How to be a Trendsetter 2023 Spring/Summer Fashion Week

Words by Lydia Wilcox, Writer

From New York to Tokyo, the 2023 Spring/Summer Fashion Weeks have come to an end. As Ellie Pithers from British Vogue writes, the overarching goal of Fashion Week designers was to make their “catwalks feel a little more human”. This Fashion Week, an overwhelming number of designers chose to cultivate the feeling that the clothes presented on their runways could be worn in day-to-day life. Despite monochrome dominating the runways, a few eye-catching trends emerged and they are certainly worth noting.

Arguably, the most controversial trend that emerged is layering, or more specifically, the layering of dresses and skirts over jeans and trousers. Dresses paired with jeans have made a resurgence in popularity since its heyday in the early 00s. This look was well represented at a number of Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Week shows including Collina Strada and Proenza Schouler. This trend was not restricted to the runway as a number of celebrities in attendance of Fashion Week were spotted sporting the look. Kylie Jenner, for example, wore a variation of the trend, donning a white and red midi dress with a pair of black trousers, a look that comes from the fashion house Ferragamo. Additionally, Vogue’s Street Style Trend Tracker provides a plethora of photos showing the global popularity of the trend from New York to Seoul.

Monochrome dominates the runway (Victoria Beckham, Victoria Beckham's Paris Spring/Summer 2024 Show, Victor Virgile//Getty Images)

Monochromatic fits dominated the runways at Fashion Week: long, black coats were a particularly popular item with brands from Balenciaga to Givenchy giving the look their stamp of approval. Additionally, there was a celebration of plain, white, button-down shirts and their versatility as seen in the Valentino show. This is another example of how designers attempted to make their runway looks more accessible to the general population.

A final standout trend of Spring/Summer 2023 Fashion Week was double denim. For example, Diesel’s runway was populated by models decked out in denim, specifically frayed denim. Denim maxi and midi skirts and denim trench coats were two trends that have been particularly popular off the runway, proven by a quick look in the window of any Urban Outfitters or H&M.

Diesel is decked out in denim (Diesel's Milan Spring/Summer 2024 Fashion Show, Designer: Glenn Martens, Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com)

All of the trends mentioned in this article can be considered wardrobe staples and, in this sense, Fashion Week designers succeeded in presenting everyday clothes. Denim and button down shirts will never go out of style.