Softness is an emphasis for semi-sheer, brushed-up and irregular yarns, milled felted float and reverse jacquard knits, shaded ombr้ textures and plush pile knits.

Visual yarn effects are subtle and complex, with polluted marls, grainy Donegal tweeds, vintage spaceprint yarns and glinting tweeds the newest directions.

Pattern is low-key, with traditional Alpine ski Fair Isles, tapestry-texture stitch and graphic blocking the key messages.
 
Heritage Cables

Pringle of Scotland         Marc Jacobs                  D&G

Salvatore Ferragamo            Daks              Salvatore Ferragamo
 

With a strong return to heritage stitch the strongest commercial direction on the catwalks this season, traditional Aran and cable knits were in abundance, as referenced in WGSN's classic knit trend, Useful.

• Salvatore Ferragamo presented a range of snug deluxe yarn cable knits with complex intertwined cable stitches.

• At Pringle, clean matt yarns provided more structured cable looks, offset against pointelle openwork.

• For a more casual weekender yarn interpretation, look to multiple-ply carded woollens with alpaca or m้lange cotton in grey and taupe shades, as seen at D&G and Daks, or alternatively the overprinted version at Marc Jacobs.
 
Plaited and coiled

Cushnie et Ochs      VPL by Victoria Bartlett   Julien Macdonald

Cushnie et Ochs            John Rocha             Julien Macdonald
 

Cable stitches were also deployed in a more three-dimensional and sculpted way this season, emulating the plaiting and braiding techniques outlined in the WGSN trend Emotive.

• At Julien Macdonald, plyed bulky wools formed interconnecting plaited cable sections, bisecting the body to create contemporary armoury looks.

• Cushnie et Ochs, Mathew Williamson and VPL by Victoria Bartlett utilised plaited yarn techniques, worked into asymmetrical looped and swagged formations or as a total fabric structure, depicting an elaborate contemporary historical-military mood.

• Keep the yarns simple, in plied wools, or for a more eveningwear look, interpret into glinting chainette and tape yarns for a chain mail effect.
 

 Entwined openwork

Mark Fast                 Pringle of Scotland             Bora Aksu

 Bora Aksu                   Alexander Wang      Julien Macdonald
 

Intricately elaborate openwork knit structures provided new sculpted lacework updates, played out in dramatic historical formations, again reflected in the WGSN trend Emotive.

• Pringle of Scotland presented milled openwork knits combined with subtle filament metal yarns and interlacing diagonal metal tapes to form heraldic Argyle motifs.

• At Bora Aksu and Alexander Wang, mirrored filigree work was created through tubular knit formations, in mixed-yarn twists and chenille yarns respectively.

• Mark Fast and Julien Macdonald explored suspended openwork structures in superfine counts for a more body-conscious interpretation.

• This look works well in dark eveningwear shades to keep the look sophisticated.
 

Yarn craft fringing

Aminaka Wilmont        Topshop Unique         Aminaka Wilmont

William Rast                      Rodarte                     Erdem
 

Looped and cut fringing was in abundance on the catwalks this season, played out in an assortment of coloured and textured yarns and cut leather and fabric tapes, providing a montage of personalized texture, as seen in the WGSN's knitwear trend Inventive.

• Aminaka Wilmont deployed cut leather yarns to form complex braiding structures, both in garment and knitted accessory form.

• Woolly skeins of cosy hand-knit fringing in roving, crimped and printed yarns adorned homespun woolly tiers at Rodarte and William Rast.

• While at Topshop unique, montaged roving yarns, faux fur strips and leather tapes in knotted, plaited and tasselled fringe form provided novelty edgings to weekender wrap knits.
  
Mixed-media texture

Rodarte                          Chris Benz                     Missoni

Hussein Chalayan               Missoni                  Paul Smith
 

Openwork mesh and crochet effects form a key knit direction for next winter, using randomly selected woollen yarns, including twists, slubs and hand-spun roving yarns, again for a handicraft fibre-art look, as per the WGSN knit trend Inventive.

• Mixed-media patchwork at Paul Smith bore a 1970s-inspired Afghan granny blanket look, using multicolour yarns.

