Unlike spring/summer or fall/winter—fashion seasons that see significant shifts year after year as trends change and designers test out new creative concepts—holiday collections don’t often jump around or change significantly from one November/December to the next. There are always a few Fair Isle sweaters, some sequins, and, of course, lots and lots of velvet. It’s a tradition I personally back 100%, specifically in regard to velvet.
The undeniably holiday-friendly fabric does evoke some images of my childhood, but when everyone and their sisters wear the same red or black velvet fit-and-flare dress this time of year, it also makes me immediately think of pure luxury. The clothes, shoes, and accessories outfitted with the textured material in 2023 are even more lavish than those that usually bubble up in my consciousness whenever the first signs of colder weather show face. Think bold-shouldered blazers and pencil skirts at Saint Laurent, dark-romance slip dresses at Rodarte, and body-con, well, everything at Alaïa. Below, shop the single most luxurious holiday-fashion trend of the year.
