One of the talks I got to see at the Vogue Festival a couple of weeks ago was a sneak preview of the salient trends of AW15/16, as told by Vogue fashion features editor Laura Weir.

With a distinct move away from normcore, what mainly pervades the new season is a sense of irreverence, fun and opulence. Here’s how the Vogue team breaks it down:

1. She’s Electric

Think about incorporating some electricity into your wardrobe, both for day and night. Think sharp pleats, and dial back on the softness and girliness. As Vogue’s Lucinda Chambers puts it, this trend is ‘vibrant, nasty and glittery‘.

Highlights: Nina Ricci, Balmain, Vivienne Westwood

2. 21st Century Brocade

Brocade pops up season after season, but this year it has been given a modern spin. It’s grand, as befits its tradition, but at the same time, with its frayed hems and irreverent feel, it manages to be the exact opposite.

More importantly for those of us on a budget, this is an easy trend to pick up from thrift shops and Ebay: on point update sorted.

Highlights: Mary Katrantzou (and her futuristic fabrics), Alexander McQueen, Alberta Ferretti, Marques Almeida

3. White Coats

What could possibly be more decadent than a white coat? It positively screams ‘I am way too important for puddle splashes’.

I wonder what the shape of the season will be? The catwalk saw various interpretations of this trend, so don’t panic too much: very casual shapes were not missing (such as Celine’s parka). Probably best to get those dry-cleaning apps downloaded though, just in case.

Highlights: Celine, Donna Karan, Tod’s

4. Return of the Waist

This is a great moment for accessories: no need to shell out a sartorial fortune, just invest in a belt!

Also, don’t feel the need to bust out the waist trainer quite yet. In the words of Serena Nikkhah, Executive Fashion Editor at Vogue UK, the cinch “can be as restricted or unrestricted as you want”.

Highlights: Miu Miu, Balenciaga

5. Eighties Remix

This one came in a mix of fabrics, chopped off tutu ballgowns (at Saint Laurent) OR, in contrast, stark androgynous shapes.

Highlights: Loewe, Balmain

6. Knit Wit

It’s winter, it’s cold – this one is kind of a no-brainer. Within this category, though, we see the grown-up micro trend of the close knit, making it’s triumphant entrance after seasons of slouchy knits.

Highlights: Victoria Beckham, Peter Pilotto, Delpozo, Christopher Kane (and his naked bodies. Fun fact: these came about after he took his team to live drawing classes in East London)

7. Monochrome

This year we got to see contrast dressing at its finest – a new interpretation, a more complex monochrome with a softer feel. The focus was more on the patterns, rather than colour blocking. The graphic quality of the Valentino show, in particular, felt quite new.

Highlights: Louis Vuitton, Ungaro, Proenza, Valentino

8. Great Lengths

Let’s pray for a dry winter, because here come the long hems. Everything is going to be trailing.

Kate Phelan describes the trend as a sort of ‘veiling of the body’. It’s feminine, the shapes are lighter, and they glide over the silhouette.

Highlights: Marc Jacobs

9. Tickled Pink

A lot of women have a love hate relationship with pink (Labour’s pink bus debacle, anyone?), but that most feminine of hues just keeps on creeping back into our hearts and our wardrobes. Louis Vuitton even took it a step further with some pink hair action.

Must buy: a pink skirt. And probably some denim, too.

Highlights: Prada, Roksanda

10. New Tailoring

Think suits for downtime, not just for the office. Things took a bit of a Seventies twist, at Chloe in particular – an elegant take on the era.

The devil is in the detail, with lots of colours, bows and detail to break up the seriousness.

Highlights: Kane, Versace, Gucci

11. Stately Heritage

The fabrics are luxurious, and the feel is grown up and grand. Sarah Harris says it best: ‘This year it felt really rich and really stately”.

Highlights: Miu Miu, Prada, Loewe, Oscar de la Renta

12. Cosy Down

In the words of Lucinda Chambers: ‘If you’re having a duvet season, this is the one for you’.

Wrap yourself up and look to MaxMara for sexy, off the shoulder looks and Stella for big, elegant knits. Or, if you’re super especially cold, you could quite literally cinch your duvet around you, and go for the Fendi look.

Highlights: MaxMara, Fendi, Stella McCartney

Disclaimer: These photos aren’t mine. If you recognise them, and would like me to take them down, please do not hesitate to contact me.