New York Fashion Week Felt More Normal Than Ever — And That’s a Good Thing

Each year, stylists, journalists, buyers and beyond converge on New York City for runway shows galore. There, they see what’s next — a season ahead, or even further, depending on the designer. But the past few years presented a unique problem for the fashion industry, which was forced to pivot to online viewings in light of the pandemic. Spring 2023 was the first return to an in-person format, and now Fall/Winter 2023 follows suit.

Why Fashion Week Still Matters

But what does New York Fashion Week mean now, after brands realized they didn’t really need to present there? Major brands have bowed out completely, citing the dissolution of “seasons” as the reason. But rising costs are pulling the curtain on shows, too. Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Tom Ford, for example, all opted to forgo Fashion Week altogether. Marc Jacobs hosted a private showing a week before the event’s official start.

“It’s a different world,” CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Fashion Week’s governing body, Steven Kolb, told Vogue Business. “Part of the CFDA mantra is that brands should do what’s best for brands, and if they decide not to show because they are going to use that budget to create a new marketing ad campaign, or do see-now-buy-now, or open a store somewhere internationally, or their resources are limited and they aren’t showing and just doing market appointments or a presentation, it doesn’t mean they’re void of the season, it just means they’re being intelligent businesspeople, and we support that. We actually applaud it.”

While big brands can survive not showing at Fashion Week, smaller brands, on the other hand, still benefit from getting in front of thousands of influential fashion fans, who then relay what they see to their audiences. Like me, right now.

I’m not ignorant to the fact, though, that Fashion Week can feel far removed from real life. This year, though, that felt less so the case. In fact, Fashion Week felt like right now, not some faraway fairytale, even if Collina Strada’s show featured models dressed as dogs, dolphins and pigs.

Here’s what we saw, and what it means for you.

5 Trends from New York Fashion Week 2023

Real people, not just models, on the runway.

At North Carolina-based brand Raleigh Denim Workshop‘s Friday show, the pieces were designer Victor Lytvinenko’s vision of “Raleigh Denim After Dark.” When the shop closes, he explains, he tinkers with darker, more avant-garde designs. They’re still palatable, though, even if they’re meant to be more runway-friendly.

The best part of the show, though, were the “models” — friends and family members of Lytvinenko’s that made the clothes look ready for everyday wear. Whether it was his neighbor’s piano teacher or people he plucked off the street, this runway show felt real, thanks to the real people that walked it.

Suits are here to stay, but they’re evolving.

Everywhere you looked, someone was wearing a suit, even if you couldn’t quite tell it at first. Suits are here to stay, fashion week reveals, but they’re evolving — and rightfully so. (See: the Terry Singh show.) Standard blazers were paired with billowing kilts, burly workwear bottoms and even joggers.

Designers took the style to new heights but also brought it back down to Earth. In the end, it’s how you wear it, they proved.

GERARDO SOMOZA

Kids are on the come-up.

There were far more kids at these shows than in years past. No, they weren’t spoiled, courtside-sitting teens, but the children of models and designers. They were kitted in similar looks, albeit sized for them.

It’s part of a growing trend: luxury clothing for kids. It’s a little asinine, I know, but it’s not slowing anytime soon. Get ready, parents — your kids might put Gucci on their Christmas lists.

Outdoor brands want to tackle the city streets.

Bonafide outdoor brands were everywhere during Fashion Week — even on stage at the Super Bowl. Nobis and Cross Eyed Moose, which was making its Fashion Week debut, showed collections that brought traditional outdoor gear to the city streets, with sleek outerwear, performance pants and plenty of chunky-soled boots.

GQ legend, and prolific freelance stylist, Jim Moore, helped put the Nobis show together, which was quite the splash for those familiar with the name. He was on site, too, showing how one could wear an Arctic-ready, all-weather parka to work, for example.

Workwear is going wild.

Workwear is no new trend — the category’s growth over the past five years is a popular story. That being said, designers aren’t moving on from double-knee pants and Mechanics jackets. Many are making them in new materials, though: We saw a Dickies-esque zip-front jacket adorned with lace, and bottoms with hammer loops and cargo pockets appeared in almost every collection.

Raleigh Denim Workshop, for example, made suits out both canvas and denim, with hefty hardware in place of acetate or horn buttons. They were bold, but can’t they be?

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