After the Diwali dazzle of fuchsia, marigold and fiery red, it’s time to recalibrate your closet for the year’s final fashion chapter. Think Gucci’s butter-yellow puffers, JJ Valaya’s luxe animal prints, Alexander McQueen’s distressed-embroidered plaid, and Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla’s gota-glam checks. December demands a wardrobe with runway swagger.
Plaid, Upgraded
Checks are having a major glow-up. “Checks are not boring this season,” says stylist Isha Bhansali—and 2025’s glam-plaid wave proves it. At Art Mumbai, Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla turned plaid into a shimmering gota fantasy, while Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard hit the red carpet in distressed embroidered checks—punk, polished, perfect. Burberry chimed in with razor-sharp pleated skirts that take plaid from prim to powerful. The mood? “Not corporate looking… just really glammed up,” Bhansali insists. So go bold: a sequinned plaid slouchy bag, a check shirt with a sequinned top, or a jacket with statement shoulders. This season, plaid doesn’t whisper—it winks.
Spark Swagger
This season’s power move is delightfully simple: throw sequins at your plaid and watch the magic happen. “For every fall winter story, one thing is always common at some point—sequins, and luxe fabrics like velvet,” says Bhansali. Ashish—patron saint of sparkle—dialled up the drama with argyle, plaid, stripes, even zebra print, all reimagined in full sequin armour. Stella McCartney sprinkled in her brand of responsible glitter, opting for plant-based sequins. And velvet? It swept across global runways, from Giorgio Armani and Burberry to Gucci and Zimmermann.
Chocolate Chic
Brown is having its main-character moment—and fashion stylist and consultant Aesha Shah is here for it. “This obsession with brown actually started in summer this year. Mocha mousse, dark chocolate shades of brown, layer with brown this season,” she says. The trick? Treat brown like the new black and layer it with abandon. Think a riot of textures—leather, fur, suede, silk—stacked together for an ultra-luxe finish. And don’t forget the accessory power play: the it bag of the season is your express ticket to making brown feel now. Shah says, “You can also add chunky or multiple belts.” Vintage is back with a vengeance. Think Y2K mini purses and those perfectly slouchy clutches.
Colour Crush
“A pop of red is big this season,” says Bhansali, and she’s right. This year, cold weather dressing isn’t about hiding in neutrals; it’s about slipping in those delicious jolts of colour. Whether it’s a cherry-red scarf, or a sunshine-yellow bag, the brief is simple: freshen it up. Genes Lecoanet Hemant dials up the festive mood with whispers of pastel in sheer, floaty fabrics. Meanwhile, YSL goes full maximalist, splashing teal, yellow, red and marigold orange across the runway, but grounding the look with autumn’s moodier accents.
Wild Thing
Animal prints are the quickest way to shake off the winter wardrobe blahs. “The safest way to do it is with leopard print,” suggests Bhansali. JJ Valaya doubled down for his bridge-to-luxury label JJV. Kapurthala, sending out breezy kaftans and pre-draped saris. You can flirt with faux fur—a trim, a jacket, even a plush accessory—for texture. Balmain went maximal with an oversized zebra motif, complete with this season’s slouchy brown it bag, while Versace leaned into bedroom-to-boardroom energy with a blue slip dress topped by a leopard jacket with leather lapels.