London Fashion Week: Fall/Winter 2023
February 17, 2023 - February 21, 2023
Sorry, I know these posts are a little bit off schedule. Between fashion season, the Oscars, Next in Fashion, preparation for the Met Gala, and ambitiously starting a Substack during the middle of all of it, a lot of information is being sifted through at once. However I choose to view talking about old news in fashion as an act of resistance to the rapid trend cycle!
Anyway, here are my Fall 2023 London Fashion Week outtakes:
Day 1 : Friday, February 17th
Bora Aksu :
What makes one an outcast? Do they have a specific look or is their look just deviating from all other specific looks? Is that a specific look in and of itself? Bora Aksu answers this question in his Fall 2023 collection.
For him, inspiration came from two places. The first being that of the non-conformist artist, Edvard Munch. After visiting the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Aksu became enamored with the Norwegian painter’s rejection of criticism that allowed him to pioneer his unrefined art style. The second inspiration, and the one more explicitly seen in the collection, is the most popular eccentric character at the moment, Wednesday Addams.
Although I love this collection (I binge watched Wednesday with my sister in two days) and completely resonate with its inspiration (Eye in Eye is one of my favorite paintings), I think that is my very problem with it. In a culture that strives to be the other, we turn to those who already are for inspiration and rely on perfectly curated fashion lines (Heaven by Marc Jacobs) that promise us the appearance of this identity.
But the problem is, if everyone favors the subversion (which most of the time is just an illusion of it), subversion becomes a conformity of its own. This collection looks like many other popular designers at the moment (Simone Rocha, Sandy Liang, etc.) and that is completely fine, there’s a market for that, but we have to acknowledge that there is a market for that.
Di Petsa :
Inspired by her own Greek heritage, Dimitra Petsa’s Fall 2023 collection, Breaking and Healing, was influenced by the story of Persephone. As the myth goes, Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, was abducted by Hades and forced to live in the underworld. Her mother, the goddess of harvest, caused a famine in the land after no one answered her pleas for help. Zeus eventually intercepted and forced Hades to return Persephone, but he tricked her into eating food from the underworld to keep her with him for half of every year.
Although Di Petsa has influence over the fashion seasons, Demeter influences the climatic ones. In the spring and summer, when Persephone is home, the earth rejoices and bears fruit. In the autumn and winter, when Persephone is forced to return to the underworld, the flowers wither and the crops die. Appropriately, Di Petsa collection mirrors this with the first series of looks being floral and berry tones (spring), then warm solar tones (summer), then blacks and reds (autumn/the underworld), finally frosty blues and metallics (winter).
In a story that focuses heavily on a mother’s love and loyalty, there is no better time for Di Petsa to expand her children’s and maternity line. Pregnant models walked the runway in several ensembles including Di Petsa’s signature wet look.
Overall this collection felt like such a warm and comforting celebration of womanhood. Di Petsa’s central theme was the darkness becomes light and I think she did just that. This collection gave Persephone a new voice by emphasizing more on her and her mother’s relationship and authority instead of the men who abused and failed them.
Huishan Zhang :
Much like his pre-fall collection inspired by Vertigo (1958), Zhang turns back to Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography for Fall 2023. In this collection, Huishan Zhang builds on the archetype of the femme fatale by redefining it in a 21st century feminist lens.
This collection is full of 1960’s glamour that takes style inspiration from some of Hitchcock’s most famous characters like the driving scarves worn by Tippi Hedren in The Birds (1963).
While most cultural criticism positions it as a sexist trope, Zhang’s femme fatale centers women’s confidence and power instead of the stereotypical “pure evil seductress.” In addition to all the traditional noir gowns and sensual silhouettes, Zhang softens this image with lighter colors and bouffant feather details, giving the archetype a multi-dimensional identity.
Chopova Lowena :
Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena went off the runway for their Fall 2023 collection titled A Conversation with Angels. These cult-favorite designers further refined their utilitarian designs in a new and unexpected scenery: a 1970’s ski resort.
