The opening of fashion week in New York was marked by an elegant assortment of jaw-dropping outfits on display where even celebrities had to join in on the action. Balletcore made an unprecedented presence during the week, which was otherwise characterised by glamour and gloss. The week began with a bang, thanks to Rodarte and its all-glamour entrants, and concluded with Thom Browne’s most creative and bright thematic designs.
Nonetheless, there were also chic black and monochromatic looks to be seen during the fashion week. The week was a riot of brilliant colours. Ultrafemininity, body mobility, reminiscence culture and ease were stressed by the majority of the designers, who provided their collections with a twist that occasionally seemed to come straight out of the Barbie cosmos.
The direction for Wes Gordon’s F/W ’23 Carolina Herrera collection, which paraded around the romantic, gold-buffed halls of the Plaza Hotel, was ‘disciplined opulence’. Carolina Herrera continues to be resolutely devoted to glamour despite the trend on this season’s runways towards workwear, albeit with the discernment and judiciousness of impeccable taste. Eolas, a sustainable luxury knitwear brand, had everyone’s eyes treated to a visual feast with vibrant, thick knits and bright stripes. The visual appeal of witnessing mountains of post-consumer sweaters divided into various colours served as the inspiration for Eolas’ colour-blocked collection, which highlights ethical fabrics like recycled cashmere and wool as well as workmanship.
Irish artist Eileen Gray, whose work was mostly ignored during her lifetime, is finally receiving recognition through many retrospective exhibitions, one of which served as the inspiration for this display, being seen as the model for Gabriela Hearst’s collection. The contemporary, geometric hues blended seamlessly with Hearst’s craft-focused lines. According to Area designers Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg’s Instagram post, fruits can stand for ‘abundance, fertility, vitality and youth’ as well as ‘mortality and the cycle of life’. Bananas, melons and grapes were transformed into needlework, decorations and metal work for their high-octane performance. For Collina Strada’s ‘Please Don’t Eat My Friends’ presentation, which featured models that crawled, blathered, galloped and stroked their paws as they made their way down the runway, things got even more physical than symbolic.
The features that elicited gasps and surprises on the runway have been highlighted by Apparel Resources below.
Victorian Glam
Since fashion is constantly changing, it is common for current trends to incorporate fashion elements from previous decades. 2023 is expected to see the triumphant return of the Victorian-era corset. Prepare to welcome the magnificent attire that originated in the Medieval Ages’ European courts since it is making a comeback in a variety of styles that enhance the body without constricting it. Consider a revival of ’80s glam with glistening rhinestones, a ton of glitter, sparkling sequins and sleek metallics. Inserting glitter, cutting lace into diagonals and incorporating feathers at the end provide a wonderful sense of purpose.
There was a lot of Victorian glam on the runway during New York Fashion Week. Designers including Christian Siriano, Sergio Hudson, LaQuan Smith and Denni Basso, among others, pour their hearts and souls into creating their utterly glitzy collections. The set was given a touch of mystery and gloom by Rodarte’s gothic fairy line.
Asymmetrical Draping
The style that is sweeping the season is the ideal ally to wearing a sensual, sophisticated and original aesthetic. Creating innovative looks while preserving comfort can seem like a difficult chore in everyday life. The most innovative designs of the season feature asymmetrical draping, which provides a contemporary way to catch the eye and create looks that will be remembered. Asymmetry by itself produces strong and striking compositions that work in unison to form a deconstructed, stylish ensemble. The annual output is strengthened by applying it straight to the neckline, hemline and even patterns. This adds a touch of sensuality and originality fit for today’s top fashionistas.
The NYFW 2023 runway included a lot of asymmetries, which was a trendy accent. The majority of the designers’ outfits, including those by Son Jung Wun and Aknvas, were highlighted by this flamboyant fashion trend with its asymmetrical cuts and striking embellishments. Anichiya, Prabal Gurung’s most recent collection, was inspired by the idea of impermanence. It featured a variety of outerwear and asymmetrical shapes. After his experiences on a protracted meditation retreat, Prabal Gurung’s collection contained textiles that mimicked the patterns of butterfly wings.
