Animal patterns are by no means new in the fashion world, but this season’s deer-print trend feels decidedly fresh. Leopard, zebra, and cheetah have ebbed and flowed in popularity for decades. But Bambi spots? The pattern hasn’t really enjoyed a moment in the sun—until now. With luxury fashion houses and contemporary brands alike homing in on so-called Bambi print this winter, all signs point to it as the moment’s It print.
Our favorite deer-print piecesThe Casual Jacket
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Gap × Sandy Liang Spotted Vegan-Fur Half-Zip Pullover
Jump to productThe Chic Loafers
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ATP Atelier Airola Cannella Printed Cerbiatto Loafers
On Tory Burch’s fall-winter runway, the fawn motif appeared in various forms, from structured jackets to long-sleeve midi-dresses. Katie Holmes wore the latter design in March, a month after it debuted on the catwalk. Brandon Maxwell, too, was ahead of the curve this season, sending a model down the runway in a black-and-white deer-print maxidress featuring a high neck and a body-hugging silhouette—a look (available below) ideal for holiday parties.
Things only snowballed from there. When Sofia Richie Grainge launched her label, SRG, in October, she included a fawn-print jacket and a sleeveless maxidress in its inaugural collection. (She even wore the top in her recent pregnancy announcement pics.) And perhaps most notably, the much anticipated Gap x Sandy Liang collaboration featured a viral furry fawn-print jacket, which, much like the rest of the line, sold out almost immediately after its release last month. (Luckily it’s now back in stock.)
Katie Holmes in the Tory Burch dress.Taylor Hill
Tory Burch on the runway.Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images
Why the sudden fascination with fawn print? “Animal print has always had a strong pull, but the usual suspects, such as leopard and zebra, have been in rotation for so long,” says Maj-La Pizzelli, cofounder and creative director of accessories brand ATP Atelier, which got in on the deer-print trend with loafers and handbags in its latest collection. “With Bambi, there was suddenly something that felt new.”
Vintage seller Lucia Zolea believes there’s even more to the allure. “Deer themselves bring a sense of calm, wonder, and beauty, and I think people feel that when they see the print,” says the Bambi-print fanatic, who resonates with the touch of whimsy the pattern provides. “I sourced [a deer] coat, and in the interior pocket, there was a matching hat—my audience loved it!”