Autumn 2012: what are the fashion trends?

Purple It started with a lilac carpet at Christopher Kane, then a purple one at Prada. Via the medium of carpeting, purple was back in the room. It has appeared on catwalks in all four cities, including Parisian houses Dior and Chanel. Other punchy colours for autumn previewed in Paris include deep blue and electric pink. Stella McCartney and Balenciaga both nailed a strong use of colour this season. Photograph: PR

Goth v sporty There’s a moodiness in the air: think Dragon Tattoo with a dash of sci-fi warrior princess. At Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci took his modern gothic look and added an equestrian flourish, while Haider Ackermann’s brooding designs that wrap around body as if being worn by a powerful warrior in an atmospheric film. On the flip of the darkness, there is sporty. McCartney continues to reign here with baseball collars and flippy sports skirts. Photograph: Dan and Corina Lecca

Capes An oversized coat with sloping, curved shoulders is set to be influential thanks once again to Céline. And the cape is back: in Milan, Dolce & Gabbana put it at the heart of its collection, while in Paris, Stefano Pilati’s last collection for YSL featured classy evening styles. Givenchy featured short jackets with cape-like tendencies. Hermès opened its show with blankets swooshed around the models’ shoulders. Photograph: PR company handout

Belts Once again cinching is back as the lead styling trick. In other waist news, the peplum has been granted another season while some tops on the catwalks were belted to create this effect. Meanwhile there is also something happening at the hips. At Burberry this meant oversized pockets while at Stella, a tweed suit skirt was cut with an exaggerated hour-glass shape. Photograph: fdumoulin@java-fashion.fr/PR company handout

Leather Jumpsuits, gloves, a fancy contrast lapel – whatever you want next season, you can buy the leather version. This is not so much a trend as a luxury statement. Top-end labels, such as Hermès, know that the mega-rich aren’t affected by the recession, so they can merrily showcase their most expensive fabrics. See also fur, which is, sadly, also in abundance. Photograph: AP

Mini bags Mini handbags are the new designer key-rings, only a bit dearer. Such entry-level items are aimed at the eager fashion fan who wants designer but doesn’t have two grand for the full-sized bag. Minis were a hit at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana in Milan before appearing at Givenchy and Chloé in Paris. Photograph: Briquet-Gorassini-Gouhier-Guibba/ABACA/Press Association Images

Statement eyebrows Forget punchy nail polishes. Come autumn, you’ll be no one without a jazzy brow. In Milan, the Prada models had orange greasepaint brows with black underneath. They appeared – orange again – at Dries Van Noten in Paris. Though Karl Lagerfeld took it all one step further with a dramatic Chanel brow crafted from crystal, glitter and sequins – perfect for his fantasy Superman set. Photograph: DPA/Press Association Images

Wide shapes Skirts and trousers are getting wider. The ever influential Phoebe Philo at Céline has been working on looser shapes for a few seasons. This autumn, she is backing trousers with volume in the thigh that tapers at the ankle, with zips or a sporty stripe. Skirts vary in degrees of fullness: Dior’s are a retro circle while Balenciaga’s gently flick out, A-line style. Photograph: PR