• Improvised textures were created through handworked fabrications, including Missoni's randomly collaged tapestry colour doily openwork crochet pieces.

• Freeform crochet structures at Hussein Chalayan and Chris Benz formed densely textured swirling pattern and ruffle formations for statement magpie montage looks.

• Careful choices of colour with a balance between bright, mid-tone and pastel shades keep the look expressive but not garish.
 
Brushed softness

Chanel                               Cerruti                Costume National

Chanel                         Jena Theo               Pringle of Scotland

Super-soft tactile knits with milled, brushed-up surfaces create blurred and foggy textures for mediumgauge tunics, outerwear and knit dressing, using luxuriously lofty mohair angora and noble carded blends.

• Milled-in float patterns and brushed thick and thin stripes form imperceptible stripe and grid structures with felted-in softness, seen at Costume National and Pringle of Scotland.

• Super-soft yarn knits at Jena Theo and Cerruti explored simple stitches and classic detailing for understated deluxe effects.

• Arctic winter white, chilled greys and cool m้lange pastels with frosted white components create the newest yarn direction. 

 
Looped plush knits

Cynthia Steffe                      Rodarte           Oscar De La Renta

Chanel                               Bel & Co                 Louis Vuitton
 

Voluminous bo๛cl้ loop pile and plush textures provide more exaggerated and densely textured surface interest for cosy outerwear and medium-gauge knits, reflecting the WGSN knit trend Emotive.

• At Rodarte and Cynthia Steffe, plush tactility was explored through lofty shaggy loop pile knits, the tactile plush texture updating cocooning throw-on cardigan-coat hybrid silhouettes.

• Chanel showed luxurious shaded fur looks with mixed-length cut-pile yarns, and at and Louis Vuitton fur yarn provided woven-in texture for snug 50s-style silhouettes.

• Luxurious woollen and natural hair blends provide an innate softness, adding m้lange colour, crimped texture and tonal filaments for contrast.

• Keep colour within natural ranges for luxurious effects, with arctic, silver fox and mink the most authentic colour combinations.
  
Deluxe plains

Chlo้                                     Giles                            Daks

Marc Jacobs                  Margaret Howell            Jil Sander
 

Classic silhouettes such as polo-, crew- and V-neck sweaters in fine to medium gauge provide essential layering pieces when worked in luxury yarns for timeless appeal.

• Utilise ultra-luxurious carded cashmere and camel yarns, emulating the understated classicism seen at Margaret Howell and Daks.

• Fine-gauge knits in clean worsted yarns were interpreted into easy fluid silhouettes with a draped appeal at Marc Jacobs.

• At Jil Sander, semi-sheer worsteds took on uber-luxe fine-gauge appeal.
  
Fine technical sheers

Hakkan                               Rochas                 Alberta Ferretti

Pringle of Scotland      Pringle of Scotland       Cynthia Steffe
 

Ultra-fine yarn counts were present in the collections in both natural blends and technical filament yarns, working best in mixed-gauge or solid and sheer mixes.

• Engineered solid and opaque graphic contrasts at Hakkan in silky filament yarns explored subtle skinrevealing pattern.

• At Rochas and Alberta Feretti, a modern femininity was explored through elegant colour and gleaming technical filament knits, in classic or pleated knit structures.

• Sophisticated ranges of warmed nudes, soft pearl greys and sophisticated mid-tone accent shades work well for these second-skin layers
  
Subtle metal patina

Marni                                    Jackytex          Mathew Williamson 

Sophia Kokosalaki          Michael Kors        Salvatore Ferragamo
 

Metallic yarns took on a subdued look this season, working successfully with novelty yarns in glinting twists, best seen in vintage gold and bronze tones.

• At Marni, metallic stripes were softened by silky rayon cut-pile yarn combinations and at Mathew Williamson, glinting ladder yarns formed sparkling highlights to robustly sculpted knits.

• At Salvatore Ferragamo and Sophia Kokosalaki, classical heritage knits in bronzed patinas of slinky viscose or carded yarn form took on luxurious elegance with the addition of filament sparkle.

• Michael Kors used vintage gold viscose with metallic sparkle for his medium-gauge cowl-neck styles.
  
