NYFW Recap: Top Fall/Winter 23 Trends
By: Raquel Imani
From Coach to Laur and Thom Browne to Tia Adeola, New York Fashion Week was (like usual) a melting pot of creativity. For independent designers this fashion week was a chance to flex their new skills and the maturity of their designs. While the established houses provided fresh perspectives on some of the staples we’ve grown to love.
Amid all the pomp and circumstance, there were a few themes in each collection that will likely influence our buying habits for the next few months. Let’s dive into some of the top trends from New York Fashion Week.
Shearling
Shearling was huge this season appearing in a number of shows. At Khaite, amid the clean-cut silhouettes and impeccable tailoring, Catherine Holstein wowed with a cream-colored shearling coat with black leather trim and satin lining. She pushed the envelope even further by presenting several colors of shearling mules, pants, bomber jackets and tops.
Shearling was also spotted at Coach where some coats had a reimagined 70’s flare. And at Proenza Schouler, a canary yellow shearling coat paired with gray slouchy boots walked the runway, breaking up the otherwise muted color palette.
Florals
Miranda Priestly in the fashion cult classic The Devil Wears Prada cringed at florals for spring. And if this were spring, florals would not be groundbreaking. But for the fall season, it is noteworthy.
For his Fall/Winter 2023 collection, Christian Siriano cited Audrey Hepburn as his muse. Specifically her role as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and her 1993 documentary series, Gardens of the World. While Holly could be seen in the saucer hats and tasteful black dresses, Hepburn’s documentary appeared in flowers puffed up on the hems of dresses, sprouting out from opera-length arm sleeves, and strategically applied on a sheer purple dress.
At Rodarte, Laura and Kate Mulleavy experimented with gothic fairies and Victorian silhouettes. One of the most notable looks was a black, satin puff-sleeve dress with red lace trim, and a 19th-century-inspired red bonnet stuffed with red flowers. The model was also carrying a bouquet of plum calla lilies.
And of course, Carolina Herrera (who usually does design with florals) presented an elegant display of patterns and prints.
Snakeskin
The snakeskin trend has been a commonality for the past few seasons and apparently, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Alexander Wang presented red snakeskin formatted into cropped pants, overalls skirts, and bomber jackets. Kim Shui showcased snakeskin micro-minis topped with bedazzled K’s, corsets and moto jackets. Dion Lee, on the other hand, opted for a one-shoulder, snakeskin dress held together by diamond-shaped grommets and leather strings. Lee also presented snakeskin thigh-high boots, handbags and his models even wore reptilian makeup.
All in all, this fashion week was the breeding ground for a number of trends that we’re sure to see pop up both on the streets and on social media. Which one was your favorite? Share in the comments below.
