Banana Republic Fall Holiday 2012: Autumnal Equestrian Elegance

5:30 PM, April 5 2012

By Elana Fishman

Yesterday, we stopped by Banana Republic's fall/holiday preview to see what creative director Simon Kneen had in store for next September and beyond.

Everything was just as polished and tailored as we've come to expect from Banana, but with a more luxe touch than seasons past. In addition to black faux fur vests and accessories, leather was used freely and often. We especially liked a black leather pencil skirt and the elbow-length gloves that were worn with several looks. All the clothes had a Brit-inspired equestrian feel, which came across through the accessories' horsebit details, the fitted tweed blazers and a cool wool cape with leather piping.

In terms of the color palette, we saw plenty of office-appropriate gray and camel pieces in the mix. But Kneen also introduced pops of mustard to offset all those neutrals. We'd never imagined marigold knitwear could look so sharp next to charcoal wool, but it's a look we're fully planning to try ourselves come fall. The same goes for the collection's updated take on the classic black pump, which came complete with a thin sliver of silver at the toe that made them resemble tap shoes. High-fashion tap shoes, of course.

Flip through the slideshow to see our snapshots from the collection.