FALL / WINTER 2023 TRENDS
MILLION DOLLAR BIKE
Grunge's latest development is a celebration of the key sector that has historically driven the namesake components of Grunge, including leather, denim, and the heritage of a standoff attitude—the biker. Complimentary to this attitude was the addition of call-to-action motifs celebrating discrepancy and rebellion, including Mowalola's "sue me" tags. Look to Helmut Lang, Simkhai, and Heron Preston for key silhouettes of the biker jacket, mini skirt, and ample use of leather.
BARE IN MIND
The hypersexualized, misandrous theme of barely-there dressing retains consistency throughout the fall season. Nensi Dojaka remains the key contributor to sheer dressing, motivating established houses Fendi and Prada to move into a textural exploration. Blumarine carried a 2000s wave of iridescent, see-through dressing, and a wave of mini skirt silhouettes dictated the FW23 season. Key colors Digital Lavender and Apricot Crush heightened the sex-positive agenda that remains a key contributor to the overall consumer mood shift towards resiliency and self-determination in an era of realignment.
AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORMCORE
A paradoxical assessment of masculinity and femininity stands unwavering at a tangent of normalcy, cementing minimalism, extreme proportions, and soft key colors as the manifesto of normcore. Gender fluid traction in the fashion industry has geared an identity in the in-between, celebrating silhouettes such as the trench coat, oversized blazer, and fine knits in the overwhelming use of key color Sustained Grey. In an accelerated environment driven by toxic positivity in technology, normcore offers a realistic, toned down appeal that juxtaposes overstimulation.
EXTRACURRICULARS
Prep will always possess a sturdy seat in thematic transitioning, but is able to attest to the zeitgeist via the concept of the elevated uniform. For FW23, Prep explored feminine elegance in a 2000s translation by Connor Ives, a retrospective, nautical Ivy appeal at Simone Rocha, and an emphasis on house codes at Burberry. This future-proofed marketing remains a reliable theme for investment and a strong avenue to communicate brand heritage.
DOING THE MOST
In conjunction with menswear's obsession with playful hyperreality, womenswear fall themes remained in the outer orbit of grandiose by playing with exaggerated volume. The causality of workwear has encouraged a hyperadoption of statement-making formalwear attire. Key collections from Molly Goddard and Nina Ricci served as textbook embellishments that emboldened everyday silhouettes of the maxi coat or maxi skirt in key color Intense Rust. 16Arlington's plunging necklines and sequinned peplums offered party-perfect looks. It is purposeful and deliberate; the consumer demands attention—an awe economy that has been shelved for the past few years.
NEW ANIMALS
The small push of animal print in FW23 is a notable enough risk to be mentioned, not for the objectivity of its use, but for the underlying shock-effect moment strategized to evoke conversation and act as a great connector for marketing and human emotion. Collina Strada sparked conversation with the use of actual animals, while Helmut Lang and Stella McCartney applied tasteful codes to house favorite silhouettes, notably the trench coat. Animal print is a strong theme for brand engagement that encourages flamboyant, playful consumer sentiment.