And just like that, another chaotic, hectic and exhausting fashion month is over. From New York to Paris, designers, models, celebrities and journalists came together to showcase the trends we can expect to see on our high streets next Spring. It is safe to say that these days, thankfully, fashion is a treasure trove of differing niches, aesthetics and ‘cores’. It isn’t often that one show seems overly similar to another, and yet, there are always common threads that find their way into our imaginations.

From tulle to oversized baggy denim, here are some of the most prominent trends we saw in Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collections this runway season!

SHEER

It was clear from the onset of New York Fashion Week that sheer is in, and it’s in big time. Perhaps this is the most common trend among designer brands, with each artist finding ways to adapt the seethrough fabric to match their own overall energy. LaQuan Smith elegantly draped sheer fabric, creating a romantic silhouette with a nod of sexy which Smith is so excellent at. Prada also went for elegance but more so in a grandma’s old négligée way, showing that sheer and nightwear as daywear are in simultaneously. Over at Chanel on one of the last days of Paris Fashion Week, we saw Virginie Viard incorporate sheer skirt panels into several looks.

FRINGE

Not the hairstyle, the frilly bits of fabric that can sometimes find themselves attached to items of clothing. A fun way to add a bit of pizzazz to an outfit, we saw several brands add some swish with fringe. While some designers added fringe as the top note, Daniel Lee went all out at Bottega with a pale yellow dress with a full fringed skirt. Sticking with skirts, Jill Sander experimented with fringe in varying densities, from loose and free to cramped and packed.

TAILORING

A well-tailored, sharp and sleek blazer can get you far in this life and designers want to make sure you know it! During NYFW, Peter Do blew the fashion world away with his immaculate tailoring skills (you know a designer is good when they can make oversized pieces look sharp without feeling dramatic.) Sticking with oversized blazers, we saw several at the Stella McCartney show in Paris.

Stella McCartney SS23
Image: Filippo Fior

TULLE

As a fashion lover, you’d have to have been living under a rock for the last two months to have not realised that ballet core is back, and it’s ready to take over the world one pair of Miu Miu ballet flats at a time. Nothing screams ballet more than tulle. Molly Goddard provided us with bright, colourful tulle dresses and skirts which bought true joy. Also in London, Richard Quinn turned to black tulle to add fascinating textures to his dramatic mourning looks.

Molly Goddard Spring SS23
Image: Daniele Oberrauch

NEUTRALS

Florals for Spring right? Well, maybe wrong for 2023! While we may have predicted to see lots of light colours and floral designs, there was an overwhelming amount of darker neutrals, so much so you could be forgiven for believing this was the Autumn season of shows. Balenciaga went full dark with a collection in varying shades of blacks, greys, whites and red (for a bit of relief?). Valentino who have been praised for their bright fuschia pink pulled back this season opting instead for beiges, browns and muted reds.