It's True—Designers Were Fashion Month's Best Dressed Patrons

At this point, I've analyzed all of the shows from fashion month once, twice, and even three times to gain as much insight on the trends that will result from them as possible, so I know the fall 2024 collections, and I know them well. There were elegant displays brought forth with the use of heavy satin, pillbox hats, and fur shawls, as well as new, unexpected shapes in the form of cigarette pants, rounded shoulders, and hourglass waists. Funnel-necks and turtlenecks found ways to shine, as did liquid-like leather and classic sportswear à la Katharine Hepburn. It was, as a result, a season of fashion worth remembering. Oddly enough, though, the clothes that debuted on the runways aren't the ones that have stuck with me most since Louis Vuitton closed out the season. Instead, it is what many of the industry's most notable and exciting designers wore to take their final bows that are playing on a loop in my head post–fashion month.

This isn't the first time that I've found myself enamored with what creative directors dress themselves in for their big reveals, and I'm certainly not alone in my interest in the subject. On Instagram, the account @whatmiuccia has amassed over 60,000 followers as it's documented Mrs. Prada's best style moments, including her always-chic, always-Prada (or Miu Miu) finale ensembles. On TikTok, a number of videos went viral during fashion month that were tied to designers and their style. Some, like this one by @leoshakes, tease designers for dressing so much more casually than the models they send walking down the runway, while most others, like this video featuring former Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton and her final collection for the British label, simply showcase the beauty in how contrasting the two entities can be, often using the hashtag #thedesignervsthedesign.

This season, however, the lineup of designers felt especially well-dressed, with Maximilian Davis of Ferragamo, Jonathan Anderson of JW Anderson and Loewe, Matthieu Blazy of Bottega Veneta, Grace Wales Bonner of Wales Bonner, and of course, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons from Prada all showcasing enviable looks at the end of their respective shows. And those are just a few of the highlights. Scroll down to see and shop my favorite looks from fashion month, none of which were worn by models on the runway.

Maximilian Davis is the designer behind one of the biggest brand shifts in recent times. He took the helm at Salvatore Ferragamo in March 2022 and after just one runway collection had the entirety of fashion talking about the Italian brand's next era. Now four fashion seasons into his tenure, Ferragamo has a new, shortened name and an all-new look, making its biannual shows one of fashion month's most talked-about and -anticipated of the entire calendar. And Davis always looks the part. At his F/W 24 show, the Trinidadian Jamaican designer, who was born in Manchester, kept his look ultra classic, with a black crewneck sweater layered on top of a long-sleeve white tee, black trousers, and lug-sole leather shoes. As always, he added his signature silver hoop earrings, a perfect final touch to any ensemble.

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French label Carven was founded in 1945 by Marie-Louise Carven. Madame Carven was known for designing petite garments inspired by her own struggle to dress at just 5'1'' and patenting the push-up bra in 1950, according to Glamour. She was nothing if not an innovator and an appreciator of what's fresh but still elegant. So it feels right that the designer who now holds the reigns at her brand is equally appreciative of refined newness. Louise Trotter took over as creative director of Carven in February 2023, and in September that year, she showed her first collection for the brand during Paris Fashion Week, something it hadn't done since March 2018, when it was sold to the Chinese retail group Isicle to avoid liquidation. Two shows in, everyone in fashion is back to being smitten with the label, waiting desperately for the contents of both collections to become available so the shopping can begin. For her second show, Trotter kept a palette similar to the one featured in her collection, with a camel-colored sweater, sculptural ecru jeans, and pointed-toe black flats.

Shop her look:

Matthieu Blazy is one of fashion's most respected designers at the moment for his work at Bottega Veneta ever since he was given the role of design director back in 2020. His collections for the Italian brand are lauded every season, and his accessories are regularly referred to as favorites among the fashion crowd. But his designs aren't the only things he does right time and again—his outfits, too, are often recognized for their impeccable casualness. For the F/W 24 show, he maintained his reputation by donning a brown structured button-down shirt, vintage jeans, and furry brown sneakers.

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On the men's side, I would say that Matthieu Blazy and Jonathan Anderson are the best dressed designers in fashion right now. And fortunately for anyone who, like me, especially saves all of Anderson's post-show outfits for later inspiration, his role as creative director at both JW Anderson and Loewe means that there are two occasions every season to look forward to as opposed to just one. Above, at the London Fashion Week show for JW Anderson's F/W 24 collection debut, the Irish designer chose vintage jeans, Loewe suede boots, and a navy crewneck sweatshirt. Classic.

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I trust just about anything that British designer Grace Wales Bonner does, whether it involves designing for her namesake brand, Wales Bonner, or dressing herself for her co-ed shows that are held during Paris Men's Fashion Week in January and July. For her most recent show, she did what she does best, which is style simple, luxury items with bold accents that make an outfit feel special. This time, it was a navy sweater with satin-y trousers and metallic silver flats.

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Miuccia Prada, who took over her mother's role as the head of Prada in 1978, possesses an air of style and grace unlike anyone else in fashion right now—and it shows. The designer and businesswoman, who also founded Miu Miu in 1992, is behind most of the biggest and most influential trends of the 2020s, from micro miniskirts and hot pants to geek chic and satin footwear, all the while dressing the part in her daily life. At the F/W 24 Prada show, where she was joined by her co–creative director, Raf Simons, Mrs. Prada kept her personal-style fans happy by arriving in a black pencil skirt and matching blazer, which she paired with a buttoned-up poplin shirt and, you guessed it, satin heels.

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Chemena Kamali showed her debut collection for Chloé this season, the French label formerly helmed by Gabriela Hearst. The show was highly anticipated and more than lived up to the hype, with the designer—Saint Laurent's former women's ready-to-wear design director under Anthony Vaccarello—taking Chloé back to its boho roots, using standout accessories, poncho-like funnel-neck outerwear, wooden clogs, and sheer, ruffled lace as her tools. At the show, her outfit felt perfectly at home with the brand's new look albeit more casual and toned down. She wore a billowy tan blouse with wide-leg, raw-hem denim and high-top white sneakers.

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It didn't take long for Bally to name a new creative director after Rhuigi Villaseñor left the position last year after a short tenure. In his place, the brand appointed designer Simone Bellotti, who previously spent 16 years at Gucci. The newly hired design director wasted no time crafting a new vision for the Swiss label, taking cues from its heritage to bring a more timeless, wearable look to his first two collections, starting with S/S 24 and continuing for F/W 24. And the models weren't the only ones dressing in a sensible but still luxurious fashion. Bellotti's style too airs more on the sensible side, and he arrived at the show in washed-black denim, boat shoes, and a heavy, ribbed pullover from Bally.

Stella McCartney's been a style icon for years, whether she's gracefully thanking attendees after one of her many fashion shows for her eponymous British label or walking the 1999 Met Gala carpet arm in arm with Liv Tyler in matching "Rock Royalty" tees. She never misses, and her look for the brand's F/W 24 show was hardly an exception. For the occasion, McCartney paired a simple black tee with a super-oversize suit in an olive-brown, plaid-wool fabric, thus managing to look cool and of the moment but also comfortable.

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Cecilie Bahnsen's ethereal designs are lauded throughout the fashion industry, but there's something very satisfying about the person crafting the brand's signature sheer, voluminous garments dressing in a very pared-back, low-key luxury manner. At her F/W 24 show in Copenhagen earlier this year, she chose a gray, polo-neck sweater with a touch of girliness via the ruffled hems; barrel-leg utility jeans, and silver ballet flats.

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