Notes From New York: The 7 Leading Trends to Know for Fall 2023

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Proenza Schouler, Sandy Liang, Jason Wu, Puppets and Puppets, and Tory Burch)

The fall/winter show season in New York is always smaller, but there was clearly no shortage of fashion trends and moments to track for the year ahead. Wearable dressing at Proenza Schouler! Opulence at Carolina Hererra! Redefining romanticism at Tory Burch! Boldness at Luar! This season, the runway collections had us all breathing a sigh of relief from the usual performance style of dressing we've seen from designers past. Because after all, isn't making great clothes what these shows should be all about?

The weather may have been up and down, but the city was still in full swing. Some highlights? Designers like Paloma Spain and Hellesy made swift comebacks to the city. Chloë Sevigny, everyone's favorite fashion icon extraordinaire, opened (and narrated) Proenza Schouler. Twenty-three-year-old rapper Ice Spice was a celebrity highlight as she sat front row at Coach and Dion Lee. Khaite also opened its doors for its first NYC shop right after showing its collection in the dreamy and architectural advanced space. Luar took the week's finale (with a marvelous collection in tow), usually upheld by more established designers.

There are still three more cities to go to, but before we move on to London, Milan, and Paris, we've given you a complete download on the top trends to know from New York below. 

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Jason Wu, Hellessy, Tory Burch, and Sandy Liang)

Move over, Barbie pink. Spotted both on the runway and all over street style, a striking red seemed to be the It color of the moment. Whether you're incorporating the shade in small accessories or adapting a completely tonal look, it's worth trying out.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Tory Burch)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Jason Wu)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Hellessy)

Shop the trend:

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Sandy Liang, Proenza Schouler, Simkhai, and Brandon Maxwell)

Classic blazers, maxi coats, layered sweaters, and cinched belts brought back an influx of wearable dressing to the runways. There's a reason why Quiet Luxury brands like The Row and Toteme have such a strong backing—and many brands are following suit.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Proenza Schouler)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Simkhai)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Coach; Luar; Brandon Maxwell; and Et Ochs)

We've already seen big bags on the runways recently, but they've always been large tote bags and carryalls. Now, designers brought out larger-than-life clutches and briefcases into the mix.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of LaQuan Smith)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Coach)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of LaQuan Smith, Coach, Hellessy, and Proenza Schouler)

The best part about NYFW this season is that there was a continuation of trends from seasons past, proving just how versatile and wearable these trends can be. We've been constantly talking about the surge of metallics right now, and it continues to be a huge hit.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Proenza Schouler)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Hellessy)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Coach)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Puppets and Puppets, Sandy Liang, Carolina Herrera, and Alejandra Alonso Rojas)

Oh, pretty things, how we love you so. We saw rosettes and "romantic dressing" in Paris and Milan last season, but New York also got the memo for fall 2023.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Alejandra Alonso Rojas)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Caroline Herrera)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of LaQuan Smith, Luar, and Brandon Maxwell)

While metallics were a big hit, chrome accessories and hardware were the details we also paid attention to. If you'd rather not opt for a shiny dress or pants, accessories are the way to go for adding that cool factor to your look.

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Brandon Maxwell)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of LaQuan Smith)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Luar)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Jason Wu, Laquan Smith, Priscavera, Ulla Johnson)

The pants-less trend may be a tad controversial, but it doesn't seem to be cooling down anytime soon. 

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Priscavera)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Jason Wu)

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(Image credit: Courtesy of Ulla Johnson)

Next: New Year, New Talent—8 Designers to Watch This Year

Associate Fashion Editor
Yusra Siddiqui is an editor who resides in New Jersey but bounces between the suburbs and NYC. (She's a Jersey girl at heart.) After interning at Who What Wear in 2019, she found her way to the team after graduating from LIM College in 2022 with a fashion media degree. She's also spent time writing and working for publications such as Fashionista, Coveteur, and Nylon, but she always knew that Who What Wear was where she was meant to be. When she's on the job, she's perusing runway shows, analyzing the latest thing fellow Gen Zers are up to on the internet, and sharing what she can about the modest-fashion market. You can also catch her dabbling in entertainment, talking about the costume choices of the latest Netflix series or diving deeper into how the plotline affects the viewers in a myriad of ways. Lastly, she likes to create content for Who What Wear's TikTok. Her personal time is spent doing similar but also different things—deep diving into almost every new TV show (Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls, and Stranger Things are favorites), planning her next local getaway (whenever that may be), and reading the latest Emily Henry or Sally Rooney novel in one sitting.