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Fall/Winter 23 fashion shows: one striking commonality

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Is it still about hundreds of outfits at each fashion show?

Fall/Winter 23 fashion shows moved from New York, London, Milano, and Paris; now waiting for Tokyo.

All the brands showed their new collections in different towns. But there is something that connects each brand, one striking commonality: hundreds of new outfits at every fashion show. Every single season, the fashion narrative repeats itself. Undeterred.

Fall/Winter 23 trends

Hyper-feminine or androgynous style. Well-defined silhouettes, knit dresses, and maxi coats. Black & white, mixed with vibrant colours: red, yellow, green. And touches of gold, too. Also, precious embroideries enriched the garments.

Above all, designers tried to imbue a sense of timelessness in their clothes. Which, from a sustainable perspective, makes sense. And a distinctive quality as if they needed to reposition in their higher market segment, sweeping up the confusion that made everything look the same.

So, quality and timelessness. But is it enough to trace a significant shift? It seems brands keep on celebrating the power of their corporations-owned businesses. Are they satisfied? Or can they see the big picture?

Always from that same sustainable perspective, since all Maisons have people in charge of sustainable practices, why do brands show so many pieces?

Do we still need hundreds of outfits to understand a collection?

Fashion & sustainability

Given the state of our planet, which is full to the brim of garbage, any kind of it, including tons of fashion waste polluting lands and waters, perhaps it was time to make a real change.

Hundreds of new outfits every season would be sustainable as trillions of new electric cars produced to replace the existing ones. A joke! If we follow this reasoning, the logic of green capitalism, we fail.

Other than just making new clothes, modern fashion design should have an evolved purpose: a commitment towards sustainability. Unsurprisingly, there was no trace of it from the Fall/Winter 23 fashion shows.

In fact, there’s no understanding and no real interest in supporting sustainability.

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The fashion month: a step backward

What did you expect from the SS23 fashion shows?

The fashion month is over, and the idea of changing it vanished among global hysteria.

From NY, London, Milano and Paris, the Spring/ Summer 23 runways favoured the physical format plus streaming. But some brands opted to reveal the digital version later, not without leaving a certain perplexity. Because this way of looking for an angle, being the cool ones who pull themselves out, seemed more like a step backwards in a digital era.

However, there were so many outfits on the runways, most of which were ugly and just a few interesting concepts. And stealing designs, now the norm killed brands’ identity. But if you expected a different approach, you would be disappointed. The wind of change, so much discussed during the last two years, is gone. Disappeared. Evaporated!

The industry is back to normal!

And in case you were one of those afraid of a back to normal during the pandemic, there we are! Totally there! 100% there! The countless number of outfits put together in every show was impressive. Such an endless overconsumption pattern has nothing to do with change. And nothing to do with sustainability.

Furthermore, one of the most popular shows sent out a model in underwear, and then someone sprayed on her body. From an engineering viewpoint, it can be interesting, even if McQueen did it first in Spring 99. But it doesn’t seem to be sustainable. Indeed the material sprayed contains plastic, so it sounds like they are promoting single-use plastic.

Even though facts did not correspond to words, all the big groups claim the sustainability umbrella.

Fashion lacks consistency

The fashion industry seems like an enormous bandwagon with no courage or maybe no real will to change. And the reason is simple. Changing the pattern leads to degrowth, which means lower budgets. And so, lower profits.

But if brands are so interested in showing their sustainable standards, why was there no trace of it in their fashion shows? Do we still believe that using a sustainable material or building an eco-friendly atelier makes a brand sustainable? No, it only builds up a facade.

As revealed through this fashion month, this industry, which relies on a polluting and exploiting system, has no intention to change.

So please, forget all the talks you may have heard in the last two years! Industry players just had a reactive moment because they worried about losing everything. Now that the fear is gone, so is the will to change!

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Health protection or work

What comes first?

The priority between health and work in a pandemic is a delicate matter. And finding balance is a real challenge. Governments that have protected the economy have put lives at risk. Vice versa, those who have defended lives have destroyed the economy.

Today, Giorgio Armani cancels the next Milano and Paris men’s and couture fashion shows scheduled for January. Health protection is a priority for him.

During the festivities, when people travel everywhere, this decision may sound too strong.
However, this news was the chance to look into something we already wanted to analyse. Indeed, it’s our practice to start from fashion and jump into a broader picture. That includes society, human interactions and all the multiple fields related.

Personal satisfaction: the selfish choice

On the plate, we have a pandemic in opposition to health, work, and personal life satisfaction.
The decision, taken because of the raising of Covid cases, is impactful. The fact that people travel and amass must be related to the number of the infected.

Following Armani’s logic, we wonder: if we cannot work, how come we travel?
Considering the high percentage of people moving, before and during the Christmas holidays, we can conclude that life has meaning only if they travel. No travel corresponds to an empty life.

People like talking about sustainable matters but still travel compulsively. Also, gather in flocks. Yes, we’ll probably cry later. But, should we think about the consequences of our actions? We are not that smart.

Change: health vs work

If not even a pandemic led people to change, it’s hard to imagine what would make it possible.
Though the idea of sacrifice for common well-being is unreal, the concept of sacrifice – in general – is dead. Only the individual counts, his own satisfaction, and nothing else around. The egoistic attitude prevails.

Besides, it’s interesting to notice that we live in the metropolis, but we can’t wait to run away anytime possible.
We’re not saying we have to deny our life’s satisfaction. On the contrary, finding alternatives to bring about meaning in our lives is a conscious choice. And perhaps, moving out of the big cities is a value-added option for a healthy lifestyle.
By the way, we agree with King Giorgio. Health comes first!

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Decoding the sexy trend

From New York to Milano and Paris runways, the sexy trend was one of the most prominent themes for next Spring/Summer 22.

Cut-out tops and pants, catsuits, ultra-mini skirts, mid-riff – covering the body just enough and leaving little to the imagination. If still there’s something to imagine, considering the quality of images shared on social media. In that context, the appreciation of freedom stops at the possibility of showing themselves naked.

Ironically, we first wondered if designers knew that, during the pandemic, people put on weight. But don’t feel sad, if you want to wear your catsuit you have about four months to get in perfect shape!

However, keeping irony aside, let’s analyse the meaning of the style proposal that came out as the designers’ favourite.

Fashion journalists reported this trend as an expression of joy, a celebration for a much-awaited return to social life. After more than a year in lockdown, people mainly wore jumpsuits or pyjamas. Now they are eager to enjoy dinners and parties. So the night out mood is on.

SS22: the sexy trend and its meaning

Although we understand the desire for sociality, we believe the sexy trend hides a much different motivation. The way a designer can portray evening style doesn’t necessarily imply promoting a hooker outfit.

We disagree with this pre-packed story. And so, we try to see it from a different socio-cultural-economic perspective.

We read the sexy trend as the trite vision of a woman dressed up to have a hold on a man. Does it sound new to you? To us, it seems so status quo.

It is old as the story of the universe. And, what’s more? It sells!
Indeed marketers use sex to sell everything. Furthermore, at this specific moment, the urgent need is to make money to cover the economic losses caused by the pandemic. Money, easy and fast.

So, here you are, served with the sexy doll. The same old perpetuated stereotype. As the most accessible short-term benefit.

What a breath of fresh air, we might say!

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