Their signature carabiner kilts are paired with insulated vests and body warmers. Several models wore blouses with milkmaid sleeves reminiscent of the traditional silhouettes of the Swiss alps. The styling of this collection felt very mismatched, which is not uncommon for Chopova Lowena, but with this specific theme it felt authentic to out-of-towners visiting a ski lodge and making due with their narrow perception of the region and the very limited cold-weather clothing they have.
In this collection we start to see an emerging pattern at London Fashion Week (and really this fashion season in general) which is contrasting lightness and darkness; both as visible colors, but also as what the colors represent. We see this with Bora Aksu’s contrast between gothic counterculturists and his signature light-feminine style, Di Petsa’s mantra the darkness becomes light and division of Persephone’s residence, Huishan Zhang and the new well-rounded femme fatale, and now Chopova Lowena with new cartoonish prints clashing with their traditional grunge aesthetic.
I think in the case of Chopova Lowena, it builds on the scenery of a ski resort and the constant comfort of lounging around in kiddish pajama sets knowing that you’ll never see any of these people again. But as a larger picture, I think this has to do with the industry’s current obsession and everyone’s favorite buzzword: Subverting.
I, myself, have a tab constantly opened to "subvert synonyms thesaurus.com" and yet I have already used it 4 times in this substack. Although countercultures and the act of deviating from fashion trends is nothing new, there is an apparent increase in its interest (and, in turn, its marketability). The most visible way to display this is through a transitional collection where your signature is met with its opposite force which is typically illustrated through the concept of dark vs. light.
Although I would say Chopova Lowena has clearer roots in countercultural identities than some of the other designers on this schedule, with the overexposure of these subcultures, even brands like Chopova Lowena are forced to reinvent themselves in an attempt to now subvert (5) those who are also suddenly subverting (6).
(I hope this short summary make sense for now, but I will try to expand on it more in an upcoming essay.)
Conner Ives :
We see another film inspired collection on day one of London Fashion Week with Conner Ives Fall 2023 collection, Magnolia. Titled after Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1999 film of the same name, Magnolia is an ode to the character and trophy-wife Linda Partiridge played by Julianne Moore.
But more than just an homage to cinema, Ives reminisces on the era in which the movie came out, the era in which he fell in love with fashion.
“My collection titles aren’t ever informative of everything that you’re going to see, but you pick out little hints at the heart of it… I always want these collections to be a cross section of pop culture, of my subconscious, of topical things that we’re all thinking about, and it just felt like such a poignant depiction of that, and done in such a beautiful, artistic way.” - Conner Ives on Magnolia
This collection felt like a fun game of spot-the-difference for any fashion lover who grew up in the early 2000s. There were references to Nicolas Ghesquière’s Fall 2006 collection for Balenciaga, Pucci-like patterns, styling reminiscent of Kate Moss’s Glastonbury Festival outfits, and a playful nod to Elizabeth James’s wedding dress from The Parent Trap.
Day 2 : Saturday, February 18th
Chet Lo :
Chet Lo further refined his signature spiky knits for the Fall 2023 season. In this collection, Lo focused on creating a more mature look that highlighted his technical ability in fabric manipulation. His distinctive knitwear is seen rescaled and resized in an array of different tops, skirts, and dresses.
The show, titled Bioluminescence, takes on a more serious tone as well. In an interview with Vogue, Chet Lo stated that the collection’s title serves as a metaphor for him navigating through his depression diagnosis and deep sea creatures’ inherent ability to guide themselves through darkness. This is illustrated through a primarily black collection with accents of blue, red, and green peaking through the dark fabric.
This is my favorite Chet Lo collection so far. I thought the use of color was very intentional, not only in the meaning behind the show, but also how it worked within the fabric. To use color to peak through slits in a dress or as an ombré effect at within the spiky knits really enhanced the texture of the garments instead of color and texture working as two separate entities.
Matty Bovan :
For the Fall 2023 season, Matty Bovan delivers another whimsical maximalist collection titled Deep Space Nymphs. Described as “hardcore baroque sci-fi”, Bovan uses deadstock fabrics in a seemingly random assortment of colors, textures, and patterns to illustrate a future where humanity’s appearance is controlled through artificial intelligence.