Retro ski pattern

Chanel                           Rag and Bone            Le.Da.Tex

D&G                                  Le.Da.Tex                  Givenchy
 

Swiss Alpine motifs and traditional Nordic or Fair Isle patterns were featured strongly on the catwalks, working across all levels of the market from junior looks to more traditional interpretations.

• D&G worked iconic Alpine pattern into multi-various gauges and scales, from small-scale banded Fair Isle pattern into larger intarsia motifs, in strikingly simple bi-colour graphic combinations.

• For more textured aspects, look to Chanel and Rag and Bone for inspiration, where smooth and brushed yarns are offset for softened tactile contrast.

• Givenchy presented a collection of body-conscious pieced-in panelled Fair Isle knits, engineered around the body for a mix-and-match graphic clash.

• Plyed yarns are key, mixing wool with Alpaca and cashmere for softness, or with cotton and cashmere for a sportier aspect.
  
Bold tapestry pattern

Vivienne Westwood           Max Mara                    Missoni

Betty Jackson                    Missoni                      Max Mara
   
Inflated-scale graphic pattern knits using simple two- and three-colour yarns made a big impact for chunky-gauge outerwear knits this season.

• At Missoni, magnified-scale stylised floral patterns decorated asymmetrical wraps, duffel-style capes and even knitted shorts, using birdseye and ladder stitch effects for added tactility.

• Max Mara's compact and chunky tunic knits bore kelim-inspired ethnic patterns created through dense cross-stitch embroidery.

• At Betty Jackson, thinner yarn contrast punch-card pattern yokes formed sketchy, semi-sheer contrasts to chunky roving knits.

• Use pattern as an all-over, or engineer as a simple placement, playing with scale for decorative border pattern.
  
Abstract colour-blocking

Balenciaga                           DKNY                       Balenciaga

 Y-3                                  Marc Jacobs              Sonia Rykiel
  

Graphically striped knits took on a blocky and skew-whiff offset approach, especially when engineered within geometric sections for a modernist colour-clash approach.

• At Balenciaga, high-spec, bonded-look neoprene-style technical jersey knits bore constructivist blocked stripes in solid and digitised micro jacquard pattern.

• DKNY and Marc Jacobs presented modern-patchwork-style stripe knits, created through darting and seaming or graphic piecing-in techniques.

• For a softer interpretation, look to Yohji Yamamoto's motocross-style lambswool knits or graphic to blurred placement stripes at Sonia Rykiel.
  
Flecked tweed

Alexander Wang                  Prada               Oscar De La Renta

Misson                                   Prada                 Sonia Rykiel
 

Monochrome tweeds with vintage marl contrasts provided authentic yarn updates, from finer kempy marls to plyed hand-knit yarn counts, as reflected in the WGSN knit trend Inventive.

• Blackened chin้ twist effects at Alexander Wang, Oscar De La Renta and Prada created overdyed effect salt-and-pepper looks.

• Engineered tuck-patterns and plated rib stitches using marled yarns formed more rustic surface movement effects at Missoni.

• Also at Prada and Sonia Rykiel, vintage marl yarns in retro colour combinations created lively homespun effects.

• Combine bi-colour chin้ and ond้ yarns or monochrome print micro-texture tweeds with interrupted stitch effects to maximise ingrained surface optics.

Functional ribs and tuck stitches

Reed Krakoff                Stella McCartney       Junya Watanabe

Yohji Yamamoto                  Loewe               Pringle of Scotland
 

Functional fisherman rib and tuck stitch structures create a low-key casual luxe look when interpreted into noble yarns for a modern military feel this season.

• At Yohji Yamamoto and Junya Watanabe, fully-fashioned ribbed knits had a slouchy, pull-on look for casually styled total-knit dressing, sometimes seen with woven twill patches for an army surplus look.

• Reed Krakoff and Stella McCartney used simple rib structures for oversized boyfriend-style sweaters and cardigan styles.

• Pringle and Loewe utilised compact multiple-ply yarns to create structured knits with a functional padded look for jackets and separates.

• Use simple Merino wools with noble fibres and cotton and cashmere blends to combine clarity of stitch with a luxurious hand-feel.