8 Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Month trends to know now

Crystal products
People almost needed sunglasses and the catwalks were lit up with eye-catching sparkles all season long. Crystal dresses, skirts, wide-legged trousers and Khaite’s suit lapels literally lit up our Spring/Summer ’23 outlook. Blame it on our need to capture everything on Instagram, but we can’t argue with the fact that shiny numbers certainly make for good content these days.

The seduction factor
I see London, I see France, I see everyone’s underwear. This will be the vibe for Spring/Summer 23 as we all throw away our caution about the wind and embrace the sultry sheer dresses that leave nothing to the imagination. Designers include Longman’s
Bruno Sialelli, Miuccia & Raf, Alberta Ferretti and Marcelo Gaia of Mirror Palais all opted for the sheer route, from maxi dresses to trench coats. Which makes sense when you think about it, as there is an undeniable sense of freedom, chutzpah and sensuality to these pieces – what more could we want after years of rigid rules, confinement and bleakness. For a more modest moment, Tory Burch’s 90s-inspired midi slip skirts with their and sheer tops will surely be on many people’s wish lists.

GLUNGE!
While this may sound like something a TV presenter would shout before a contestant is dipped in slime, we’re actually referring to the mix of glamour and grunge that has been prevalent over the past decade. If you close your eyes and think about it, you can instantly conjure up an image of this girl/guy: with layers of flattering staples, covered up with a squared-off biker jacket, coat or blazer. Those Y2K gas station shades seem to be everywhere, along with spiked hardware and silver jewellery. Perhaps the sleeves of the jumpsuit extend into the gloves and the trousers seem to connect seamlessly with their platform boots. Perhaps this person befriended Julia Fox. This season, as usual, there was plenty for her/him/them at Rick Owens and Balenciaga (just watch out for the appearance of Lay’s crisp bag purse), but also at LAPOINTE, Versace and even Saint Laurent, where we reckon they’ll be swiping on slick hoodies, round shoulders jackets and high-gloss embellishments.

Skirting the Issue

Let’s talk about skirts – for once, I would say that skirts seemed to be the focus of most of the collection. This is down to the popularity of the Miu Miu mini skirt last year, but this time around skirts seem to be getting a lot of attention and reinvention. While on paper they may not be the most practical, the pannier-esque silhouette (like the hoop skirts worn in the 17th and 18th centuries) won us over thanks to what Lanvin, Bach Mai, Monse, Loewe and Dior did with them. Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu had pocketed designs, while elsewhere, calf-length jeans, leather and skirts with foam hemlines looked like they would topple the mini skirt off its pedestal. Another trend to look out for: pair your best skirts with your plainest tops! Now we can all try it at home…

Fringe Benefits

How we love a good swish. From skirts and dresses to fringe-trimmed tops, everything seems to be ‘swishing’ and swinging this season, and the effect is particularly evident at Proenza Schouler, PatBo, Jonathan Simkhai, Jil Sander and Bottega Veneta. Listen to us to get the full effect!

Luxe Exotica

Snakeskin is slithering its way back into our watchlist, and we can definitely blame Khaite for that. Elsewhere, we noticed high octane animal-meets-metallic numbers that we’re christening Luxe Exotica. All eyes on you: guaranteed.

Optimistic Hues

While fuchsia continues to be present here and soothing pastel biscuit colours seem to prevail on the most fashionable (see: Lanvin, Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, etc.), we do feel our hearts beating because of all the sunny yellow, turquoise, lilac and green shades that induce nervousness in us. The latter, in particular, is known to be a lucky colour. Get it where you can get it, children.

Precious Cargos

So why is the massive obsession with all things Y2K stopping anytime soon? Add cargo pants to the install list. With products in a variety of shades and fabrics, before you know it, you’ll be starring in your very own home R N’B music video.