Where Milan Fashion Week usually showcases an over-the-top, sophisticated extravaganza feast, this time, it hit differently. It seemed like most creative directors took note of the current and upcoming crisis and adjusted the direction of their collections correspondingly. Never before was minimalism the predominant theme at Milan Fashion Week, but things can change even in Italy’s fashion capital. Discover the biggest Milan Fashion Week trends for fall/winter 2023 below.
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Also, read: Fashion Week schedule 2023 – an overview of all necessary information
Fashion trends Milan Fashion Week fall/winter 2023
One year ago, fashion month got overshadowed by the news of a newly declared war. A crisis was about to hit, and suddenly the exaggerated fashion felt inappropriate, even obsolete. Fast forward to 2023, it’s clear that creative directors felt fashion’s need to reflect the zeitgeist, even functioning as a much-needed barrier now and then. Even a ‘hemline index‘ has been developed through the years, indicating that hemlines go up and down along with the stock market. It made sense when stock markets went sky-high after the pandemic and hit rock bottom more recently. Whether true or total BS, the fact is that this season’s fashion collections have adapted to the current state of the world. We derived six of the most important trends.
Big belts
Seen at: Max Mara, Anteprima, Blumarine, Tod’s, Giorgio Armani
The big belt energy was felt through many collections. It’s the sense of body-hugging security one needs. Worn over big coats, or combined with modern tailoring; it’s perhaps the most sophisticated accessory of the season.
Long hemlines
Seet at: Han Kjøbenhavn, Prada, Giorgio Armani, Jil Sander, Alberta Ferretti
One of Milan Fashion Week’s biggest fashion trends has to be the elongated hemline. Where Miu Miu’s Miuccia Prada threw high eyes with her ultra mini-skirts, hemlines got more floor-sweeping lately. Copenhagen Fashion Week rang the starting gun, and many others have followed ever since.
Minimalism/back to basics
Seen at: Bottega Veneta, Max Mara, Prada, Jil Sander, Alberta Ferretti
A trend that appeared at New York Fashion Week: modern minimalism, in line with the Phoebe Philo for Céline-era. It’s a direct derivative of the current crises and zeitgeist, which creative directors were confronted with precisely a year ago. Sober times demand minimalist fashion, must be the rationale.
Firemen red
Seen at: Gucci. Bottega Veneta, Prada, Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini
While at a first glance, the color has nothing to do with the minimalism (counter) trend, it has. Red reflects strength and resistance, subconsciously inspiring the wearer to take action. Colors are powerful; they can elevate a mood and inspire the wearer and their surroundings. Red is the color of victory, of success, of domination. Therefore, the choice of the deliberating color is a no-brainer for the current season.
Leather
Seet at: Tod’s, MM6 Maison Margiela, Bottega Veneta, Prada
Last season, Bottega Veneta’s Matthieu Blazy fooled everyone with his trompe l’oeil ‘jeans’ crafted from leather. This season, he didn’t disappoint, and many other fashion houses were with him. Leather dominated (as usual) at Tod’s, but also MM6 Maison Margiela elevated its leather game with daring ensembles, whereas Prada took it down a notch.
Layering
Seen at: MM6 Maison Margiela, Bottega Veneta, Tod’s, Max Mara
The one way to stay warm during winter? Enter layering, a styling trick Scandinavian women swear by. MM6 Maison Margiela, Bottega Veneta, and many others took notes, so layering has become one of the biggest Milan Fashion Week trends for fall/winter 2023. Whereas layering in the Nordics has a functional aspect, this is entirely left behind in Italy. After all, they don’t even need it most of the year. And so, fashion, again, is all about form over function.
