“Classicism,” states Nick Wakeman, Founder & Creative Director of Studio Nicholson, summarising Autumn Winter 25. “It’s very much the idea of an inherited wardrobe, archetypal pieces of clothing that have really stood the test of time.”
The collection’s heirloom nonchalance is duly pulled together with both toughness and elegance. “Effortlessness is not a lot of relatively plain clothes just worn together,” smiles Wakeman. “You might have inherited this great wardrobe, but what are you going to do with it now?” Wakeman’s signature design exploration of considered proportion and cut, uncomplicated unisex sensibility and the brand’s relentless development of luxury fabrications continue to be central and intentional.
Unsurprisingly, outerwear is a strong focus. The new roomy double-breasted, drop-shouldered Diall overcoat in a double wool mix comes in black. “It’s a big bit of classic kit,” says Wakeman, “and one of several key pieces that are unisex in the collection, something we’ve been building on for a few seasons now.” Another example is the refined, minimalistic black and white Bryn car coat in a high-twist Italian Mouliné, which continues Autumn 25’s theme of contrast leather collars. Meanwhile, an alternative to tailored outerwear is the water-resistant, funnel-necked unisex Massey down puffer in either chocolate or black, made with an inner of recycled goose feathers.
The Over men’s Harrington in a shade of oil, rendered in a matte cotton-nylon mix, and also available in black leather, is technically a menswear design. This doesn’t stop Wakeman from zipping herself into it while proclaiming it to be one of her favourite pieces of the season. Its attitude evoking a timeless bluntness. With a similarly utilitarian bent comes the new women’s Etna jacket, a double cashmere hooded wool zip-through that is cut in two lengths, finished with a leather-coated draw cord. “I see this as a modern re-imagining of the duffle coat. It’s harder in mood, and sportier than the classic hooded toggle duffle,” explains Wakeman. Supple leather jackets with removable shearling collars also deliver punch for AW25; the Erie in womenswear and the Del in men’s.
“A strong textural element for this particular collection definitely came via the myriad knitwear experiments,” notes Wakeman. “Building on our Scottish knits from Autumn 25, we’ve added brushed mohair, yak and alpaca for Autumn Winter. The softness of knitwear against some of the collection’s harder textures or more reduced, pronounced or tailored lines is an important contrast.” Two designs of note for Wakeman, include the new unisex Moray double-faced cashmere sweatshirt with an architectural drop shoulder and ribbed details, which comes in uniform charcoal, and the women’s alpaca-merino, oversized Persephone sweater in black or natural marl.
Other knit highlights: the unisex classic Cree crew and Loris Turtle sweaters (plus co-ordinating beanies and neck scarves) which are wondrously finished in shades of warm caramel or espresso and knitted in a pleasing yak-merino combination. While brushed mohair is another new season unisex talking point: from the preppy Dune knit polo to the Trey cardigan and Wynn crew neck in espresso and black whilst the chunky ribbed Sandos zip-through in crimson, oatmeal and darkest navy is crafted from extra fine merino wool, with co-ord neck scarves.
“From a styling point of view, skirts and dresses worn over trousers have been increasingly appearing in our campaigns and shoots,” says Wakeman. “Yes, in a way it’s the obvious manifestation of the masculine-feminine codes of the brand, but there is also something that just feels relevant about the combination’s play on proportion and attitude.” The Wheeler shirt dress in melange styled with the Mira straight leg pant with a split hem, both fashioned in one of Wakeman’s favourite fabrics, a lightweight tropical wool, is a key look of the season.
Other key fabric stories for AW25 in womenswear include, the sophisticated sponginess of double wool sablé, a sculptural viscose and viscose satin. The long-sleeve Cali dress in chalk or black double wool sablé has a grungy-cosy duality, the Mirelle, in slate or mist, is a tactile tunic-hoodie hybrid with a matte satin finish, while the new rounded, belted Doring pant or the Caten slash neck top both look freshly modern cut in sculptural viscose.
The new AW25 campaign shot by Bibi Borthwick in London, with its cool grey lighting and fax or newspaper grain finish, has a purposeful stripped back mood, putting the season’s “inherited wardrobe” concept deliberately under scrutiny. “It may all start with a certain sense of timelessness, after all classics are classics for a reason, but of course that is never enough,” states Wakeman on the central thrust of the collection. “The clothes of Autumn Winter 25 might propose certain familiar design ideals, but they have all been reimagined through a modern, dynamic lens, and styled with a certain attitude. Basically, these clothes are meant to feel bold and relevant, hard and soft, tough, elegant and effortless.”
Available for preview in store.