Bovan presented off the runway this season by instead opting for an intimate presentation in a cherry-red bar which allowed the audience a closer look at the intricacies of his designs. While I initially imagined the mixed matched fabrics to be an illustration of the pattern recognition problem an AI art, Matty Bovan’s approach was one that was way more human.
“Hand drawn, hand touched, mistakes, these all contribute to my world of splendor and luxury, infused with the dirty, worn, and overdyed” - Matty Bovan on Deep Space Nymphs
As a multi-talented creative who, at the time, was running an immersive art installation at NOW Gallery, it comes as no surprise that this collection was entirely made by Bovan alone. I think this detail is important and adds weight to the appreciation of mistakes because every imperfection is an imperfection of his own.
David Koma :
David Koma drew inspiration from the legendary German-American actress, Marlene Dietrich, for his Fall 2023 show. In collaboration with Marlboro, Koma presents a sultry collection that takes inspiration from Dietrich’s signature androgynous style. Models walked the runway holding rhinestoned cigarettes while wearing deconstructed suits “fit for the modern woman.” I'm not going to sugarcoat it, I absolutely hated this.
A few years back I went to that terrible immersive Van Gogh exhibit and was shocked that the gift shop was selling shot glasses with The Starry Night on them. Never in my life had I seen art “appreciation” displayed with such a blatant disregard to the root of an artist’s struggle, but David Koma really superseded all of my expectations.
Marlene Dietrich’s smoking habit gave her advanced arteriosclerosis, partially crippled her, and led her to become dependent on alcohol and pain killers. To try to honor her by making her out to be a smoking siren in collaboration with the largest tobacco and cigarette company in the world not only shows zero respect to her humanity, but also proves the very very minimal research that went into this collection.
Marlene Dietrich is undeniably a fashion icon and Koma is no where near the first designer to be inspired by her (see: Westwood’s FW92 collection Always on Camera or Gaultier’s FW01 spiral mesh print), but he certainly had the worst execution.
Ambush :
Ambush’s creative director Yoon Ahn aimed to address the cultural lack-of-individuality problem in her Fall 2023 collection. Inspired by Japanese school uniforms and the signature style of the Kpop girl group New Jeans, Yoon finds ways to personalize uniforms through subtle details that are enough to stand out, but are still distinctively homogenous.
Personally speaking, I would wear almost everything in this collection, but I think there is a bit of irony in the attempt to deviate from uniformity. This is one of the biggest examples of the subversion problem that I’ve discussed in other overviews. In attempt to stand out from the rest, we have circled back to the masses because, well, that is what everyone else is doing too.
Parts of this collection look identical to Chet Lo’s spiked fabric, Miu Miu sets, Rick Owens’s boots, and Charles Jeffery Loverboy’s beanies.
We also see the return of manufactured personalization and the illusion of upcycling that I mentioned in the Simkhai Fall 2023 overview through the same “repurposed” suit co-ords.
Simone Rocha :
In an incredible comeback from the disappointment that was Spring 2023, Simone Rocha delivered a cohesive and distinctively on brand collection inspired by the Irish harvest festival, Lughnasadh
The theme of bounty and harvest was most present towards the end of the collection where models wore gowns made of and/or stuffed with hay.
Although this is Simone Rocha’s second collection to include menswear, I wouldn’t say the boundaries between them were very distinct. Similar metallic tweed sets and sailor collar suits were interplayed in both lines. I do enjoy the menswear, however, I don’t necessarily see a need to separate the two. Prior to the menswear era, Rocha still incorporated traditionally masculine elements into her light-feminine brand identity and the same can be said about the other.
One thing that I consistently appreciate in Simone Rocha presentations is not only her ability to influence trends through clothing, but also through the styling of hair and makeup. I think its fair to say that the rise in small ribbon accessories directly corresponds with the rise in popularity of both Simone Rocha and Sandy Liang, so it comes as no surprise that we see this detailing further developed through the makeup and hair of this collection.
