Let’s be honest, the “it” in question could be any number of things. Frankly it would be far easier to name the trends, garments and general fashion moods not in some way influenced by or deliberately pilfered from French arbiter of all things chic, Céline. Low key luxe (duh), wide leg trousers, socks with sandals, label free it bags, double denim, summer leather… Whether you’re shopping at Armani or Primarni, I guarantee that the genius of Phoebe Philo has reached you in some way, shape or form. This time around the taste making move in question appears not to be a trend or far reaching aesthetic (although Céline continues to kickstart those too) but a specific garment. Namely, the pink coat. Roughly this time last year Philo sent two coats down the catwalk both of which were predictably and exquisitely understated in their immaculately crafted simplicity, save for the colour. The first was a dusky pink oversized mohair creation, the second a glossy fuscia pelt. In-your-face pink is not necessarily a shade usually associated with Céline but yet it seemed so right. The pared back, modern elegance and mannish silhouettes of the garments provided the perfect foil for their deliciously bright, shamelessly pretty hues.

Céline AW12

Whatever your shade of choice may be – candyfloss, powder, baby, magenta – the colour pink itself is nothing new. What struck me, and has evidently struck the rest of the fashion world too, was its place within an otherwise frill-free collection. The message was clear, pink isn’t just for girly girls and summer frocks, it can be grown up and serious too. I might be wrong (not a rare occurence) but thinking back over my shopping experiences these past few winters, there seems to have been a dirth of pink outerwear. Khaki, olive, navy, burgundy, tweed, camel, black and even scarlet all get a look in but pink coats, or at least ones that can legitimately be worn over the age of six, have been few and far between. Well, not any more. Not since Empress of all that is cool, Phoebe Philo decreed it. During AW13 fashion month pink coats cropped up on the catwalk at Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, John Rocha and Topshop Unique… And that was just in London! Across the pond in Paris, purveyors of Scandi minimalism Acne Studios delivered an incredible sculpted number and Guillaume Henry’s candy hued confections made him the talk of fashion week. Naturally it was Philo herself who delivered the ultimate take on the trend she kickstarted last year.

From left: Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilincic, Carven & Céline AW13

While I probably won’t be snapping up the Céline version or even one of Carven’s snuggly coverups (sob!) their solid presence on the AW13 runways will no doubt mean that pink coats will be all over the high street next season. Whatever your preconceptions about Barbie’s favourite hue I highly recommend trying this trend come autumn, but do avoid venturing into toddler territory by giving the pie crust collars a miss.

Love Ella. X