We referred to the FW23 collections as “an essay on masculinity.” Not in the traditional sense, but for empowering a more authentic self of masculinity. Shying away from gender misconceptions and antiquated codes, designers envisioned all facets of a contemporary man, opening up an alluring field of possibilities. The 2023 man has no qualms about embracing his femininity or his childish side.
It has been an experimenting, sometimes gimmicky, ride from menswear in the past seasons. However, almost like a palette cleanser, for FW23, tailoring and elegance marked their big return. Designers revisited the classics presenting menswear with a new outlook on traditional elegance.
New Eleganza: taking on new codes
With embroideries and devoré patterns, FW23 empowers masculine elegance through splendour and by incorporating womenswear codes. In terms of fabrics, sequins, satin, and see-through were crucial to represent this new tone of masculinity.
Satin had a +7% rise compared to last year, and see-through fabrics were present on 2.5% of runway share. Striking embroidered capes such as Casablanca’s and the full sequin look at Saint Laurent played gracefully with gender norms and actively avoided labels.
In terms of colours, black was predominant regarding runway share with 43%, followed by grey with 16%. The colour grey also presented a +2% growth with a massive magnitude.
Image: Casablanca FW23
Remaining with the classics
Possibly affected by designers taking on new codes, classical silhouettes such as tailored pants often fluctuate in the market. However, its relevance remains notable due to two factors: its adoption and its versatile nature.
Firstly, although our data indicate it as a fluctuating trend, it is essential to note that all consumer segments are affected by them, ensuring easy adoption by all target consumers. Thanks to its massive magnitude, this information relativises the announced decreasing growth. Secondly, tailored pants, a genuine flagship item, come in all kinds of versions, from the most classic to the edgiest, providing designers and consumers with a canvas for experimentation.
Another fluctuating trend is patent leather shoes. The height of chic, patent leather shoes have always been part of the elegant wardrobe for parties and special occasions. And for this season, our data marks a big comeback for this must-have, the best ally of a beautiful tuxedo.
Right: Louis Gabriel Nouchi FW23
We will also note a significant advance in the representation of dress shoes with regard to the decline in sneakers. Where we would have found sneakers a few seasons ago, much more formal shoes are taking over. Brands like Casablanca, Arturo Obregero, and Louis Gabriel Nouchi prioritised this epitomised chic in their shows.
The star trends
Knee-high boots, skirts, grey, maxi-length coats and layering were defined as ‘Star Trends’ for the next season, meaning they were present in nearly every runway show and spotted in our key themes. These trends will be must-have menswear styles for FW ’23 assortments. For example, our data shows floor-length coats grew by +1% and 31% of runway share. Present in collections from Gucci and Loewe.
Understanding Behaviours: Trend Analysis and its adoption by consumers
Fashion weeks and their shows are great moments of innovation and inspiration. However, creators’ enthusiasm for specific trends is not immediately met with the general public’s support. For further analysis of Heuritech AI data, we offer a new type of interpretation to understand the “real” behaviour of trends widely present on the catwalks.
Let’s analyse the trend of pastels. With this breakdown by clusters of the five specific trends associated with “pastel” by Heuritech’s modules, it is possible to comprehend better how a trend is adopted depending on its variations.
Pastel sneakers are a consistent riser with +10% annual growth and 4% market share, seen here in Issey Miyake’s runway show. Whereas, pastel tops seen in Fendi are considered a fluctuating trend, with a decline of -1% vs last year and a -3% decrease in annual growth.
In case of pastel outerwear, it is considered as a rising star for this season. Pastel Blue Tops are a stable bet, increasing 2% from last year. For green tops is a watch-out trend with a decline of -1%.
As shown above, not all pastels are the same; some variations are more popular than others or are expressed through different atmospheres depending on specific consumer groups. Thus, understanding the subtle differences and specific behaviours of a trend is crucial to best adapt a trend to its brand DNA and consumer.
Left: AMI
Seeing menswear move towards a less restricted and more grounded territory is refreshing. The promising shift in tone started some seasons before. Still, this time, designers approached menswear with a more open mind, successfully portraying a man getting rid of stereotypical labels. Undoubtedly, they will continue to do so in further seasons.
According to Heuritech’s experts