Mowalola :
Mowalola Ogunlesi presented her second solo collection, Dark Web, this season at London Fashion Week. In this collection, she builds on her futuristic aesthetic by envisioning what people would wear at after the collapse of technocapitalism.
Mowalola is a brand that excels in androgynous fashion and we really see that stand out in this collection through her bottomwear. Denim skirts resembling that of sagging pants and other skirts seen with screen prints of denim jeans were present throughout the collection in addition to Mowalola’s signature miniskirts seen on models of all genders.
Like many apocalyptic movies, Mowalola places her setting in New York City. Models were seen wearing classic New York streetstyle with references to some of NYC’s most famous logos.
One of my brilliant mutuals, Michiko (@parisianysl), pointed out in a Twitter Space that this collection is like a movie in and of itself in that its interpretation of New York resembles that of Nollywood films. As a British-Nigerian designer, Mowalola wasn’t replicating New York City as much as she was interpreting it through the lens of Nigeria.
We can see this through Mowalola’s tongue-in-cheek references to iconic New York City logos such as the MoMA and the New York Yankees which she then interpolates into her own name (much like her signature walkman trucker hat).
Day 3 : Sunday, February 19th
JW Anderson :
After looking through the archives of the legendary Scottish choreographer, Michael Clark, for their Fall 2023 collaboration, Jonathan Anderson was inspired to look through his own. This inspired Anderson to make this collection a trip down memory lane; let's walk with him!
While designers referencing old collections is nothing new, I have grown increasingly interested and its rise in popularity. Whether it be the Prada re-edition bags or Jean Paul Gaultier bringing back the 1995 cyber collection, it seems as though there is just as many old things on the runway as there are new.
And I know everyone has heard that "fashion is cyclical" and “everything comes back every 20 years”, but this is really the first era where that refers to exact pieces instead of overall themes and styles.
This is obviously due to the rise in popularity of archive fashion, but I think it proposes a weird paradox. For the past few years, archive fashion has grown in desirability and the fashion industry clearly saw capital in it, hence all of the rise in references to past collections, but a large reason for that initial interest is its inaccessibility.
The industry thrives on exclusivity and the only thing more exclusive that an inaccessible brand’s designs are an inaccessible brand’s designs that are no longer made. So, although I love the references from a fashion history perspective, I can't help but wonder if the callbacks to old collections will eventually decrease the value of their archives.
Feben :
After making a tarot themed collection for Spring 2023, Feben focuses in on one single card for her fall collection, The Chariot. As an emerging fashion designer, having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2020, she uses the chariot as a symbol of confidence and strength in growing her brand.
In the collection titled Scales, Feben explores the strength in femininity by using artistic references to Salvador Dalí’s Gradiva and Lycra dresses displaying statues of the goddess Psyche. Feben also plays with traditionally feminine elements like sequins and beading to represent coats of armor.
Much like Dalí, Feben takes on a surrealist approach to design, so the Gradiva gowns paired nicely in this collection with her signature 3D textural pieces which also resemble coral and scales.
Talia Byre :
Inspired by Barbra Streisand’s portrayal of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate, Talia Byre’s Fall 2023 collection — Sadie, Sadie — is an ode to female anti-heroes.
“The person I’m designing for is brash, greedy, selfish; all of what’s perceived as the worst traits to have, but what’s great about them is that they’re also strong and independent—it’s their way of saying a big ‘f— you’ to society.” - Talia Byre on Sadie, Sadie
I wanted to highlight this collection specifically because Byre references my personal favorite artist, Helen Frankenthaler, by using her 1957 painting Jacob’s Ladder, as inspiration for the collection’s color palette.
Frankenthaler herself can be considered an antihero of her time seeing that she was among the many female abstract expressionist forced to live in the shadows of their male counterparts, so it is quite lovely to see how antiheroes of the past evolve into heroine of the present.
Yuhan Wang :
The theme of heroinism (and the theme of light vs dark mentioned in previous overviews) returns in Yuhan Wang’s Fall 2023 collection titled The Women Who Came Back. In this collection, Yuhan Wang contrasts her style of traditional Chinese femininity with Uma Thurman’s character from Kill Bill (2003).
