LFW: From dresses over jeans to the flâneur, HUNGER breaks down the key trends
Annnd *breathe*. This Fashion Week has held our attention from start to finish, and though it may be over as of yesterday, we are still dissecting the runways for all they had to offer. With Sinead O’Dwyer’s baby bumps and Mowolala’s gloriously low-slung jeans showcasing the best of fashion, HUNGER are looking between the audaciously viral moments for the hottest trends to hit the runway. With some of the best-dressed characters getting lost amongst the show-stopping events, we ask which under-the-radar look will you don this season?
The Flâneur
We saw the Flâneur grace the Wales Bonner show in Paris last month, as she paid homage to the “Black Flâneur” by weaving smart references to artsitic icons and colonial history into her pieces. Writer James Baldwin and singer Josephine Baker were name-checked in her collection, as she paved the way for the Flâneurs of fashion to saunter down the runways as figures of modernity and change. But this LFW has taken the idea of the stylish pacemaker to another level, as aptly named brand Flâneur’s “seeks inspiration from the contemporary Flâneurs of cities like Paris and Amsterdam.” Their collection was an exploration of the rebirth of failed and broken systems, and how influential individuals can inspire a new generation of city-dwellers.
“These individuals embody the spirit of these cities, their cultural heritage, and their interpretation of modern, unisex ready-to-wear,” the brand tells HUNGER. With tailored jackets layered over hoodies and graphic tees, the collection remained monochromatic, with infusions of browns, blues and greens, the latter of which was a symbolic hue to signify life, renewal, and resurrection. The popularity of the Flâneur is rising due to the sense of freedom we crave, and it “resonates with many individuals in today’s fast-paced world who value creativity and self-expression.” It feels perhaps wrong to call the Flâneur a trend, as it’s vast cultural significance supersedes a fleeting interest. However, the look is making it’s way through the runways of London, and adds what Flâneur’s calls “a deeper level of interest”, meaning that this trend is a much-needed embodiment of a new adventure for fashion.
The ‘choose your weapon’ warrior
Beauty is pain. And as London’s best designers prepped the ruwnays, painstakingly innovative designs were not far behind. For Dilara Fındıkoğlu, pain is merely a tool of empowerment. The standout design for Fındıkoğlu had to be coveted butter knife dress. It curved to the shape of the models figure and sculpted around the hips like armour, with 200 knives as embellishments attached to a floor length black satin dress underneath. In an intense FW23 display, Fındıkoğlu narrated sex and fetishization with boned corsets and lingerie dripping with crystals, as models took to the runway with brooding stares and looks that could kill. Like a high-fashion take on Angelina Jolie as Mrs Smith, concealed carry was not on the agenda for this season. But Fındıkoğlu was not the only designer with killer intention, as Asai also displayed their weaponary collection this FW23.
However, it may be argued that Asai did it first, with their SS19 Nunchuk bags featuring the weapon concealed into the handle, and dragon embroidery to finish. Asai celebrated the Creative Director A Sai Ta’s heritage this season with their FW23 collection, that also championed a fierce sense of protection with reinforced corsets and fragile skirts. Fashion has long been a weapon of mass destruction, and these collections provide more than enough ammunition for the trend of the season to be dangerous ensembles. Just be careful when strutting through airport security in an original Fındıkoğlu.
The wrap around, then wrap around again
The humble scarf: a seasonless staple for the colder months. But for fashion-heads, the scarf could really use an upgrade. As we battle the impending doomscape of climate change and extremities of seasons, there is only one question on designers minds: how big do we make our scarves? For FW23, KWK by Kay Kwok celebrated their ten years under the Creative Director with the dystopian character ‘LALA’. Set 100 years in the future, the half-human, half-robot was living underground due to unbearable climates outside. Alongside semi-sheer shields and chest guards, ‘LALA’ had a fine choice of gigantic graphic scarves to shield her from the cold outside. With one skinny and one large knit, the two choices offered fashionable and practical variables, with the former in a beige and the latter a monochromatic black and white. But the larger remains superior, and forecasts a trend for these larger-than-life knits to take ahold of 2023.
Edward Crutchley was also on the scarf train this year, albeit his was less of a doomsday take and more an ode to layering. With mohair knits, large-brimmed hats and tailored wool pieces, Crutchley transformed the humble scarf with print and silk, keeping it graphic but true to his namesake brand. The neck covering was a common theme throughout the show, and Crutchley fought back on the scarf front through his various large coats. So whether your team large scarf or team tiny, the accessory will be taken to the extreme one way or another this year.
The dress over jeans dreamgirl
It’s Britney bitch! Wait, sorry, it’s actually Conner Ives. But he did take inspiration from the pop icon Britney Spears for a standout look from his FW23, as he attributed the ensemble ‘The Pop-Star’ to the outfit she wore in her ‘Overprotected’ music video. His collection titled ‘Magnolia’ followed a group of characters pursuing happiness, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fenando Valley. This Britney-esque figure is the epitome of fashion mania, as she wore a bias dress with a pair of boot-cut jeans. Iconic moments were the inspiration, and iconic moments were the result. With a baby pink silk dress complete with 00s paisley patterned frills and recycled denim boot-cuts, Ives paired the look with a simple string necklace and a pair of boots.
Ives may have done the dress over jeans with iconic historic accuracy, but Richard Quinn did it in his own way. Granted, there were no jeans in sight, and if the pattern-crazy designer had included a denim trouser it would have sure been a shocker. But, in true Quinn style he styled a monochromatic head-to-toe floral look as two separate pieces: a dress and a pair of trousers. The dress was no slip either, as it hailed a peplum structure with a sweetheart neckline and a pair of straight legs to finish. Though Quinn’s may have been an elevated take on the trend, both designers are proving that the dress over jeans is definitely back. So get dragging out your old Levi’s, as the ultimate trend for any 2023 occasion has just been officially announced.
The Matty Healy
The 1975 star has donned his skinny tie and black suit for quite some time. It just so happens this season that the chronically millenial hipster tie is back… but this time with an upgrade. ‘The Matty Healy’ is simply a classic slim tie, peeking out from the inside of a dress jacket, and the trend is possibly the best news to be related to his name in some time. Through a LFW interpretation, S.S Daley led the designer tie bunch with a full sequin number. The jazzy accessory sat over the top of a navy tailored two-piece and Herringbone coat, dazzling audiences as it reflected the spotlights and made the fit its own. Pit this against David Koma’s tie efforts, as his collection that embodied the adrogynous dress of Marlene Dietrich. With a simple swarve black tie, the accessory was far from drab as it paired with sheer mini skirts and tuxedo dresses to elevate the menswear staple to unisex status. Who won? It can only be a tie.
