Fashion Studio Magazine: FASHION GUIDE

By Lisa Doherty

2023 Spring/Summer Trends

Global Runway Edition

Photos courtesy of Rakuten Fashion Week, ModaLisboa, SA Fashion Week

Portugal - South Africa - Japan

Fashion in 2023 is projected to be the year of combining edgy futuristic fashion with classical art and patterns. From dystopian future to utopian fantasy, there is a trend for everyone. Gone are the days of a single trend hitting the runway, and the spring/summer collections unveiled all over the world proved just that.

Regardless of colour, pattern or print, evolving body positivity was the whole mood of fashion weeks around the world, celebrating the human body both inside and out, irrelevant of shape or form.

Some of the most popular, eye catching trends included voluminous dresses, highlighting an exaggerated hourglass shape. Think Marie-Antoinette resurrected. Burlesque evening and outerwear, deluxe couture and embroidered denim, and print patterns with an emphasis on environment and sustainability all took centre stage. A pleasant surprise, was the new yet old artistic twist of showcasing old master paintings, and classic sculptures on prints and monochromatic pieces.

Lever Couture (Photo courtesy of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo)

Amanda Laird Cherry AW23 (Image by Eunice Driver Photography | Official SA Fashion Week Runway Photographer)

Duarte, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Kolovrat, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Houga (Photo courtesy of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo)

Valentim Quaresma, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

MUNKUS AW23 (Image by Eunice Driver Photography | Official SA Fashion Week Runway Photographer)

Must Haves

Under or over sheer lingerie including corsets, bras and slip dresses dominated the runways from New York to Milan. Matching crop sets, shoulder ruffles, and mini-skirts all made several welcomed appearances, highlighting feminine energy at its core.

Dino Alves, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Maria Do Carmo Studio, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Luís Buchinho, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Perhaps the most fashion forward, must-have trend is the evolving “Loose Look”. Slouchy pants, loose suits and relaxed fit jumpsuits seem to be the forecasted energy for the upcoming decade. Pyjamas as a daytime uniform may be the trend we have all been waiting for.

MUNKUS AW23 (Image by Eunice Driver Photography | Official SA Fashion Week Runway Photographer)

Ricardo Andrez, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Kolovrat, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Image by bristekjegor on Freepik

Image by master1305 on Freepik

Colours of 2023

Barbie Pink, orange crush, mellow yellow, green to symbolize nature and healing, bright shades of blue and purple, latte and espresso specifically with leather were at the forefront of almost every collection hitting the runway. Leather can be the perfect statement piece to add to any outfit, especially with leather waistcoats. Looking stylish and sleek at the same time can really level up your outfit as we head into the colder seasons. All designers embraced the full spectrum of colours, centred on previous popular hues from 2022, but with a twist.

Nuno Baltazar, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Luís Buchinho, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Darya Fesenko, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Photo: Pexels

Nuno Baltazar, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Carlos Gil, ModaLisboa Oasis (Photo by Ugo Camera)

Image by user15285612 on Freepik

A Spectrum of Accessories

Not one, but many larger-than-life accessories hit the spring/summer 2023 runways, highlighting an array of both vintage and futuristic trends. Clear plastics for both hair accessories and heels were the most prominent yet neutral attraction, accenting almost every look.

Large, heavy metal earrings were dominating the dystopian collections. This exaggerated accessory was also on trend with street style looks, demonstrating that over-sized metallic earrings have already hit closets across the globe. The bigger the earrings, the better.

A modern take on woven, neutral-coloured bags, the lady bag, and the squash bag in all colours, were accenting the future of handbags. Most notably, for all accessories, green seemed to be the most popular and sought-after colour of all 2023 for accessories.