Classic sportswear, unabashed glamour, and sheer reveals were the dominant themes of Fashion Week this season. As designers adapt to a post-COVID world, many looked to the past while others focused on the present for their spring 2023 collections, resulting in a wide range of dressing options for customers who crave variety. At Victor Glemaud, for example, sartorial nods to the influential Geoffrey Beene and Stephen Burrows manifested in clean lines, simple uses of fabric, and minimalist silhouettes. Puma’s return to the New York Fashion Week circuit gave the American sportswear movement renewed momentum, with its lineup of fashion-forward activewear imagined by women’s creative director June Ambrose. Tory Burch further explored the sporty theme with her tribute to Claire McCardell, but her collection also included sheer blouses and skirts imbued with youthfulness.
As with every season, denim reemerged on the runway, fashioned in both avant-garde and wearable silhouettes. These were seen at Area, Dion Lee, and Masha Popova, among other designers. Joseph Altuzarra debuted his own take on denim, sending a skirt set, a maxi dress, and baggy jeans down the runway.
Elsewhere, the aesthetic was much more festive. At Tom Ford, the catwalk was transformed into a retro-inspired dance floor with models sashaying in scintillating gowns and sequin-covered suiting separates. Other designers followed up on the evening-attire thread, seen in 16Arlington’s embellished cocktail dresses or Khaite’s strapless ball gowns. Lastly, fringe detailing also appeared on several catwalks, from Jason Wu to London-based label Feben.
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Sheer Joy
Skin is in. In every iteration from long-sleeved blouses to bras, sheer garments populated the catwalks in both New York and London. Designers like Laquan Smith and Nensi Dojaka expressed a certain urgency through the use of sheer detailing, reminding us all of the need to embrace body positivity.
Laquan Smith
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Bra Tops
A close relative of the sheer trend, the number of bra tops seen on models at shows like Priscavera and Tom Ford was impossible to ignore. Giving momentum to the exposed-lingerie aesthetic, the tiny garments looked decidedly modern and versatile. Designers tucked them under sharp blazers or paired them with matching skirts and culottes, proving the styling possibilities are truly endless.
Priscavera
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Fringe For Spring
Fringe for spring? Not so groundbreaking, yet the spring 2023 runways offered a mix of festive and practical iterations not previously seen. At Jason Wu, for example, a lavender maxi dress looked particularly chic thanks in part to its glistening fringed bodice. Meanwhile, at the Feben show in London, a green fringe-embellished sequin skirt felt edgy and playful, especially when paired with a matching top and a leather jacket. The fringe trend is alive and well, adding movement to all our skirts and dresses come spring.
Jason Wu
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Streamlined Sportswear
Sportswear may be a culturally expressive idea that’s revisited and reinterpreted season after season, but fashion designers never run out of ways to make it look fresh. From the minimal strapless dresses at Victor Glemaud to the loose neutral button-downs at Monse, the look was particularly streamlined this season. The creatives behind Altuzarra (who tapped fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson for styling) found cool ways to layer classic sportswear staples, including blazers, cable-knit sweaters, and sneakers. Once again, the message was clear: sporty garments are no longer reserved for athletic activities and can actually look quite stylish.
Victor Glemaud
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Experimental Denim
Because one will never tire of seeing denim on the runways, designers continue to shape the fabric into unexpected silhouettes. At Area, for example, threads of denim were interwoven to create an avant-garde pair of jeans. Meanwhile, at Dion Lee, jeans appeared slashed and accented with zippers for an edgy look.
Area
Getty / Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway
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Cocktail Dresses
Glamour is back. Cocktail dresses reemerged in full opulent force on the spring 2023 runway, often taking the shape of strapless ball gowns as seen at 16Arlington and Khaite. In Milan, Roberto Cavalli offered an embroidered take on a traditional cocktail dress, sending down a strapless style with green and brown motifs covering the bodice asymmetrically. The options are truly as varied as they are interesting.
16Arlington
Getty / Pietro S. D'Aprano
