The Print Trends We're Going to See Everywhere This Winter

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(Image credit: Jil Sander; Christopher John Rogers; Vaquera)

No shade to our beloved neutrals, but prints are all we can think about lately. Sometimes, you simply want to blend in and keep it subtle, but it's okay to be the centre of attention once in a while. The preferred way among insiders to stand out right now? Grabbing one of the striking prints that have been flittering through the fashion spheres this season.

Much to our surprise, this season's runways didn't include the typical lineup of prints we're used to seeing. Instead, it was a grab bag of patterns and graphics, from the extreme—see fanciful logos and zebra—to more subdued takes. All in all, everything felt amped up in a way that is fresh and exciting to the eyes. There's a lot of ground to cover, so sit back and enjoy as we run through the major print trends you can expect to pop up everywhere this winter.

Zebra Print

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(Image credit: Michael Kors, Kwaidan Editions; Bottega Veneta)

There's something about the fall and winter that makes designers and tastemakers alike want to curl up in a ball of animal print. This season, zebra prints dominated the runway circuit, appearing at Bottega Veneta and Michael Kors, so you can be sure it's one trend that will trickle down to affordable brands in full force sooner than later.

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Artscape Prints

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(Image credit: Vivienne Westwood; Ottolinger)

We first took note of this emerging trend earlier this summer, and by the looks of it, interest has only ramped up ahead of winter. It's the kind of pattern that's bound to be included in a starter pack for the cool segment of fashion people, the sort who gravitate towards unconventional trends and underground indie labels. Ottolinger's printed tights continually sell out, but no matter the artscape piece you choose, you're guaranteed to be the exhibit.

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Polka-Dot Prints

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(Image credit: Balenciaga; Christopher John Rogers)

We love a classic print, and polka dot certainly fits the bill. Likely the most familiar of this grouping, polka dots have made a comeback in Balenciaga's and Christopher John Rogers's collections this season. For a different spin, try this print in a vibrant colourway like black and pink or rainbow.

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Groovy Geometric Prints

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(Image credit: Jil Sander; Saint Laurent; Versace)

Retro floral prints à la Emilio Pucci were all the rage this summer, so it's only right that the next phase of throwback prints includes an ode to the groovy era. This time, it involves geometric prints of epic proportions—tiny polygons or quadrilaterals in busy, concise arrangements. Basically, your eyes can't help but divert to this flamboyant pattern. These kinds of prints were spotted at Saint Laurent and Versace, but brands like Zara and Mango are doing it too.

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Grandma Florals

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(Image credit: Cecile Bahnsen; ACNE Studios; Ioannes)

You can expect to see a floral print of some sort in the mix, and for winter, that honor belongs to grandma florals. If you're not sure about what makes this unique, just look at ACNE Studios' full-length coat, which unfortunately is pretty much sold out everywhere. Think of tiny floral designs in arrangments you're likely to see on the walls of your grandma's house. In theory, it sounds questionable, but in practice, it's actually quite cool and fun. 

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Lively Logos

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(Image credit: Gucci; Chanel)

You knew this was coming. Ever since Gucci and Balenciaga cross-pollinated in a visual feast of a presentation earlier this year, we've noticed a renewed interest in logo pieces IRL. Now that the collection has finally dropped in stores, don't be surprised when you see it (or Chanel's '80-inspired logo pieces) littered throughout your feed. If you enjoy the kitschy side of style, this might be a fun one to add to your closet.

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Greyscale Prints

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(Image credit: Vaquera; Prada; Thebe Magugu)

Rounding out the top graphics we're noticing in numbers is a miscellaneous category of black-and-white abstract prints. They range from distorted gingham to squiggly prints, but each underscores the use of black and white. Prada, Vaquera, and Thebe Magugu have used some form of the pattern in their winter offerings, and we're excited to see how it's interpreted on the streets.

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Next Up: The Colourful High-Street Edit We Keep Seeing All Over Instagram

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.