Is there an item of clothing as reassuringly perennial as the trench coat? Much of this is down to the way it provides the perfect transition between seasons – those intermediate, indecisive moments when your winter coat feels too heavy, but it is too cool to do away with outer layers entirely. Though the trench has never just been about function: from the women of film noir to the insouciant Burberry-clad supers of the 2000s, it has long encapsulated an easy elegance, its enduring silhouette achieved by the most simple of actions – the tying of a belt around the waist.
This season’s designers riffed on the wardrobe fixture in a myriad of ways, as captured here in the April 2024 issue of Wallpaper* by London-based photographer Theresa Marx and Wallpaper’s fashion and creative director Jason Hughes. From Maximilian Davis’ layered satin trench at Ferragamo to Daniel Lee’s drop-waisted riff on the classic Burberry trench, or Dolce & Gabbana’s sensually charged (but surprisingly functional) sheer PVC raincoat, each is a uniquely chic interpretation of the classic trench coat – equally fitting for bright spring days, and inevitable April showers, ahead.
The trench coat, reimagined for S/S 2024
Coat, £2,540, by Ferragamo. Earrings, £555, by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Trench coat available at ferragamo.com.
Coat, £3,695, by Rokh. Shoes, £595, by Manolo Blahnik. Tights, £29, by Falke.
Coat, £2,490, by Burberry. Available from burberry.com.
Coat, €2,690, by Gauchere. Hat, £820; gloves, £820, both by Roger Vivier. Tights, £45, by Wolford. ‘Solid’ chair, by Heinz Landes, on loan from Béton Brut.
Coat, £2,450; coat (underneath), £2,450, both by Celine by Hedi Slimane. Tights, £45, by Wolford. Trench coat available at celine.com.
Coat, £4,750; bra, £359; pants, £265, all by Dolce & Gabbana. Shoes, £595, by Manolo Blahnik. Tights, £45, by Wolford.
Coat, £8,690, by Balenciaga. Glasses, £300, by Bottega Veneta. Shoes, £595, by Manolo Blahnik. Bodysuit, £195; tights, £45, both by Wolford.
Coat, £4,855, by Loro Piana. Earrings, £555, by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Tights, £45, by Wolford. Trench coat available from 24s.com.
Coat, £7,200, by Brioni. Tights, £29, by Falke.
Coat, price on request, by Carven. Top, £1,690; skirt, £1,690, both by Maison Margiela. Earrings, £555, by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Shoes, £595, by Manolo Blahnik. Tights, £45, by Wolford.
Coat, £3,400, by Dior. Available from dior.com.
Coat, £3,710; tights, price on request, both by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello. Shoes, £595, by Manolo Blahnik.
Model: Honey Ordoñez at Next Management London. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Hair: Kei Takano using Oribe. Make-up: Sandra Cooke using Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. Set design: Amy Friend at Lalaland. Interiors: Olly Mason. Photography assistant: Tom Porter. Fashion assistant: Kris Bergfeldt. Set design assistant: Fei Yang. Hair assistant: Motoharu Iwaizum.
A version of this article appears in the April 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.