Thanks 2022, we laughed a lot – next time! As always, stylists have already walked from New York to Paris this year to work out what could make her go big.
Trend forecaster WGSN’s next year report explains that cost of living will be the biggest shaper. Advice to designers? “Versatility means value for today’s cash-strapped customers.”
With clothes, that doesn’t have to be depressing. From smart clothing that offers new technologies to keep you warm, smart colors to keep you in style, and investment pieces you can sell for a profit, there are new ways to get more out of your clothing. Elsewhere, getting stronger is involved – think ultra-protective bombers and large jewellery. Here’s what you should bet for next year:
moving gradient
Infrared, flamboyant shaded sweaters are fast rising to It-knit status. You may have seen Kylie Jenner on Instagram wearing Y/Project’s ombré blue, red, and yellow mixed-knit dress and ski mask lounging from head to toe. Companies like London brand AGR, Acne Studios, and even Desigual are making refreshingly wearable electric, multicolored sweaters. LA labels Madhappy and ERL are front runners in matching tracksuits on Venice Beach sunset palettes. Think cottage but comfortable.
bedroom baby
Flamboyant satin dresses with lace trim have been a mainstay on the red carpet since 1996, when Princess Diana wore the navy blue Galliano number at the Met Gala. But 2023 sees new styles to take off. Florence Pugh supported soft peach versions of Valentino and Rodarte at the London Film Festival and BFI Awards, respectively, last year, while JW Anderson made them asymmetrical and Burberry’s came in as crumpled minis for their SS23 collection. These dressing gowns are also booming online: #Slipdress has 131.1 million TikTok views and #boudoir has 1.8 billion. “Delicate layers of precious fabrics and lace details were big for the SS23,” says Liane Wiggins, head of womenswear at Matches Fashion. “Wear them for the evening, pair them with a tee and ballet shoes in the spring, or with round necklines and boots in the colder months.”
high flying technology
2023 is the year to demand more from our clothing – as frugality grows, multifunctional, smart clothing offers more bang for your buck. AlphaTauri launched its second, updated collection of heated pods in October. Start with the self-heating vest whose temperature is controlled using your phone or the dial on the inner jacket. Another tempting find is LabFresh’s anti-odour, stain-resistant white liners (check out TikTok for customers who threw red wine at them as proof). Mother Oxford makes shirts and dresses for women that do not fall apart alike. Every wash cycle is important.
The return of skinny jeans
Don’t scream. Celine’s SS23 demonstration notes opened ominously: “The Saint-Tropez collection marks the return of the ‘original skinny jeans.” It may be a tough pill to swallow, but if there’s anything to do on the runways, spray paint jeans of the Noughties Topshop variety are making a comeback. “We’ve seen a huge comeback as the Nineties and Noughties references continue to impact the podiums,” says Matches’ Liane Wiggins. At London Fashion Week in September, cool girl brand KNWLS acid-washed hers and newcomer Stefan Cooke arrived adorned with ribbon, while Japanese style authorities Comme Des Garçons Homme Plus and Junya Watanabe took to the runway with skinny men on their last runway. We hope you kept the old ones.
very rare vintage
As the cost of living continues to rise, investment items that pay off are poised to explode. “Re-trade is becoming a reliable source of secondary income,” confirms WGSN. Used sites like Vestiaire, Depop, and start-up Finds allow you to buy items you previously loved with the assurance that you can resell them for the same or similar price — remember, better-known labels retain their value. Search for high-end vintage collectibles by Iris Law, who wore the AW07 Comme des Garçons archive to the 2022 Fashion Awards. There is a museum worthy of Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, Portabello’s One of a Kind and Rellik offer more wearable options and sites such as Grailed, Sea.Lam Archive and La Nausée have Margiela’s, Gaultier’s and McQueen’s.
Vivienne Westwood
The death of the glamorous woman of punk fashion on December 29 shook the industry. Numerous articles and Instagram posts that followed reaffirmed the indelible imprint it left on style. Many rummaged through wardrobes to post their clothes marked with archival globes online; now when they reappear, they will be worn as a badge of honor. The tributes will definitely come during February’s fashion month, and Westwood’s signature corsets and plaids will definitely fill the red carpets for the commemoration.
egg layers
Of course I hear you groan, we’ve done everything we can to reinvent the puffer jackets. Wrong, says Johnathan Anderson of Loewe. The newest version sounds leathery, bulbous, and (after all) sexy. Expect to see more stand out alongside puffed, padded jackets from the same family: Arket, 66 North and Diesel have great alternatives.
heavy equipment
The sun set on the elegant stacks of chains that tangled in the time it took to unlock a phone. This year, necklaces with which you can lock your bike are preferred; Everyone from Isabel Marant to COS is on this path. Libby Page, director of markets at NET-A-PORTER, noticed that particularly bulky, gold styles were taking hold. Padlocks and keys are the must-know microtrend in the field, launched by Givenchy with the takeover of Matthew Williams at AW20, with Dua Lipa championing this festive season. Mulberry makes more elegant curls, while Tom Ford attaches them to his shoe straps. WGSN suggests that “this detail makes it an option for upcycling, where pieces of old metal can be reused as talismans.” To the garage!
Open ginger everything
Pantone’s 2023 color is flashy Viva Magenta, while WGSN chose a warm Digital Lavender. I’d be wary of both – pick one that will last all year and much more. “Light ginger pairs well with creams and whites, while black is a strategic option as it loses preference to neutral colors every year,” says WGSN. Parisian chic pale brown coats, wide-leg trousers and cashmere cardigans are in vogue. Georgia Medley, fashion editor of Elle UK, agrees. “The colors of the season for SS23 are beige and camel.”
Dress up (your avatar) to impress
Snap Inc released a study in October, revealing that about 75 percent of social app users will use Augmented Reality regularly by 2025, and fashion continues to weigh in on it. H&M launched a Metaverse collection modeled by US supermodel Kristen McMenamy, M&S introduced AI influencer Mira, and Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen made gowns crafted from pixels. 2023: The year we devote to cyber clothes?