Last week saw the start of New York Fashion Week. Here, we’re diving into the fall/winter 2023 collections of Christian Siriano, Eckhaus Latta, Rodarte, AREA, Helmut Lang, and Jason Wu.
Courtesy of Christian Siriano.
A midnight stroll in the rose garden of Audrey Hepburn was the conceptual focal point that informed Christian Siriano’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection. Old-age glamor with a contemporary spin was in crisp silhouettes with soft, eye-catching details like statement ruffles, textural juxtapositions, ruching and drapery, and, of course, the recurring motif of the rose—appearing in large, fluffy fabric iterations, as appliques, and making up prints, as well as in lush arrangements that lined the runway during the presentation. Black, white, magenta, and flashes of gold and yellow colors carried throughout the presentation, bringing us looks that pulled from classic suiting (like blazer dresses in checkerboard jacquard and little black dresses with silken tuxedo pockets and details) and dresses worthy of film icons like Ms. Hepburn herself—including a fit and flair gown with a wide-brimmed hat and a split silhouette featuring one side in black and sheer flowery pattern and the other with white gathered fabric.
Eckhaus Latta Fall/Winter 2023 collection, photo by Madison Voelkel.
The Eckhaus Latta collection was filled with opposing details, unexpected textures, and elements that suggested they were informed by unique points of origin—all making up silhouettes that are intended for those who find no fear in standing out. There were shearling furs, painted and coated denim, sheer mesh, glossy PVC material, mohair, and soft jersey knits; colors were varied and included neutrals, black, and gray, as well as more standout hues like an olive green and a couple of looks in bright bubblegum pink. Silhouettes were supple and nonchalant, though didn’t shy away from highlighting the body through details like large keyhole cutouts, asymmetric hemlines, see-through materials, and seams with peekaboo patches of skin. Standout looks included a fur tank and colorful jeans with platform shoes, a gray boxy ensemble with black zipper seams that left openings at the breast of the jacket, and a dress in black that appeared as though it had been fashioned from a butcher’s apron.
Courtesy of Rodarte.
The dreamy world of Rodarte looked to the darker side of fantasy for its Fall/Winter 2023 debuts, revealing the garments in a set that looked like a stately dining room where everything was made of glittered silver. Suggestions of Tim Burton and The Addams Family Values swam in our minds as the looks unfolded, beginning with a suite of all-black dresses with long flowing sleeves, á la Morticia Addams. While the color palette was a great departure from recent seasons, where we’ve seen looks with an airy, effeminate whimsy, the ethereal silhouettes we’ve come to expect remained fully intact. There were silken bias cuts with opera gloves and large lace collar overlays, Victorian puffed sleeves on fitted gowns in beaded lace, slip dresses with veils, and a series of large bonnets covered in ruffles and fabric flowers. Following the all-black looks, the runway erupted with color, resulting in a more lighthearted gothic effect, pairing batwings and animation-style prints with flowing robe silhouettes, rainbow fringes, and tactile, multicolored knits. Models were each styled with sharp black eye makeup, black lipstick, and accessories like top hats, bonnets, bat wing ear cuffs, and crown-like headpieces.
Courtesy of AREA.
Electing to introduce its Spring/Summer 2023 collection this week, AREA’s debut titled “Fabulous Fruits” toyed with the symbolism of abundance, vitality, and youthfulness, also noting the life cycle of decay and death that occurs with these facets. A literal interpretation of the title saw the collection filled with a bountiful harvest of grapes, bananas, and watermelons, becoming motifs through artful embroideries, embellishments with crystals, and even metalwork, employing a vivacious palette ranging from bright tie-dyes to pale yellows and all-over black styles. The famous banana skirt worn by Josephine Baker informed a suite of garments like the brand’s own banana skirt and a barely-there configuration of golden-tipped bananas that covered the entire body. The watermelon appeared quite literally—we’re thinking of a sculptural couture-esque dress made of two wedges of the fruit—and more subtly, in looks in green and pink, like a lace bodysuit or a bikini top and miniskirt with a showgirl attitude. Meanwhile, there were avant-garde silhouettes embroidered with tiny grapes and covered in feathers, as well as configurations of baubles alluding to the spheric fruit—like a model dawning a black brief bottom and covered in an ornate web of glossy black grape-like vines. The collection also featured a collaboration of footwear with Sergio Rossi, which saw each model wearing shoes like a pair of thigh-high sandals with a cage of feathers up the leg or a black strappy heel with a crystal ribbon.
Courtesy of Helmut Lang.
Helmut Lang’s Fall/Winter 2023 collection debuted within a collaborative exhibition by the artist Antwaun Sargent titled “COWBOY,” both presented within Hannah Traore Gallery. The point of departure for the collection was the house’s 2004 t-shirt design, which saw the world “cowboy” printed stylistically backward and inside out. Focused on the juxtapositions of utility and flamboyance that are common within cowboy dress codes, the collection centered straightforward silhouettes with minimal styling, elevated western influences, and frequent use of leather and sturdy, work-worthy materials. This combination yielded looks like a khaki pant and jacket set, styled with a matching overcoat with shearling-detailed sleeves and sparkly heels; leather skirts with cowboy boots; various forms of suiting that replaced the classic necktie with bolo ties, work jackets seen with miniskirts, a suite of fluid knits and dresses, and the occasional cow-printed garment. On view through February 23 following the end of New York Fashion Week, Sargent’s accompanying exhibition features works of his own alongside those by the likes of Devin B. Johnson, Daniel Obasi, and American Artist, which explore facets of cowboys and western culture from the negative to the positive, including implications of the great migration, the cowboy as a staple of American culture, and also the less-commonly explored figure of the Black cowboy.
Courtesy of Jason Wu.
The botanical photographs of the German sculptor and photographer Karl Blossfeldt served as inspiration for designer Jason Wu when conceiving his Fall/Winter 2023 collection. Where Blossfeldt’s images were precise and objective (depicting up-close, detailed images of living entities against solid backdrops) the designs captured the fragility of the flora and the style in which they were photographed—simple, beautiful, and even a little mysterious. Wu tuned into the hourglass figure, emphasizing its curves in silhouettes that borrowed and deconstructed pieces of menswear suiting, pairing those elements with the recurrence of transparency and pliant, fluid fabrics. The collection’s 40 styles focused on dresses and gowns, with the inclusion of some silhouettes featuring ultra-wide-legged trousers. In addition to the prominent use of black, there was the inclusion of hues like a soft nude, scarlet red, gold, and rust. Looks we’re still thinking about include a blazer dress with a structured folded skirt and flowery lace visible under the sleeves and at the neck; a series of pieces in diaphanous silk chiffon with an overlay made of tiny straps; and an off-the-shoulder draped gown with a cut-out at the side and Mary Jane heels with tiny bows.
