A World Of Wonder: BAZAAR's Fall/Winter 2023 Trend Report
Breaking down this season's biggest trends
Fashion has never been more fragmented. It has also never been more delightful. From camel coats and understated suits to sweeping trains and regal flourishes, or the extremes of naked dresses to pillowy puffers, this fall/winter 2023 season has you covered.
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Red Blooded Woman
While neutrals are gaining ground and black is forever, certain moments call for nothing less than a bold, bright hue. This season, red is that colour with almost every collection featuring a statement scarlet dress. Alexander McQueen’s mostly black and white collection was punctuated by flashes of red; Jacquemus’ ode to Marie Antoinette and Lady Diana featured a voluminous pouf in the same shade as the carpet on which the models walked; while Christopher Kane’s final collection had a frilly latex number that evoked both sci-fi and sex.
A Cut Above
Quiet luxury has been dominating the conversation in recent months, thanks in no small part to fictional, fashionable antiheroines like Succession’s Shiv Roy and Tár’s Lydia Tar, who eschew flashy logos and brash prints for muted colours and crisp silhouettes. The impact of their impeccably tailored suits have spilled onto the runways, with designers as varied as Matthieu Blazy at Bottega Veneta to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen at The Row, all offering their own take on stealth- wealth suiting.
Tie Breaker
Gender roles have been blurring for a while now, and the past few years have upended the way we work and what we wear. All these have provided rich fodder for designers to re-evaluate the uniforms of power, and their avenue seems to be the humble necktie. Once an emblem of the masculine working wardrobe, now it is a tool to subvert gender codes. It is paired with corsetry at Alexander McQueen, juxtaposed against frills and feathers at Valentino, and used to remix French femininity at Dior.
Party In The Back
There is a whiff of glamour in the air—the kind represented by opera gloves and sweeping trains. While the former might be a harder sell, the latter is making a full-on comeback, with designers giving trains and tails a modern update. Punks and princesses collided at Moschino; Matthew Williams channelled Hubert de Givenchy’s aristocratic elegance via fluttering trains on prim midi dresses; while Saint Laurent was a vision of Eighties bombast, complete with power shoulders and giant scarves trailing dramatically behind.
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Reality Check
After seasons of increasingly theatrical fashions, the pendulum has swung the other way. For fall/winter 2023, some of the industry’s most forward-thinking designers are paring back with nondescript, forever pieces—think classic knits and smart skirts, a well-cut coat, and good old denim. This quieter movement is not without its wow moments. Bottega Veneta continues to reinvent everyday staples in luxe leathers; LOEWE doubles down on craft with paper garments, and Miu Miu thrills with its eccentric pants-less styling.
Coronation Street
Perhaps it was the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, or that of the grande dame of punk, Vivienne Westwood, who loved (ripping up) a good Victorian reference. Perhaps it was the inescapable Bridgerton mania. Whatever the reason, designers seem to have found themselves ruminating on dresses fit for court life in centuries past. From Alaïa to Erdem, the runways were awash with voluminous leg-of-mutton sleeves, classical portrait necklines and gargantuan crinolines. The difference is that 21st-century innovations have rendered these light as air.
Blow Up
When times are hard, clothing tends to become harder (like armour) or softer, like a cocoon. For fall/winter 2023, designers seem to be leaning into the latter. Fashion may not be able to resolve economic and political uncertainties, but it can sure offer a balm. Designers like Rick Owens, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons at Prada, Daniel Roseberry at Schiaparelli, and Francesco Risso at Marni keyed into this mood by sending out puffed up pieces that are not only beautiful, but also evoke a sense of protection.
Undressed To The Nines
Less is certainly more this season, though that ethos has manifested in a few different ways. Some designers are taking a literal approach by stripping things down to the bare essentials—namely, underwear. As fashion moves on from Y2K and mermaid dressing, lingerie looks represent the next level of skin-baring style. The vibe is sensual, but also sophisticated with barely-there slip dresses and lace chemises enlivened by intricate embroideries and adornments.
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