Top 10 Denim Trends from the SS23 Fashion Weeks

The latest rendition of runway shows for the SS23 season officially concluded yesterday in Paris. With a majority of brands putting on massive productions, it’s safe to say that the era of covid induced lookbooks and lowkey presentations have officially been replaced by live shows and high drama. 

Denim has been having a moment for the past several seasons as we put our comfort driven phase behind us. Runway trends are still taking cues from the 90’s and 00’s greatest hits, however this season featured fresher re-interpretations rather than direct replicas compared to the last few years of Y2K mania. Unisex and gender-fluid styling was one of the main standouts of the season; from the casting to styling, there was a much stronger femme attitude all round, casting a fresh take on androgeny. High contrast, graphic finishes and overdyes were another main attraction, tapped by everyone from breakout stars such as Masha Popova and Foo and Foo to seasoned brands like Blumarine and Balenciaga. But the true stars of the season came from extreme and Avant Garde denim design, notably spearheaded by Diesel, Area, Annakiki and Burberry. 

Below we’ve rounded up our top 10 styling, silhouette and wash trends of the season. 

If anything solidifies the lasting effect of naughties mania it would be the massive amount of yellow tinting we saw this season. From bleached and blurred tones to supersaturated overdyes and high contrast fades, this is a story that made a big impact over a multitude of shows and interpretations.. Stark yellows created a pure, summary attitude whilst yellow tints created an array of turquoise and green casts.

Taking inspiration from the cheesy spray finishes popularized in the early 2000’s and brought back to life during the Y2K craze of the early 2020’s, this season’s technical interpretations are creating a more contemporary take on high contrast fades, while still maintaining the attention grabbing aesthetic of its origins. More experimental designs featuring not only fades but the opposite; adding darker color where we normally see washed down indigo.

Dirty tints and washes have been on the rise over the last several seasons. This aesthetic comes in a range of applications taking inspiration from vintage wear and tear, natural dye techniques and Y2K tinting for high contrast finishes. Bringing out rusty, sulfur hues with sprayed fading or all over dirty brown washes on authentic indigos.

At the couture shows a few months ago we saw the rise of ‘Bonkers Denim’ a phrase coined by the face magazine, and we’re excited to confirm that the trend continues! This time, in more commercially viable silhouettes while maintaining fun and playful takes on classic denim construction and fits. The technically crafted, bespoke and out-of-the-box pieces are bringing denim even further into the high-fashion sector as the ‘people’s fabric’ is securing its place on the runways and finding new life in the decade.

The Canadian Tux trend has been coming in and out of style for decades, but it’s safe to say that it has solidified its place as a staple on the runway this season. However this latest iteration is far from the one your dad wore in the 90’s. Denim on denim has moved beyond trucker jackets and five pocket styles as designers get more creative with the textile’s application and finishes. Bodice and bra tops accompanied by matching bags and versatile skirt over pant combos have gone from a cheesy memory to a high fashion look.

Longline and column skirts were also a heavy hitter this season. Taking reference from a classic 90’s maxi shape, there were many iterations for SS23. Cargo pocketing and utility detail continues to crop up, whilst all over seam detailing and upcycling made an elevated nod to the classic denim felled seam. There was also an overwhelming amount of midi and mini layered skirt over pant combos, a key gender fluid styling choice for the season.

While ‘Jorts’ have reigned supreme this summer and did make a notable appearance on the runways, thigh high silhouettes have crept in to make an even fresher comeback. The trend impacted both women’s and menswear with a strong gender fluid stace and a return to bringing sexy short lengths to a wider, more inclusive audience.  

Taking styling cues from the late 90’s and early 00’s club scene, this aesthetic is growing in popularity as post pandemic club culture returns and many Gen-Zers get to experience it for the first time. Brands mix man-made textiles with denim in baggy pant silhouettes, paired with tight body con tops, a nod to the comfort consumers still want out of a garment with the added bonus of day to night looks.

Popularized by the iconic Kseina Schnaider denim fur jacket and countless young DIY remakers, these ‘couture’ like treatments are gaining widespread notoriety. From Who Decides War and Paolo Carzana’s highly engineered and technically crafted surfaces to GCDS and MM6’s all over destruction, these various techniques add extra dimension to denim designs whilst showcasing the unique structure of denim’s natural character.

Overly embellished and blinged out garments have been slowly crossing over from the realm of cheesy, trashy Y2K remnants to directional and highly coveted designer pieces. And while totally blinged out garments were still a centerpiece for designers like Philipp Plien, many shows featured their interpretation of the trend while playing with bespoke metal detailing and embellishments with a DIY punk attitude.