Nostalgia was the secret ingredient for designers this fall.
Jacket, skirt, Loro Piana. Jean Schlumberger brooches, Tiffany & Co. tights (worn throughout), Wolford. Pumps, Celine by Hedi Slimane.
In honor of our September issue, ELLE is partnering with Substack, enlisting some of the platform’s most-followed fashion writers to write essays accompanying our fall fashion shoots. First up: Emilia Petrarca, the mind behind the newsletter Shop Rat.
Fall is a bit like New Year’s in disguise, in the sense that, every year, it provides an opportunity for reinvention without any strings attached. For as long as I can remember, the arrival of September suddenly makes me ask myself: Who do I want to be? And how will my wardrobe help me get there?
Whether it’s back-to-work or back-to-school, the changing of the seasons makes you want to put your best foot forward—maybe in a pair of fresh, witchy Prada shoes, or a sporty Dries Van Noten sneaker. This year, though, I have to say: I’m a little stumped. I don’t have grand visions of a new, more interesting identity. I just want really good clothes. Is that boring? Am I getting old? Have I calcified into a stubborn, immutable rock?
