If London Fashion Week is any indication, next season’s styles are about to be some of the most interesting yet. Most notably, the newcomers. From Di Petsa’s ethereal Grecian draping, oozing with sensuality and mysticism, to Talia Byre’s fun and flirty take on tailoring, the future of British fashion is in safe hands.
Itching to get your hands on a piece of LFW right now? Scroll on to discover and shop the top six fall 2023 trends spotted on the runways, from feather trims to delicate body charms.
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Feathers
This season, designers want fun, fantasy and frivolity, and how better to capture the mood than with feathers? Froths of the stuff were spotted everywhere: adorning coats at David Koma, trimming Old Hollywood starlet dresses at Annie’s Ibiza, sprouting off models like bizarre birds of paradise at Richard Quinn, wrapped around models’ necks as Harry Styles-esque boas at JW Anderson, and in peplum-like pouffes at 16Arlington. So how do you take this fanciful trend and adapt it for everyday wear? The answer is statement accessorizing: feathered bags, scarves and shoes to elevate even the simplest of outfits. Just watch out for car doors and escalators.
Jeffrey Campbell Chauffeur Sandal, $, available at Revolve
Urban Outfitters UO Faux Fur Scarf, $, available at Urban Outfitters
Mango Feathers Bag, $, available at MangoPhoto by Eamonn McCormack/BFC/Getty Images.
Pointed shoes
Gone are the days of round toes and solid, squared-off soles peeking out from under our jeans. In 2023, it’s all about the pointed shoe, whether you opt for something classic (T-bar pumps like Eudon Choi or ankle-strap sandals like Huishan Zhang) or go a little more daring (thigh-high vinyl leather like David Koma or colorblock boots like 16Arlington). Witchy associations aside, we’re excited for the leg-lengthening opportunities ahead. Best foot forward!
Parfois Patent Finish Slingback High Heel Shoes, $, available at Parfois
DUNE LONDON Object Cream Stiletto-Heel Sock Boots, $, available at Dune London
Ted Baker Teyma Geometric Heel Pointed Court Shoes, $, available at Ted BakerPhoto by Lia Toby/BFC/Getty Images.
Chain belts and body charms
The chain belt has been on our radar for a couple of seasons now but for fall 2023 it’s not just our waists getting the jewelery treatment. Greek designer Di Petsa did it best in her LFW debut, looping delicate chains around models’ midriffs and legs, draping beaded shawls from their arms and layering beaded bonnets over their heads. We even spotted blood-like droplets cascading from one model’s mouth. Elsewhere, designers used everything from abstract female figures (Nensi Dojaka) to slices of crystal (Conner Ives), embellished medallions (David Koma) and odds-and-ends trinkets (Erdem) to adorn the waist. Perhaps the most unusual iteration of the trend was seen at Fashion East, where Standing Ground encircled models’ bodies with luminous beads and snakelike coils.
CouCouLouFou Turquoise Chain Belt, $, available at Etsy
Zara Heart Chain Belt, $, available at Zara
Free People Calista Crystal Belt, $, available at Free PeoplePhoto by Kate Green/BFC/Getty Images.
Big, big and bigger bags
We noticed this trend first at Paul Costelloe, SS Daley, David Koma and Eudon Choi: designers favoring big bags over small, sending models down the runway with them scrunched up under their arms. By the time we saw Mowalola‘s bold leather hobo bags, Simone Rocha‘s pillowy clutches, JW Anderson‘s souped-up totes in neon colorways and Mithridate‘s enormous bags — almost half the size of the models carrying them! — we knew we were on to a winner. It’s not surprising. COVID lockdowns called time on the teeny-tiny, going out micro bag, and the subsequent return to the office sparked a need for practical, carry-all accomplices. Besides, functional fashion always booms amid an economic downturn.
ASOS DESIGN Oversized Padded Tote Bag, $, available at ASOS
OlenaMolchanova Yellow Leather Clutch Extra Large, $, available at Etsy
Vince Aesther Ekme Mini Sac, $, available at VincePhoto by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.
Dresses over trousers
We saw it at New York Fashion Week and the dress-over-trousers trend continued to reign supreme in London. The trick here, as demonstrated by Conner Ives and Richard Quinn, is to pick a dress or tunic with movement — ruffles, say, or volume — to create some differentiation between top and bottom (and to stop yourself drowning in fabric). Or follow 16Arlington and Molly Goddard‘s lead and opt for a sheer material like tulle.
Marques ‘ Almeida Asymmetric Ruffled TENCEL Midi Dress, $, available at Net-A-Porter
Intimately | Free People Keep Me Up Maxi, $, available at Free People
NBD Bellisima Dress, $, available at RevolvePhoto by Kate Green/BFC/Getty Images.
Business casual
Maybe it was 2022’s full and final return to the office, but work attire — think suits, ties and waistcoats — was everywhere this season. Even designers known for stripping things back, like Nensi Dojaka, whose background is in lingerie design, offered up blazers.
Each designer presented their own vision for the future of workwear. JW Anderson and Edward Crutchley played with proportions via exaggerated collars and extreme sleeves, Roksanda offered clashing, color-pop brights, Ahluwalia went bold with ’70s-inspired sets, Molly Goddard‘s tailoring was softer and more cardigan-like, and Bora Aksu turned out lace-edged suits. At Conner Ives, it was relaxed and sexy — one model sported a tie look that resembled a Serena van der Woodsen take on school uniform — while at Erdem, barely controlled puffs of fabric escaped at the seams of straitlaced suiting. Elsewhere, David Koma pieced together his suits with cascades of tulle and tutu ruffles.
It was Natasha Zinko who really took the cake, playing with ’80s silhouettes and comic book superhero imagery to create a dystopian take on the return to the office. In her world, a tussle for a spot on the commuter train or afternoon budget meeting sees models dishevelled in torn and tattered suits, Clark Kent-style glasses shattered and slipping off their faces, a desk-bound fury turning them Hulk-green.
Karen Millen Tailored Cropped Blazer, $, available at KAREN MILLEN
Free People Vaughn Velvet Tie, $, available at Free People
The Frankie Shop WEDNESDAY BELTED PLEATED SKIRT, $, available at The Frankie ShopPhoto by Matthew Horwood/BFC/Getty Images.
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