It might not exactly feel to great numbers of us in the UK that the spring has fully “sprung” yet. Certainly, conditions during March have continued to be all too February-ish at times, forcing us to keep on those thick jumpers for longer than we would have ideally liked.
Still, with the spring-summer 2023 fashions having racked up some serious mileage on the catwalks by now, we have a good vantage point for identifying some of the trends that your wardrobe – and those of your target audiences – ought to heed in the months ahead.
Let’s take you through them.
The rise (again) of the mini dress
The spring and summer months tend to be when many of us gradually abandon the layers and allow ourselves some seductively skin-baring moments.
And there aren’t too many finer ways of doing that than donning a mini dress, which – as demonstrated by this season’s runways – also presents a lot of scope for doing interesting things with texture. At Givenchy, for example, that meant pearl embellishments, whereas Versace came up with shiny velvet chromes, which were attention-grabbers that also offered no shortage of class.
Overdoing it on the sequins earlier than usual
Fair enough, “overdoing it” is possibly putting it in too-strong terms, but we mean indulgence in only the very best ways. It has been noticeable from recent catwalks that many a designer is of the persuasion that we shouldn’t be waiting until December to declare the onset of “sequin season”.
Intriguingly, however, for spring-summer ’23, it seems that said sequins have brought their glitz and glamour on backdrops of softer and lighter colour palettes – just look at the many examples from the likes of 16Arlington, Nensi Dojaka, and Huishan Zhang.
Making denim sexy
Would you associate denim with sultriness? Even if you don’t, quite a few designers have been showing on the spring-summer ’23 catwalks that it can be done with some aplomb.
Just consider such examples as Bella Hadid’s Givenchy buckle bra, and A.W.A.K.E.’s hippyish, but glamorous combination of asymmetric fitted shirts and soft brown co-ords.
Cobalt and cerulean blues
If it feels like in recent times, we have been subject to an abundance of fuchsia and Barbiecore pink trends, we have already seen from the runways for the coming months that blue looks set to be a defining hue of 2023.
Punchy takes on blue are making a welcome comeback, as exhibited by high-impact offerings from the likes of Alexander McQueen, David Koma, and Cecile Bahnsen. It is an aesthetic that makes sense for many a wardrobe, not least on the basis of how well it works alongside more ‘neutral’ shades.
Glam utility
After all the tumult and uncertainty of the last few years – within and outside the fashion sphere – we’re all frankly exhausted, and eager to get things done. This might help explain why so many of us seem drawn lately to a certain sense of utility in our aesthetics – functionality rather than conventional attractiveness – albeit with more than a dose of throwback glam, too.
Yes, the stylists are referencing Y2K with this trend, which has manifested in such nostalgia-inducing offerings as sheer cargo pants, low-slung belted skirts, and satin jumpsuits. And it’s a look that isn’t too difficult to implement – one might simply put on a boiler suit, bring their zip down to the navel, and add a sharp set of heels, in order to quickly rock the “glam utility” vibe.
What are the tendencies and trends that you have observed on the spring-summer runways, and could they inform the decisions you make for your own high-end brand’s growth? Whatever you’re thinking, our professionals in digital strategy, the blockchain, and fashion website development – to name just a few of our areas of expertise – could help you turn it all into real-world impact.
Simply reach out to the Skywire London team now, by email or over the phone, to learn more about the possibilities for how we could work together.