How Fashion Week Put NYC in a Trance
A summary of the collections and themes of September 2022 New York Fashion Week
Written by Quintynn Vaughn, Fashion Staff Writer
September Fashion Week put New York City in a trance with its eclectic use of metals, animal prints and more. Designers showcased vibrant colors in their Spring 2023 collections to intentionally catch the viewers’ eyes. As Vogue celebrated its 130th anniversary, Fashion Week culminated in a fashion parade throughout the streets of Manhattan, truly capturing the essence of the heart of NYC and pop culture (Garcia-Furtado, 2022).
Tom Ford, Spring 2023
Metals were featured in countless collections throughout New York Fashion Week to reflect the rising intersection of technology and fashion. Fabrics, shoes and clothing constructed out of metal made their showstopping appearances throughout the week. The use of metals not only reflects how designers are exploring how technology can collide with the clothing we wear every day, but it also reflects fashion’s current obsession with flashy and captivating pieces that go beyond the boundaries of what was once defined as tasteful.
Dolce & Gabbana, Spring 2023
One designer this season, Tom Ford, took the idea of metallic clothing and ran with it. He dressed his models in metallic undergarments, pants and blazers. One hallmark of this hypnotizing collection was the metallic knee-high boots and stilettos in a wide range of energetic colors that were featured in every look (Phelps, 2022). These shoes tied the entire collection together while also presenting a new and hip take on the classic stiletto and knee-high boot.
Tom Ford, Spring 2023
Swiss Fashion House Bally also presented a stunning collection of pieces that utilized metallic and vibrant fabrics. In contrast to Tom Ford’s collection, which was mostly loose-fitting clothing that was meant to flow with the model, Bally’s collection featured constricted and defined pieces that had clear shapes to them (Vogue, 2022). Most looks had a blazer on top of them, and if not, most looks had a hard shoulder built into them to give each one a structured appearance. The metallic blazer, a staple piece of this collection, was presented in a range of colors. Dolce & Gabbana presented a less colorful yet silvery collection, and Bally also displayed a knee-high metallic boot––similar to Tom Ford–– demonstrating just how strongly metals have surged back into high fashion.
Bally, Spring 2023
Giorgio Armani and Off-White also displayed collections that truly encapsulated how color resurges back to life in the spring. Both collections featured vibrant blues, stark whites and bejeweled fabrics, further accentuating the hypnotizing and trancelike features of this season’s main themes (Vogue, 2022).
Off-White, Spring 2023
As New York Fashion Week concluded, Vogue put on one last show to celebrate the magazine’s long-standing presence in the fashion industry. In Manhattan's Meatpacking District, A-list celebrities, dancers, models and singers put together a parade-like show featuring Vogue’s top picks from the Fall 2022 season (Garcia-Furtado, 2022). The clothes ranged in many colors, patterns, shapes and outlines.
Serena Williams opening Vogue World 2022
The curated pieces did not present a cohesive theme; instead, the disorganized show was a statement of the vast variety of fashion themes and trends that Vogue commented on in the past 130 years. Some looks featured the same metallic themes from this past Fashion Week, while other looks were reminiscent of fashion fads of the past. Serena Williams opened the show in an all silver cloak, while Lil Nas X finished the show with a stunning performance of his top hit songs wearing only a pair of silver trousers. Vogue World and this season’s most talked about looks demonstrated the prominent trends in fashion today and tomorrow.
Lil Nas X Performing at Vogue World 2022
Sources:
Garcia-Furtado, L. (2022). Vogue World Fall 2022 ready-to-wear collection. Vogue.
Nast, C. (n.d.). Bally Spring 2023 ready-to-wear fashion show. Vogue.
Phelps, N. (2022). Tom Ford spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. Vogue.
Leitch, L. (2022). Giorgio Armani Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. Vogue.
Phelps, N. (2022). Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection. Vogue.