Behind the scenes of Conde Nast Traveller’s Autumn fashion story

At some point on our third day of shooting, we noticed that our phone signal had gone. It didn’t seem too much of an issue, after all, we were deep in the hills of Spain’s Extremadura countryside, where our only neighbours were cows and black pigs, and the nearest town a 30-minute drive away. We were shooting the FW25 collections, where themes of equestrian heritage, Spanish leathercraft, and cowboy-meets-flamenco looks had filled the runways and led us to our Andalucian destination.

Our aim was to bring the trends to life through a combination of dramatic landscapes, horse riding scenarios, and the country’s grand, romantic architecture, celebrating farm-to-table restaurants and artisanal boltholes. We had previously had a shoot day in Seville’s newly opened palace hotel, Casa Del Limonero, a uniquely restored 15th-century villa, brimming with art and curios throughout its jumble of Mudejar architecture and arabesque colonnades. Here we had shot Louis Vuitton ruffles within one of its monastic bedrooms, sculptural Fendi designs within its historic tiled hallways, and striking Schiaparelli silhouettes in its palatial interior courtyard. So far, so good.

Silk draped dress, POA, Loewe (loewe.com). Sana satin and pearl mules, £750, Jimmy Choo (jimmychoo.com). Cascata earrings in simulated pearls, £370, Sonia Petroff (soniapetroff.com). Kalahari ring stack in gold and agate, £4,420, By Pariah (bypariah.com).Alistair Taylor-Young

Leather bodysuit, about £2,190; silk tutu skirt, POA; cashmere hat, about £640; leather belt, about £640, all Louis Vuitton (louisvuitton.com)Alistair Taylor-Young

This particular day, however, was a countryside day, and as we traipsed back through fields and cattle grates to our hotel, converted farmstay Dehesa Don Pedro, we realised that it was not just phone signal, but that the internet had gone down, as well as the power, the lights, and the water supply. Over lunch (sandwiches, the kitchen being out of action), the reality of the situation started to sink in. We were in a blackout. With no way of contacting the outside world or our loved ones, we relied on gossip from the other guests; a Dutch couple (who happened to have a satellite phone – we didn’t ask why) said that it was nationwide, and another guest had heard it was all of Europe.

Silk chiffon shirt, £1,750, Brunello Cucinelli (brunellocucinelli.com). Kiki hemp hat, £500, Maison Michel (michel-paris.com). Croce earrings in pearland cabochon, £420, Sonia Petroff (soniapetroff.com). XXL Link Choker necklace,£253, Misho (mishodesigns.com)Alistair Taylor-Young

Patent lambskin vest, £6,560; patent lambskin trousers, £8,260; patent calfskin and strass boots, £2,075, all Chanel (chanel.com)Alistair Taylor-Young

But we had Chanel to shoot, so we drew on our English sensibilities, kept calm, and carried on. Instead of exploring local towns and Andalucia’s foodie scene, our afternoon shooting took us on an hour’s drive to meet the owner of local horse company Frisones de Tentudia, which breeds and cares for black Friesian horses – a large, glossy breed favoured by European royal families since the 16th century.