Womenswear shows: 10 summer 2023 trends, between optimism and concern
Nicola Mira
Two strong, contrasting trends have been brought to the fore by the fashion weeks presenting the women’s ready-to-wear collections for Spring/Summer 2023. On the one hand, an explosion of vitality and nonchalance was heralded by cheerful colours, uber-sexy lightweight outfits, frills and twirling ribbons, and an eroticised boudoir vibe. On the other, a more sombre mood veined the runway shows held in New York, London, Milan and Paris from September 9 to October 4 2023, characterised by black, next summer’s surprise statement colour, by a whiff of the military, plenty of tailored items and an abundance of wintery fabrics like leather. The war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, the shortage of raw materials and inflation are giving designers many reasons to be concerned.
1. Black, summer’s new colour
A degree of pessimism was clearly felt on the runways. While calls for celebration and freedom were predominant, a certain concern for the future did crop up among labels. It translated in the unusual, ubiquitous presence of black in next summer’s collections, very often featured as a total look, sometimes in a 1990s spirit. Several designers, like Dries Van NotenLutz HuelleAZ FactoryAnn Demeulemeester
2. Destructured tailoring
Couture style continues to thrive, taking advantage of sportswear’s decline, first detected last winter. Men’s style suits, skirt suits, statement jackets and coats made of beautiful flannels were omnipresent, notably featuring generous, comfy volumes, but always sophisticated and, above all, inventive. Classic items have been reinterpreted, redefined and liberated thanks to a liberal use of the tailor’s scissors. Sleeves are slashed, or disappear completely. Multiple slits crop up on the shoulders, the back, the sides. Sometimes, only the underlying structure of a jacket remains, and the garment is slipped on backwards, creating new shapes and volumes. More generally, designers experimented with layering and asymmetries.
3. Leather
Another surprise was that designers turned to heavy materials that were entirely unexpected in a summer wardrobe, such as fur (for example at GmbHMarniChloé, Christian WijnantsMiu Miu
4. Cargo trousers
Trousers are officially next summer’s essential garment. Preferably baggy, comfortable and equipped with multiple large pockets. They featured in a variety of utility versions, made of sturdy cotton canvas, or khaki mesh at DiorIsabel MarantVersaceFendi
5. Patch and detachable pockets
In the same practical, utilitarian spirit, the patch pockets typical of cargo trousers cropped up on other garments too: on jackets, shirts, sleeves, on chic sheer satin or tulle dresses, in oversize versions on some mini-dresses, as at Louis VuittonBlumarineSacai
6. The sheath dress
Torn between a penchant for sensuality and the need to protect themselves by covering their entire body, women will happily opt for slinky longline dresses next summer, as well as maxi skirts brushing the ground. These mermaid-style outfits in sparkling, flowing materials like satin, jersey, silk, wool and even silicone, hug and envelop the silhouette, enhancing women’s natural curves with their sinuous lines. Some of the dresses have no slits, hindering the gait. Saint Laurent notably riffed on this theme with its entire, highly praised collection.
7. Exposed breasts and skin
Last summer, designers veered in an ultra-sexy direction and they remained well on course this season, with derrière-hugging hemlines, slits up to the top of the thighs, and a slew of looks featuring sheer lingerie and alluring bodices, corsets and underwear. Not to mention the ubiquitous cut-outs, cropping up everywhere in the vast majority of garments. Summer 2023 collections are notably focusing on the chest. Off-the-shoulder dresses often give a glimpse of a breast. Bras regularly jut out of dresses, while plunging necklines leave the chest virtually bare. Not to mention bikini tops that are trimmed down to a piece of string, baring the breasts almost completely. Breasts that are often revealed beneath translucent tunics, another of next summer’s musts.
8. Crinolines and pannier dresses
Eighteenth century magnificence made a first appearance in summer 2020, and has established itself as a strong trend for next summer through voluminous dresses that burgeon from the waist to the feet. Expressing this desire for exuberance, caught between Victorian romanticism and baroque flamboyance, designers presented multi-layered crinolines in tulle, silk, satin and even denim (Christian Cowan, Act N°1, Thom BrowneGiambattista ValliAcne StudiosCecilie BahnsenLanvinLoeweRochasMonse
9. The wedding dress
Many designers wanted to celebrate the end of the pandemic with sunny, joyful collections focusing on positive feelings. Love was a central theme, symbolised by the heart, which cropped up in the patterns, embroidery and appliqué of several collections, or the word ‘love’, featured for example on a t-shirt by UndercoverMSGM
10. Sunset shades
The last hours of daylight on the beach in summer, when the setting sun’s rays turn from pale pink to yellow, orange, then bright red, before darkening into purple indigo and deep blue, have inspired more than one label. From Marni, which dedicated its entire show to this theme, to Ester ManasGCDSEtro
