Well after admiring a long stint of fresh designs and sophisticated styles, we have officially entered fashion month’s last phase. New York started off the season strong, donning us with vibrant daring hues, as fashion elites celebrated the new season in colour both on and off the runway. Although London was a touch different this year, we were nonetheless treated to the city’s trademark eclecticism and sharp tailoring. Then, Milan provided the glitz and drama along with some intriguing accessory trends. Finally, the fashion tour concluded in Paris, which hosted some of the most anticipated and talked about shows this season. Only natural as the French capital has a long-standing reputation as the city where designers get their inspiration.
There’s often some crossover between cities in terms of runway trends but this year we saw each city put its own unique twist on things. Here, we’ve compiled the must-have fashions from each city.
Get on board with the official return of cargo pants.
The utility trend is without a doubt the one trend that’s capturing the attention of fashion ladies across this season. Milan and Paris both saw a utility-chic takeover. With giant pockets gracing microskirts, waistcoats, minuscule bra tops, and pencil skirts, the trend received the Miu Miu treatment. Isabel Marant deviated from her trademark boho chic by showcasing loose wit co-ords with several giant pockets and strap embellishments. Jil Sander, Fendi and Diesel also all carried this trend in Milan.
The humble trench coat made differently
The fashion industry’s uniform has integrated tailoring as an essential component. The current trend favours looser silhouettes, and there are countless ways to style each component of a suit (blazer, pants, and waistcoat) by rearranging them with dresses or jeans. This season the stylish showgoers in Paris demonstrated that less is more by dressing in muted tones. Trench coats were everywhere, yet revamped with detailing, interesting cut-outs, double lapels and bold panelling, a perfect statement piece for this Autumn.
Feathers, Fringes and frills
The SS23 designs from fashion heavyweights Chanel, Valentino, and Louis Vuitton all included feathery textures that set the fashion world aflutter. Chanel’s creative director Virginie Viard presented a mostly monochromatic palette with sporadic bursts of very light pink and violet. Marabou fringing was added to classic Chanel bouclé blazers and twinsets. Feathers were the star at Valentino, providing depth and texture to a number of cream-coloured ensembles. Louis Vuitton’s SS23 collection, which included a lot of boxy shapes and embellishments, was softened by the addition of plumes to elaborately beaded lace mini-dresses.
Lace in London
Although lace is a popular style that we frequently see, this season’s designers are drawing their inspiration from an unexpected place: nightgowns (but certainly not your grandmother’s nightgowns) London displayed a beautiful array of garments that were reminiscent of dainty lingerie threads or even a wedding garter. Dresses and skirts have been embellished with lace insets to add character to otherwise plain silk materials. Christopher Kane chose to add the element to a blue minidress, while JW Anderson and Rixo combined their lace with yellow outfits.
“Florals for spring? Groundbreaking!”
It goes without saying that each spring, designs blossom, as floral patterns and vibrant colours take centre stage. This was definitely the case in New York anyway. A variety of floral prints were displayed, but the flat and arranged patterns were the most prominent. New York was abundant in youthful and vibrant looks: Alessandro Michele of Gucci, Stuart Vevers of Coach, and others may have served as inspiration for more and more designers who now combine prints in a single outfit or piece of clothing to produce a striking appearance.
Words by Chanelle Jassim
Header image: @Tods