Barbiecore Aesthetic
The hyper-feminine, hot-pink aesthetic known as ‘Barbiecore’, which was popularised by our beloved doll, Barbie, is still firmly entrenched in the minds of fashion enthusiasts. The post-pandemic vogue for adopting high-octane colours and dopamine attire has caused both high-end fashion designers and the elite style crowd to flock toward the rosy approach known as ‘Barbiecore’.
Fashion designers are adopting a nostalgic, classy approach to recreating Barbie’s high-fashion and hyper-pink look all throughout New York Fashion Week. Designers jumped on the trend and made it worthwhile for every gaze, particularly Christian Siriano, Sergio Hudson, Naeem Khan and Carolina Herrara. Sergio Hudson was inspired by Barbie, Fran Drescher in ‘The Nanny’ Hilary Banks in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ and highlighter-coloured tints and sharp throwback suits.
Vibrant Prints
This season, quirky, vivid and strong prints are in vogue. Prints come in a variety of styles, such as paisleys, splattered dots and fanciful tropics. Many new prints have emerged that go nicely with pop and street culture. These prints are likewise inspired by natural artworks that are combined with conventional colours to create standout pieces. This Fall and Winter, animal patterns are still among the most popular prints and haven’t lost any of their significance.
Dion Lee’s collection featured reptilian patterns and imaginative outerwear by drawing influence from layers, snakes losing their skin and regeneration. Transparent inflatable jackets were a part of Dion Lee’s club child meets biker look. Some of the designs at Puppets and Puppets included eggs, flowers, tiger prints and snakeskin. Models danced around artistically unkempt tabletop settings at Puppets and Puppets. In New York Fashion Week, other designers like Bulan, Vivienne Tam, Dur Doux, Altuzarra, Gabrielle Hearst and Eolas made extensive use of this escalatingly colourful trend.
Women Suiting
A sharp and sturdy suit will always be in style, no matter what the state of fashion may be. This emotion was notably evident during fashion week this season, when numerous fashionable showgoers could be seen donning various styles of smart suits. There is an unexpectedly large selection of suits available for women, which is refreshing. Each of these sharp, powerful suits offer a refined take on wardrobe essentials and have proven to be a dependable fashion investment for every closet.
The Fall/Winter collection of the LaQuan Smith had a strong evolutionary feel to it. The models were dressed in sleek shapes, timeless tailoring and stunning coats as they made their way around the Rainbow Room. The peplum made a comeback this season as Brandon Maxwell moved away from loud colour and design and towards innovative shapes and more tactile fabrics like well-cut leather and uncomplicated wool suits for the evening. Tory Burch has effectively elevated its hallmark style from strappy sorority sandals to innovative, high-fashion tailoring. The result is a look that is smart, seductive and eminently wearable. There are numerous eye-catching women’s suit trends that were developed by other designers, including Proenza Schouler, Elena Velez and Simkhai.
Y2K Fashion
Fashion from the year 2000, commonly referred to as ‘millennial’ or ‘Gen-Z’ fashion, has been increasingly trendy in recent years. This style is characterised by a nostalgic, vintage aesthetic from the early 2000s when cell phones were just starting to gain popularity and the internet was still very new. Low-rise jeans, trucker hats and clunky platforms are just a few examples of the popular culture and technological trends from the early 2000s that are frequently incorporated into Y2K fashion. Moreover, it frequently includes eye-catching hues and patterns like neon and animal prints, as well as branding with lots of logos and graphic T-shirts.
Designers like KGL, Kim Shui, Food and Foo and House of Aama put the right emphasis on the Y2K trend for Fall/Winter and unveiled some of the most promising trends of the time. While the clothing in Kim Shui’s collection was influenced by the 2000s and sported decorated ‘K’ letters and fuzzy knee-high boots, the denim in Classic Foo and Foo was largely left in its natural state with ruching applied to produce surprising fits.
