• Celebrity
    • OTE – Meagan Good
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CONSCIOUSNESS MEET

Sign up for ESSENCE Newsletters the keep the Black women at the forefront of conversation.

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
Select the newsletters you'd like to receive:
Please select at least one option.
By clicking Subscribe Now, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • OTE – Meagan Good
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Best In Black Beauty 2023
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 Wellness House
    • 2023 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2023 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Fashion

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023

We break down the key trends, motifs, and aesthetic "cores" that you'll be wearing this fall/winter.
Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
By Shelby Ying Hyde · Updated February 23, 2023

If New York Fashion Week proved anything, it’s that designers are getting back to the fundamental basics – both through the collections they produced and the everyday moments that inspired them. From the hyper-realism of Area’s fruit frocks to a more pared-back take on the modern work wardrobe a lá Priscavera, the top trends from the Fall/Winter 2023 runways are all rooted in pragmatics. And as Afterpay’s resident Fashion Psychologist Shakailia Forbes-Bell explains, it’s simply a reflection of the times.

This shift towards sensibility comes on the heels of the industry’s affinity for “post” pandemic peacocking, think, disco-ball dressing, ankle-breaking platforms, and micro mini skirts, where fun was the focus. But this season, with most settling into their new normals – i.e., going back to the office, a lot of designers are spotlighting wearability in the form of posh coordinate sets, elevated denim, and minimal tailoring – hints of glam, like rosette details, included. Others, such as emerging designer Kate Barton are finding magic in mundane items (such as a fish in a fishbowl) and offering up literal interpretations of the images on their proverbial mood boards. 

Ahead is a list of the trends to come out of New York Fashion Week worth having on your radar. 

Top Drawer Dressing

Undergarments beyond the bedroom are nothing new – look at the rise of corsets and slip dresses (see also; skirts) as proof. But designers like Wiederhoft and Tory Burch are amping it up with contrasting takes on shapewear-inspired dresses, while Kim Shui’s lace teddies and jumpsuits offer a modern take on boudoir style. Anna Sui’s neon-colored slips have a chic yet disheveled Grey Gardens look when styled under shaggy faux furs. Both Elena Velez and Rodarte produced collections in the vein of this trend.

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
NEW YORK, USA – FEBRUARY 13: A model walks the runway during the Tory Burch Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2023-2024 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week on February 13, 2023 in NY. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Head to Toe Sequins

Though sequins aren’t the pinnacle of wearability, when paired with relaxed silhouettes in monochromatic coordinate sets, they become a lot less daunting. These two-step looks ran rampant during the fall 2023 shows in New York, with Kate Spade’s shimmering green sweatsuit leading the charge on day one at the Whitney Museum. Embodying Rodarte’s whimsical spirit, the brand’s matching embellished sets were finished with ruffled hems for a more artful approach.  

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 15: A model walks the runway during the Michael Kors Collection Fall/Winter 2023 Runway Show on February 15, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Michael Kors)

Vintage Rosettes

Thanks to fashion’s never-ending affinity for nostalgia, inklings of the ‘80s rosette resurgence have been bubbling under the surface for a few months. On the runway, the trend manifests as evening wear adornments, as seen at Christian Siriano and Carolina Herrera. Puppets and Puppets replaced traditional bodice cups with red rosette details, whereas Alejandra Alonso Rojas presented floral chokers alongside its colorful collection for the new season. 

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
NEW YORK, USA – FEBRUARY 13: Lineisy Montero walks the runway during the Carolina Herrera Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2023-2024 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week on February 13, 2023 in NY. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Hyper- Realism

For Fall/Winter 2023, there was seemingly an influx of designers that found inspiration in everyday items like food. Area sent a host of banana-themed dresses down the runway, while the first look at Maisie Wilen’s is quite literally a ‘brown paper bag’ dress. Heron Preston’s NYFW debut was a little less on the nose, though he attributes the use of barbed wire and chainmail – a nod to NYC’s personality. And the always enjoyable Collina Strada took a fauna approach, showing t-shirts with dogs on them and a lifelike fur motif throughout that’s surprisingly wearable. 

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
NEW YORK, USA – FEBRUARY 11: A model walks the runway during the Area Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week on February 11, 2023 IN NY. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The New Work Wardrobe 

If there’s one takeaway from the New York Fashion Week runways, it’s that whether you’re back in the office or not, minimal tailoring and leather suiting staples deserve a spot in your wardrobe this season. Both Brandon Maxwell and Coach’s lineup include an assortment of low-slung maxi skirts with matching jackets, and Sandy Liang leans into the laidback librarian aesthetic it’s now known for. While Priscavera offered a less buttoned-up but equally cool take on tailored separates.

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
NEW YORK, USA – FEBRUARY 14: A model walks the runway during the Brandon Maxwell Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2023-2024 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week on February 14, 2023 in NY. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Modern Goth

Much like the beauty trends from this week, fashion is being heavily influenced by gothic romanticism right now, and considering the popularity of Netflix’s Wednesday series, it makes sense. Enter stage right: Deep color stories, dramatic proportions, and a host of all-black ensembles. Adeam designer Hanako Maedea cited the punk rock music from her teenage years as a touchpoint of inspiration – the lyrics to Blink 182’s song “Miss You” are quite literally quoted in the show notes. In turn, the collection was chock full of gothic references— including dark but colorful tartan prints, puffed sleeves, and leather accessories like dramatic ruffles, long opera gloves, and corset belts. Similarly, Priscavara described its collection as “bossy gothic” with sharp tailoring and a lot of leather. 

Essence Trend Report: NYFW Fall Winter 2023
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: A model walks the runway wearing Adeam fashion during New York Fashion Week 2023 at at 548 West 22nd Street on February 12, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Check back next week as we breakdown the trends from London Fashion Week.

TOPICS:  #fashionnews Fashion month 2023 fashion trends New York Fashion Week NYFW FW 23
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now