Following six packed days of shows, surprise celebrity cameos, and the world’s most cutting-edge designers transforming city landmarks into whimsical backdrops for their latest work, another New York Fashion Week is now in the books. There was hardly a dull moment: Lindsay Lohan popped into Christian Siriano to watch siblings Ali and Cody Lohan walk the rose-embellished runway, Julia Fox was an almost-daily regular, and blockbuster music stars including Lil Nas X, Sam Smith, and Ice Spice turned heads everywhere they went, to name only a few.
Fantasy and nostalgia defined many of the Fall/Winter 2023 collections, from Dion Lee’s hyper-chic rave wear to Richie Rich’s three-part homage to bohemian rock and roll and ‘90s club culture. Elsewhere, Rodarte turned the Williamsburgh Savings Bank into a vampiric banquet hall complete with silver candelabras and glittering fruits, while the Shed became the site of an intergalactic plane crash for Thom Browne. Fashion Week spared no theatricality this time around, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
With all the noteworthy shows, looks, and faces that a single Fashion Week brings, it’s nearly impossible to take stock of them all. Below, we round up some of our favorite moments and collections that we were lucky enough not to miss this season.
Christian Siriano
Christian Siriano had Audrey Hepburn on his mind for his early show at Gotham Hall. Inspired by Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn, a documentary series Hepburn did with Michael York in the ‘90s, florals were printed onto figure-hugging dresses that ballooned into skirts reminiscent of lush bouquets, embellished large hats, or were sewn into the garments themselves. Lindsay Lohan, Julia Stiles, and Quinta Brunson watched the dreamlike presentation from the front row.
Rodarte
Gothic opulence defined the Rodarte show on Fashion Week’s first official day. Models were styled with heavy black eyeliner and black lipstick as they debuted the latest collection from Rodarte sister-duo Kate and Laura Mulleavy, which heavily featured floor-length gowns of satin and lace complete with dramatic capes, ruffles, and sequins. The Mulleavys, who worked on the costumes for Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, brought similar gorgeously macabre inspiration to their Fall/Winter ‘23 line.
Thom Browne
Model and fashion muse Debra Shaw, wearing a patchwork jumpsuit with ballooned sleeves and sculpted shoulders, was the pilot of a crashed propeller plane that acted as the centerpiece of Thom Browne’s wholly immersive showcase. A fully realized theatrical narrative told through several groups dressed in the designer’s latest (“Two lost travelers meet…one has traveled far and wide across this planet…one has traveled farther”), the designer and CFDA chairman effectively reminded his audience of fashion’s ability to bewitch and transcend.
Christian Cowan
A favorite of New York’s party scene and queer communities, Christian Cowan is known for his pieces that celebrate flashy, unapologetic camp. This time around, the designer channeled the glitz and glam of “legends who became idols of allyship,” including Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe. The sentiment was dazzlingly reflected in the show’s opener, a lavender satin suit with bulbous shoulder pads, and the show’s darker moments, one of which a look that consisted of only black trousers and an oversized veil with a feather trim.
Proenza Schouler
All eyes were on the enigmatic Chloë Sevigny as she opened Proenza Schouler in a monochrome leather ensemble that included a cinched blazer with a long leather skirt. What followed was a collection that paid characteristic homage to the “sophisticated, intellectual” woman that Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have been inspired by for the better part of two decades. “It was the first season where we made the mood board just out of headshots of the women in our lives,” McCollough said to the Associated Press after the show.
Heron Preston
After launching his eponymous label in 2017 and hosting multiple shows at Paris Fashion Week, Heron Preston finally made his NYFW debut with a line of utilitarian streetwear with a flair for the experimental. Unconventional textures manifested in leather bombers with security patches, oversized blazers with distressed detailing, furry thigh-high boots, and other men’s and womenswear pieces that highlighted Preston’s eye for meticulous edge.
Prabal Gurung
Continuing this year’s dominating theme of high-concept surrealism was Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung, whose Friday show explored the Buddhist principle of “anichya” – impermanence. “In Nepal, we talk about it all the time – what is present and how soon it can go,” he told the Associated Press at the show, where the ominous blue light reflecting off the mirror-plated runway accentuated the collection’s emerald silk organzas, red and black sheers, and other pieces that were a moodily optimistic ode to the metamorphic lifecycle of a butterfly.
