What a fashion director is buying for autumn/winter

At Red’s recent Smart Women Week event, the magazine’s fashion director staged a trends presentation in collaboration with John Lewis & Partners. Discussing her key pieces for the season, discover Oonagh’s easy takeaways and style tips to inspire your next purchase.

How excited are you about dressing for the autumn/winter season?
I’m really excited because I’m a real winter person. You can be really creative in how you put things together and there are some great trends out there, like cord, tweed and beautiful leathers. We shouldn’t be constantly buying and throwing away, because that’s not sustainable; winter gives you the chance to invest in beautiful pieces that are timeless.

This season is about everyday wearability, and Celine’s show was really key for that. The catwalk show was so exciting, because you could go home and recreate it with what you already owned: it was basically a slouchy grey jumper with cool jeans tucked into boots with a blazer over the top. And that’s something very tangible and real – you don’t have to have a certain coolness to carry it off.

What will be the key pieces in your wardrobe this season?
A trench coat; whether that’s a classic style, a checked one or a wool version. There’s a beautiful wool-mix version by Modern Rarity. I’d also invest in something leather – even for spring/summer 2020, leather is set to be a leading trend. If you invest in a lovely leather piece now, you’ll get all winter and all summer out of it. I love this beautiful grey wrap coat.

Knee boots are definitely a must for winter. Style them with jeans tucked in or a longline maxi dress with the boot crumpled around the ankle to create a cool, 1970s silhouette.

If you could only buy one piece of clothing this season, what would it be?
My hero piece would be a belted, checked trench. You can wear it over floral dresses for a clash, or over your jeans at the weekend for 70s cool. It will look good for work, smart with tailored trousers… it’s a really versatile piece and great feminine shape. 

And one accessory?
I would go for really cool chunky pearl earrings – big, oversized ones.

What do you think makes a modern workwear wardrobe today?
I think it’s about silhouettes and feminine tailoring. And playing with your colour palette – we’ll always love grey and black, because they’re staples, but try camel, olive, blush and burgundy. They’re just a bit softer. 

What will you be wearing this party season?
I love a long silky slip dress, with pointy crystal-encrusted mules and some statement earrings. I’m taking inspiration from Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface – the last word in elegance. I’ll add a cashmere cardigan or a jumper over the top instead of a coat. Silk and knits feel so tactile and lovely, and look dressy too.