“Yuhan Wang elaborates on her exploration of womanhood to deliver a revisionist slant on female figures fortified by the male gaze... Looking at the film through a feminine lens, Wang observes that, ‘The Bride’s quest isn’t about taking her revenge, but rather restoring her true self – a warrior.’ As the film flows, Beatrix begins to rectify herself and her beauty, and interpreted by Wang, it translates into a disobedient Autumn/Winter collection celebrating women’s resilience, leadership, and activism.” - Teresa Sui, Hyper-Femininity, Strength and Fragility: Yuhan Wang autumn/winter 2023, L’Officiel Austria, Feb. 2023.
In attempt to deconstruct the male gaze, Wang references Beatrix Kiddo’s iconic yellow uniform and Gogo Yubari’s signature meteor Hammer, but supports them through the use of hyper feminine detailing such as lace, ribbons and chrysanthemums — a Chinese symbol of vitality and women’s resilience.
Day 4 : Monday, February 20th
Dilara Findikoglu :
Inspired by the powerful women leading the protests in Iran, Dilara Findikoglu’s Fall 2023 collection, Not a Man’s Territory, is all about bodily autonomy and female rage. Findikoglu aimed to destroy modesty on the catwalk and she did so with strength and passion.
With hair being a central symbol in the Iranian protests, many of Findikoglu’s designs include strands of hair repurposed into miniskirts and bralettes. This puts pressure on the concept of modesty seeing that hair, which is viewed as immodest by the Iranian Guidance Patrol, is actively being used to conceal the body.
The collection includes deconstructed feminine armor made of silver hair clips and Victorian knives. Although Findikoglu frequently finds inspiration in the Victorian era, in this collection it allows us to connect to the social history of the powerful women who came before us.
One of my mutuals on twitter made an excellent thread further breaking down this show that is worth sharing:
Burberry :
Burberry’s Fall 2023 collection marks quite a transition for the brand as it is both Daniel Lee’s return to the runway and a rebrand for one of Great Britain’s oldest luxury fashion houses.
Lee gave Burberry a much younger look for his debut collection. The signature nova check was not included in the collection, instead subtle tartans, that are typically seen within the linings of Burberry’s trench coats, were revisualized as outerwear.
Since Daniel Lee is the ex-creative director of Bottega Veneta, who is currently going through a Stealth Wealth rebrand of their own, I must wonder if the same can be said about the rebrand of Burberry.
The nova check has a long controversial history rooted in classism. Originally created to identify one’s pieces as luxury goods, it is no surprise that owning clothing with Burberry’s signature pattern became a fantasy for members of the British working class. The nova check was quickly reproduced by many accessible retailers and eventually became a staple in the wardrobes of proletarians.
In an attempt to re-separate themselves from “chav culture,” Burberry’s former creative director, Christopher Bailey, decrease the production of the nova check by 15%. Over the years, as the pattern fell out of favor, Burberry has steadily increased its production. That is until now — it appears the game of cat and mouse continues.
Day 5 : Tuesday, February 21st
Susan Fang :
Since Thom Browne’s The Little Prince inspired collection was my favorite show at New York Fashion Week, I was happy to see another designer take inspiration from a classic children’s book on the last day of London Fashion Week. Susan Fang’s Fall 2023 collection, Air Topia, is based on the 1986 storybook Ami, Child of the Stars by Enrique Barrios.
Much like The Little Prince, the story is about a young boy who goes on a mission to spread optimism after hearing extraterrestrials tell messages of hope.
“It might be written for kids, but the philosophy behind the book is clear: What unites us all is love, and since it is the law of the universe, we should all make an effort to love others and be loved in return.” - Susan Fang on Air Topia
Both children and adults walked the runway in light pastels, frilly tutus, and delicate embroidery. This collection felt like such a celebration of both girlhood and womanhood and, in the spirit of unity, how one stays with us in the next.
(Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week reviews to come)