LaQuan Smith
“I now own this house.” Joan Collins’ defining Dynasty line kicked off LaQuan Smith’s show at Rockefeller Center’s glitzy Rainbow Room, where model Frida Aasen then threw her shearling coat from the balcony and descended the staircase. It was an apt introduction to the collection’s driving inspiration, nostalgic Hollywood glam with a razor-sharp edge, before the audience even saw the rest. Following Aasen on the staircase were models dressed in pieces that demanded attention to their fiercely precise lines – a reversed blazer dress, dresses reworked with tuxedo lapel detailing, open-chest tops, and plenty of gorgeous cutouts.
Dennis Basso
Glamour, luxury, and confidence were the focuses of Dennis Basso’s 40th anniversary collection, which drew from the designer’s archives to build new pieces that showcased the course of his evolution. Composed of luxury daywear, bold statement gowns, and pantsuits of satin, velvet, and hand-embroidered beading, the line was equal parts a nostalgic acknowledgment of the past and an optimistic look toward the brand’s future. Though there were no slips in its expensive elegance, Basso still maintains that “the best is yet to come.”
Frederick Anderson
Frederick Anderson appealed to the woman who dares to be seen with his “Renaissance” collection, which featured deep, metallic hues and themes of freedom and boldness. Plunging necklines and halter silhouettes paired with sultry blacks, plums, and blues communicated a message of empowered femininity and managed at the same time to incorporate the sentimentality of Anderson’s recent personal history.
Vivienne Tam
Capitalizing on the growing prominence of NFTs in the high fashion world, Vivienne Tam introduced her latest collection with the first metaverse show to take place at NYFW. Titled “Weaving into the Metaverse,” Tam’s Fall/Winter ‘23 line utilized bright colors and prints to reflect the ways that visual storytelling has remained one of the most fundamental modes of interpersonal communication since humanity’s earliest days.
The Blonds
Inspired by classic films like Valley of the Dolls and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Blonds closed Fashion Week with a larger-than-life show aptly titled “Valley of the Blonds.” The collection merged Old Hollywood glam with modern, hyper-stylized camp through sequined jumpsuits, floor-length overcoats, and glittering cocktail dresses that accentuated the figures of the models strutting down the jewel-encrusted runway.
Phillip Lim
Described as “the second chapter in our New York City story,” Phillip Lim’s Fall ‘23 collection balanced a series of paradoxes – the refined with the raw, the elegant with the edgy, and the classic with the modern. Biker jackets paired with bubble skirts, prep school blazers with high-waisted paper bag shorts, and other unconventional combinations illustrated a story of an idealized New York where zip codes are merely groups of numbers rather than definitions of class.
Following the reveal, the label hosted a celebration with guests including Steph Shep, Devon Windsor, Tezza, Eva Chen, Kimora Lee Simmons, Tayshia Adams, Sai De Silva, Meredith Marks, and Untitled‘s own editor-in-chief Indira Cesarine. Photographed by Jiro Konami, the event continued the immersive nature of Phillip Lim’s work as the crowd enjoyed a live DJ set, cocktails, and viewed the collection for themselves.
Richie Rich
Defining ‘90s club kid Richie Rich debuted his new label, RICHERETTE, on Saturday at BKLYN Studios at City Point. The designer described the collection, which he debuted through a series of three acts, as “all about pop culture and fun.” Through teased hair and neon contour, the models turned the industrial space into a retro-modern Y2K bash wearing metallic jackets, asymmetrical tees, ripped fishnets, and even a sheer G-string.
New York Men’s Day
The twice-annual showcase took over three floors of an industrial building in Hudson Yards to showcase looks by 12 emerging brands. Nicholas Raefski’s “Leap of Faith” collection featured the faces of some of his heroes, including John Lennon, printed onto double-breasted overcoats, Cross Eyed Moose debuted print and texture-heavy streetwear, and Beam Ratchapol Ngaongam of Bulan made his fashion week debut with an elaborate collection of colorful knits, most of which were completed by the designer himself.
Dur Doux
Mother/daughter duo Cynthia and Najla Burt of emerging brand Dur Doux introduced a 25-design collection of shiny coppers, exuberant yellows, and bold prints inspired by the intersection of fashion and travel. Titled “Toute L’Année” – year-round/all year – the classy collection expanded on the concept of relaxed-yet-luxurious escapism through silks, printed and sequined velvets, and figure-hugging knits.
