It's a red burgundy fall The most autumnal colour ever is now also a great choice for every season

The article you're about to read isn’t here to tell you how burgundy red is a timeless color or how its popularity has endured over time—just walk down the streets of any major city. It's a shade loved by many not because it suits everything and everyone (according to the theory of color harmony, burgundy and petrol green are some of the few colors that work on all skin tones), but because it holds qualities, like black, that are hard to resist. Named after one of France’s top wine-producing regions, the color entered fashion during the Roaring Twenties, in the form of dyes and lipstick for the wealthy in big cities. Shortly before, it had been chosen by Harvard as the college’s signature color—although in this case, it’s a slightly brighter red known as crimson. Thus, as it made its way into the wardrobes of the wealthy, burgundy established itself a century ago as a symbol of power, seduction, and elegance. Qualities that, as shown by the recent spike in searches for “burgundy” (the highest in the last twenty years, up by +365% since last fall), fashion brands and consumers continue to seek out on store racks and online shopping platforms. From Paris to New York, burgundy red was a standout at the latest Fashion Weeks, especially for maisons and brands that have made leather goods their forte, from Bottega Veneta to Gucci.

Seeing it on the SS25 runway brings a welcome freshness, but in FW24 burgundy has an even stronger presence that, in some cases, manages to avoid falling into the predictable. Bottega Veneta and Chloé reprise it in leather goods, in warmer tones, but also on printed shirts and ruffled dresses. With a more rebellious edge, it appears on the runway for Ann Demeulemeester and Enfants Riches Déprimés, the former in the form of a leather jacket with white fur accents and sumptuous satin skirts, and the latter in the form of a studded belt and total leather looks (also admired by Future). Naturally, burgundy is also present at Gucci, although here it’s called “Rosso Ancora,” featured in every element of the FW24 collection, from accessories to boots, from shirts to mini dresses. Finally, special mention goes to British designer Molly Goddard, who has managed to make this typically atypical color her own. Pairing it with cotton candy pink in a voluminous look that evokes the sweetness of a strawberry cake, Goddard has proven that burgundy doesn’t always need to be taken too seriously. In short, this year’s color is a bit like the red wine it’s named after: it goes well with everything, but it must be paired with the right menu.