New York Fashion Week Spring 2023 starts off with a reflection on the styles and crafts that dominated the pandemic- crochet and knitting, quilting, smocking, and all those awful Target cottage-core dresses which can only serve as The Handmaid’s Tale‘s preparatory wardrobe. I do believe we should move away from fast fashion and toward handmade, bespoke, slow fashion, made-to-order, DIY; and support those who actually own the IP “brands” steal from.

Runway Trends for New York Fashion Week Spring 2023

There are a lot of criss-cross wrap tops weaving in and out of jackets, deconstructed open seam sleeves, hip cut outs, lace-up details, and loads of sheer pants. Slimline puffers, layering, chiffon and open-weave knits, contrasting textures. Although this was my least favorite season for New York Fashion Week since 2008, I feel as if we see a shift away from boring mall clothes and fast fashion to closet curation, something original, new, and inspired.

Sea wants to embrace craftsmanship for NYFW and utilizes crochet, quilting, broderie anglais, and heirloom smocking in its Spring 2023 collection, which is honestly not as elevated as it could have been or would be if edited down (no one should look like a granny quilt personified), but let’s give ‘em credit for all the hard work that went into it. The color palette is composed of eggshell, navy and Yale blue floral prints which appear to be appliqué with embroidered borders, grey and yellow native tribal print, caramel and Yale blue floral on cream fabric, bold multicolored crochet in varying geometric shapes, burnt golden rod drawstring pants, indigo denim, multicolor multi-pattern granny quilt realness, red mint and blue patchwork quilting… The fabric selection included rickrack and scalloped trims, with everything seemingly being of plain-weave fabrics in natural fibers- I’d assume cottons, linens, cotton or wool yarns, seersucker, eyelet, broderie anglais, denim, chambray, calico…

Monse’s use of sheer crepe and tulle, lace-up pant legs, and deconstructed sleeves are interesting design details. Look at those seam lines- impeccable! The color palette includes black, bubblegum pink, camouflage, literal jaguar leopard print, banana and radish graphic knit sweaters, floral prints in white and black with either caramel or jade green, white, just a tough of olive on a shirred waistband and a lace-up dress, blue (denim), red and blue gingham, caramel and white stripes, khaki, creamsicle, tangerine, navy (including a pinstripe), teal, and army green. The fabric selection appears to be cotton twill and drill, horsehair, plain weave cotton fabrics, rayon, square stitch and rib knits, sheer silk chiffon in black, nylon, denim, wool suiting, pale blue cotton shirting, gabardine or poplin… The styling was simple: bucket hats and geometric earrings, rectangular branded nylon bags with oversized webbing straps and buckles, open toe sandals being used on both sexes.

What do a qipao, leg of mutton sleeves, and harem pants have in common? Your guess is as good as mine, but that’s the mashup at In Earnest by Bryon Lars‘s Spring 2023 collection. I do find the bust cups and corsetry of the shirts and shirt dresses interesting, and a sheer qipao is somehow appropriate given its inception. The fabric selection and color palette include black leather; blue and white striped shirting; a light blue-grey denim; red, black, and white floral gingham with lace trim and contrasting black and red bias seaming paired with raspberry velvet ribbon and blue bows of a trumpet skirt with midi hemline; black and blue lace; what appears to be a flamingo-pink floral on blue-black polished cotton of an over-designed midi-length button-up frill-sleeved dress; white blue and pink floral harem pants with tribal pattern cuffs; houndstooth open-weave knit in blue-black and white with grosgrain jewel neckline contrasting cuff and striped webbing down the sleeves and along the slant pockets; sequin embellished contrasting fabrics in geometric and floral prints on a harem jumpsuit; blue open-weave knit and crocodile ribbon of the leg-of-mutton sleeved frill collar jacket with black mesh paneling…there’s a lot to digest. The styling is either lacking any accessories or questionable, with orchid embellished rubber mules and sneakers that make Crocs look wearable, combined with a fascinator and graphic tee, for example.

Dion Lee seems to have brought the inspiration of a monstera leaf to life on the runway in both abstract and literal forms with the use of cut-outs and style-lines. Similar to other shows, wrapping and criss-crossing of jackets and tops as well as an interesting weaving of belts through the monstera cut-outs are motifs of the collection. The color palette includes nude, cream, off-white, black, and lime-green. The fabric selection includes body-hugging rib knits used in leotards; neoprene used in jackets, mini skirts, and scuba inspired boned leotards (some with a rubberized coating); nylon; jersey; light blue wash denim; and twill-weave cotton or gabardine for pants.

Fendi is showing during New York Fashion Week? Those micro bags are something else (pico baguette charms $520-$980 from Fall 2022)! I find the baguette-inspired pockets and pouches to be irresistible. The color palette segued from cool grey with sequins and chrome hardware paired with chartreuse accessories including bags, gloves, and beanies to lilac, blush, yellow, black, white, mint, turquoise, cocoa, and red. The fabric selection includes nylon, French Terry, wool knit, rib knit, Angora, shearling and or fur (I believe the brand switched to faux a while ago, although I’d been publicly outraged over their use of real fur before then), velour, chiffon, drill, fleece, silk charmeuse, wool suiting, black mesh, and cotton twill.

Peter Do shows sheer pants and button-ups, and the criss-cross wrap shirts, and lace-up details we’ve seen heretofore in womenswear. Is there a trend forecast we should be aware of? Accordion and knife pleats, gathers, tucks, peak lapels, button-up side-seams and sleeve seams on a sweater, and one-button double breasted jackets. The color palette is white, black, light blue wash denim, light camel, latte, warm grey, charcoal, cocoa, light peach, and hombres in black and white and another similar one with a touch of orange and purple. The fabric selection includes black leather and patent leather used in jackets, coats, and pants; shirting; cotton and silk wool suiting; nylon; silk satin; rib knit; sheer chiffon; silk charmeuse; silk jersey; and gabardine used in a trench coat with pyramid stud embellished sleeves. I do appreciate the tailor tacks details of the drop shoulder jacket, but don’t like the proportions.

Bevza‘s wrap shirts, asymmetrical draping, and use of smocking are effortlessly beautiful, and one of the collections I enjoy most for New York Fashion Week Spring 2023. The color palette is made up of white, pale metallic gold, black, blonde, baby blue, and silver. The fabric selection includes silk charmeuse, silk satin, black vegan leather, navy wool, polished cotton or cire, and organdy. It’s important to note that the designer is of Ukrainian heritage and a refugee of the war currently living in Portugal, and the entire show was produced by Ukrainians (Vogue.com).

Prabal Gurung‘s sheer lilac chiffon wrap button-up and matching trousers confirm, this is one of the few constants among the shows for NYFW SS23.

Parsons MFA: some of the only innovative designs of the season thus far have come out of this class. Hats that pour over and connect to the garment. Water spouted onto the form and frozen in time is reminiscent of Giselle’s shoot for water in the 2000s. I love the way the shawl lapel is disconnected from the collar revere. I-Ching coins and cording are used to construct tops, and false nails make up a dress. A sculptural top undulates about and absorbs the figure- paired with voluminous bubble denim pants.

The post New York Fashion Week Spring 2023 Menswear and Womenswear, Runway Trends appeared first on Subversive.Style.