When it comes to runway trends, there’s often a decent amount of overlap between cities. But if there’s one fashion week that’s more likely to introduce a few new ones, it’s Paris. The French capital has a long-held reputation as the city whose designers inspire everyone else, and with good reason: It’s home to many of fashion’s greatest minds.
And sometimes, as the saying goes, great minds think alike. From elegant capuche head coverings, to body-hugging catsuits, to the asymmetrical silhouette we’re calling the “sideways mullet hem,” read on for some of the spring 2023 trends that Paris designers are aligned on.
Capuches
Capuche may be French for “hood,” but this softer fashion version looks more like a cowl or an already-attached headscarf than what you’d see on a sweatshirt. We saw them covering models’ heads as extensions of dresses, jackets and catsuits at Saint Laurent, Schiaparelli, Mônot and Off-White.
Catsuits
Speaking of catsuits, many Paris designers, from Acne to Valentino, favored the one-and-done style for Spring 2023, especially light, body-hugging versions. They range from sheer to sparkly to printed; some were styled alone while others were used as a layering piece — and none of them are boring.
Extra-Mini Flare Dresses
Ultra-short hemlines are yesterday’s news, but we were intrigued by how a few Paris designers did them on fit-and-flare dresses. Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson showed a slew of these extra-mini frocks; his have a sort of tennis-meets-Alaïa feel. Rick Owens and Isabel Marant showed lighter, more relaxed versions.
Hotpants
Dresses are, of course, not the only way to show off some leg. If you’re more of a shorts person, everyone from Chloé to Coperni to Valentino seems determined to make hotpants happen for next spring.
Leather Bra Tops
Despite these being spring collections, there was a lot of leather and leather-like material on the Paris runways. One way to make this textile work for warm weather is to cut it into something that doesn’t cover much skin, like a bra. Givenchy, Mônot, Vaquera and more did just that.
Low-Rise Everything
This was the season that just about everyone in Paris showed low-rise bottoms. We’re talking skirts, jeans, trousers, cargo pants and shorts. This trend clearly isn’t going anywhere.
Panniers
One of Paris’s less practical trends is the pannier — a relic of 18th-century French fashion. Dior, Lanvin, Rochas and Cecilie Bahnsen all created modernized versions of the hip-accentuating silhouette.
Sideways Mullet Hems
Business on the side, party on the…other side? A number of Paris designers seemed to collectively decide to shift mullet hems from front-to-back to side-to-side. There are both gradual and dramatic versions, some more akin to early-aughts handkerchief dresses. We’re not exactly sure what to call this asymmetrical phenomenon, but it is an intriguing rethinking of an overdone silhouette.
Statement Tights
Another trend that feels odd for spring, but was quite prevalent among the shows in Paris: tights. But not just any tights. From abstract patterns to logo prints to decadent lace, this hosiery is designed to make a statement.
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