The key movements and strategies for the year ahead.
Spring 2023 reflects on the key movements and strategies to focus on throughout the year ahead, driven by the designers and the high-end brands.
As we emerge from a global pandemic, unpredictability and volatility triggered by socioeconomic divides, climate disasters, and political scandals mark a year of mistrust and upheaval.
Casual Comfort.
The good news? Change is afoot, as fashion’s onus is shifting towards a new sensibility. World, meet casual comfort: the antidote to the post-pandemic fascination with uncomfortable clothing. Blame it on the free-falling economy, or what the internet dubs “recession-core”, but either way, fashion’s attempts to make comfort, well, chic, befits the unsettled collective consciousness.
Maximalist aesthetics
Without the negative environmental impact, is the key. Some consumers prioritize pleasure in a period of post-pandemic restoration. Riots-of-colors dressing promotes sensory and colorful design. Sustainability is no longer your restriction, but an opportunity to explore materials and processes in exciting new ways. The design strives to be experimental and playful without cost to the plan.
Furthermore, a shift towards temporary architecture allows for greater creative freedom of design. Designers consider the material’s end-use and how these materials can be repurposed while creating extravagant displays.
As we focus on using what is already available to us, discarded materials are made desirable as zero-waste movements create a small-scale solution-centric craft.
Revisit the Millennium
You know something’s up when Erdem, London’s purveyor of pristine, is distressing his hems. So too when flannel shirts are an object of desire courtesy of Bottega Veneta. Add to the list those logger sweaters at Max Mara, antique-floral slips at Ralph Lauren, distressed denim at Balenciaga, punky tulle at Simone Rocha, and things are reading “grunge” for spring – albeit with better hair. Before you reach for the peroxide, note the polish conferred on these looks, largely via smart heels, sleek blow dries and considered jewellery. That said, if you want to keep your Dr Martens, be our guest; the latest take on renegade fashion could do with some toughening up.
Whimsical
A joyful sense of weirdness is celebrated in entertainment, design, digital culture, and art, providing a much-needed break from the sense of darkness that has prevailed. This form of escapism- both online and offline[1]stretches the imagination through sensory immersion, bringing experimentation to the fore. Augmented realities and absurdist art form surreal experiences across virtual shows, streaming channels, and social platforms. Contemporary craftsmanship is depicted through digital art as virtual influencers shake up conventional practices within art and design. By melding tangible skills with virtual worlds, art, and fashion become more accessible and more relevant to contemporary life.