Rarely do so many designers simultaneously co-sign a trend, but for autumn/winter 2025 there was one look that stole the show. Faux-fur coats, in every texture, colour and shape, were firmly back on the catwalk agenda. Rendered in plush neutrals, retro shags and animal prints, brands far and wide are offering new versions of faux fur made for every winter pursuit.
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Featuring on the runways in a spectrum of silhouettes – from the everyday to the overtly dramatic – designers like Gabriela Hearst and Balenciaga leaned into elongated, statement proportions, offering everything from shaggy thick-pile to fuzzy geometric prints. Meanwhile, Valentino focused on shorter, more classic shapes in plush browns, creamy tonals, camel and crushed chestnut.
At Zimmermann, a boxy brown jacket was paired with a fluid snakeskin shirt and leather skirt, while Rabanne injected futurism with metallic-silver lapels. Ganni, Prada and Alaïa rounded out the seasons with their own signatures: feel-good Scandi fluff, sharp architectural shoulders and oversized sculpted silhouettes.
Of course, some of the best faux-fur finds are off the runway entirely. My own favourite coat came from a charity shop, a mid-length deep chocolate-brown number with an exaggerated collar and cuffs in paler, shaggy fur, which makes me feel like I’m walking through Narnia, even if in reality I’m navigating a crowded London commute.
“There’s something quite dramatic about wearing a floor-length faux-fur coat – especially if, like me, you’re 5ft1. As a petite woman, it can be hard to have a presence, but a certain lion-hued coat I bought for £20 from a charity shop many years ago makes me feel pretty good. It’s also super warm, and makes for a great costume of sorts,” says Vogue’s senior shopping writer, Alice Cary, who favours the floor-sweeping kind.
If you’re shopping pre-loved (a choice we highly encourage), look for something statement from Shrimps. The beloved brand practically wrote the rule book on pastel-tinted and playfully printed faux fur in the late 2010s. Or consider investing in a vintage Prada piece to earn cold-weather kudos.
While many of us gravitate toward retro cuts and the slightly lived-in feel of vintage faux fur (coats that have surely seen many a late night and early morning), the market is full of options, from luxury purchases to high-street steals. Our current favourites include The Frankie Shop’s collared Hope faux-fur jacket and shaggy belted styles from 16Arlington x M&S and Acne Studios.
Whether dramatic or understated, new or vintage, faux fur will swaddle you in warmth this winter while delivering all the polish and personality one could ever need.
