An experimental winter coat is ideal for injecting an instant dose of avant-garde into your daily style – throw it on for maximum impact, then slip it off to resume business as usual. So what is the fashion vanguard spearheading this season? For Daniel Gregory Natale and Song For The Mute (a new-to-Selfridges label focused on 'finding the beauty in imperfection'), it's all about deconstructing the traditional coat with raw edges and a spliced-and-diced aesthetic. Meanwhile, Sacai's signature hybrid approach to design has resulted in outerwear that's part coat, part bomber and part dress – and guaranteed to propel you to the forefront of fashion.

Fashion visionaries such as Rei Kawakubo, Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood have been sending S&M-inspired harnesses down the catwalks since the 1980s. But now, leather specialist designers such as Zana Bayne and Fleet Ilya (new to Selfridges this season) are making these silhouette-defining pieces wearable in real life (yes, really). A sleek leather torso piece will add some immediate oomph when worn over a crisp white shirt or a delicate lace dress. Or, if you prefer to dip your toe a little more gently into fetish-friendly waters, opt for an immaculately crafted leather bag, complete with bondage-worthy buckles.

t's the ultimate wardrobe stalwart, but this season's crop of shirting is anything but basic. Monse, Comme des Garçons and Dries van Noten (to name but a few) have elevated the nine-to-five staple to epic levels, playing with proportion, asymmetry and unexpected detailing. Our top pick? This Ann Demeulemeester shirt with a sharp, oversized collar at the front and back proves that unique, head-turning style can still be subtle. Of the moment yet timeless, these playful shirts will be as wearable and impactful in 10 years' time as they are now.

When you think of avant-garde, future-facing style, florals may not be the first thing that crops up. But Simone Rocha is to florals what Issey Miyake is to pleats – transforming them from commonplace to precious and sophisticated. This season, bold crimson daisies are embroidered onto featherlight tulle, creating beautifully feminine pieces with a gothic edge. Expect more dreamy-yet-dark pieces with lashings of lace, tulle and organza from Sacai, Ann Demeulemeester and Roberts Wood.

No mention of avant-garde design is complete without a nod to fashion's favourite subculture: punk. Born from a desire to challenge the status quo, the movement spawned a bevy of young designers keen to shake up conventional dress codes. Today's newest upstarts (Alessandro Michele, Demna Gvasalia) are using the same punkish sentiments to revolutionise luxury fashion. The result? Clashing prints, mismatched fabrics, high-end streetwear and leftfield styling – championed by avant-garde designers such as Junya Watanabe (a protégé of Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo, no less), A.F Vandevorst and Y/Project – that once seemed reserved for the more daring folk among us, now suddenly feel utterly wearable. The best bit? You can be as 'out-there' as your heart desires – pile on the prints and hues, or simply mix and match fabrics.

We all know how instrumental the likes of Rick Owens, Comme des Garçons and Balenciaga are in shaping the future of fashion, but what about some of the names you might not have heard of yet? Nestled between these established labels at Selfridges London, Oxford Street, are new-to-Selfridges names Roberts Wood (the Royal College of Art graduate whose Masters collection won the Vogue Talents Award), Noir Kei Ninomiya (the Comme des Garçons-schooled designer) and Y/Project (helmed by Gaultier-trained, Paris-based designer Glenn Martens). "I've seen some of the most interesting and unexpected shapes of the season from Y/Project [pictured]," says our Designerwear Buyer Philippa Holden. "I love the opulent streetwear aesthetic, but when you feel and see the pieces up close, you'll be amazed by the couture techniques."