much, they will say something and if you don’t love it enough, they will say something. I think Kamala Harris is getting it right.”

Kors’ clothes manage to look contemporary but also timeless – and, though this is often seen as a criticism in the upper echelons of fashion – exceptionally wearable. No wonder Harris includes them in her power-suit repertoire.

There were a couple here that would work, though the full 50s-style skirts worn with midriff-baring tops seemed more of a stretch. But what should a woman wear to show she’s in it to win it?

New York invented the idea of soft power dressing via Donna Karan – who ran an ad campaign in 1992 which showed a woman being sworn in as president. Her functional, individual, almost athletic take on fashion was decades ahead of its time and feels more relevant than ever right now.

This sense of ease and wearability was at play in Tory Burch’s collection – she’s always taken inspiration from mid-century designer Claire McCardell, the founder of American sportswear, who introduced a way of dressing that’s never felt out of fashion: unencumbered and empowered.

For SS25, Burch was more literally referencing sport. “I’ve always been obsessed with it,” she says. “So when I think about clothes, it’s about movement and form before anything else.” Long fluid wool trousers were paired with either shrunken cropped jackets or more traditional blazers; both looked effortlessly chic. There’s a quiet confidence to Burch’s work these days – so much so that she brought back the Reva ballet pumps which first made her name.

Pastels are passé

Beige and monochrome have staged a fashion takeover of late: quiet luxury doesn’t come in shouty shades. New Yorkers have always been largely allergic to anything other than black but these spring shows were especially toned down, tonally speaking. Take styling inspiration from some unusual colour combinations: both Michael Kors and Tory Burch mixed brown and navy together to great effect, while Hilfiger opted for camel and grey and Coach went for lilac with brown.

Go dotty

Amy Odell, Anna Wintour’s biographer, wrote that someone once told her Wintour didn’t give an applicant a job because she turned up to the interview in polka dots. They do divide opinion. But they’re all over the street style set (as are pedal pushers, equally divisively) so it may be time to reconsider.

At Carolina Herrera, designer Wes Gordon – who is doing a smashing job of loosening up this ladylike label – gave them a sexy freshness, particularly on a black-and-white flippy pencil skirt with fluted hem and matching bow-trimmed crop top. Add a leather blouson (another current key piece) to toughen things up: all the cool girls are wearing Khaite’s.

Sheer delight

Transparency for spring is about as groundbreaking as florals. But there’s a new take for SS25 which moves it on from tricky trend to easy moderniser. “I like the play of how you bring fabrics together,” said Toteme’s Elin Kling, whose eagerly-anticipated NY debut was a masterclass in cool minimalism.

Simple, spare and very chic, she offered a white crepe short-sleeved T-shirt, elongated so it touched the thigh, worn over a sheer white ankle-skimming chiffon skirt. Khaite paired a billowing hip-length chiffon top with a crochet skirt, both in white, while Michael Kors belted a sharp black sleeveless jacket over a black pleated chiffon skirt. Do try this at home: the key is to flash your legs, not your knickers.

Bottoms up

In fearsome Manhattan humidity, the street style set were wearing their pants – as in, wearing actual pants as bottoms. It’s not a look for everyone. But the Bermuda shorts trend, which has been slowly gathering steam this summer, has now taken hold on the new season runways.

At Hilfiger they were knee-length, neatly tailored and nautical, while at Kors they were turned up and belted, smart enough for the office. Perhaps not the Oval Office, however. Not yet.

Avril Mair is the fashion director of Elle and Harper’s Bazaar UK