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Our favorite collections of the year come from a cross-section of the industry, from the highest haute couture salons in Paris to the scrappiest upstart New York labels, and much more in between. What kind of picture does it paint of fashion in 2023? That independents can make as much noise as the biggest brands. That the personal is more resonant than anything that comes off a production line, and, as our colleague Sarah Mower reminds us, creative excellence still matters.
Undercover spring 2024 ready-to-wear
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Undercover’s Jun Takahashi has a long string of unforgettable runway moments behind him. His latest, and most spellbinding for me, came in September, when at the end of his show the set darkened and a trio of models wearing dresses with glowing terrarium skirts emerged. Inside were living plants and flitting butterflies. “He feels like he’s stuck in the world, but he wants to release himself,” his interpreter explained afterwards. Apparently, he had been grieving the loss of people close to him. It was a deeply personal collection, but also universal. Elegiac feels like the right note for 2023, but even in darkness, life goes on.—Nicole Phelps, Global Director of Vogue Runway and Vogue Business
Rick Owens, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
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For me, the Rick Owens spring 2024 show was a true fashion moment. It didn’t hurt that Dave Chapelle was seated in the front row, but then came Rick’s otherworldly beauty. Clouds of fog in neon yellow and bright fuchsia gave way to flowing silks and capes that billowed like parachutes in the wind. An opening series of incredible gowns were reminiscent of old Hollywood but draped in leather and cut super-close to the body. Another personal fave was a pleated one shoulder top and uber-long skirt all in caramel. Throw in a shower of rose petals and Diana Ross singing “I Still Believe in Love” and you have one remarkable emotional experience. I have such respect for Rick as a designer and this show made me stop and appreciate how fortunate I was to be there.—Virginia Smith, Global Head of Fashion Network
Balenciaga, fall 2023 couture
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There were so many new ideas in this collection—a flurry of “windswept” coats and scarves, trompe l’oeil painted fur—which sat well on Demna’s established silhouettes, but my favorite part was the show soundtrack: a Maria Callas aria from which the orchestration had been removed using AI, creating a “new” acapella version that would be impossible to create even a year ago. It was proof that a step forward need be neither safe (those scarves seem downright dangerous) nor a revolution, which actually sounds a lot like Cristobal Balenciaga.—Mark Guiducci, Creative Editorial Director
Tory Burch, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
I completely bought into the space age retro futurism of Tory Burch’s spring collection. Maybe it was the buoyant bubbles of hems or the sonorous tinkle of tiny bells nestled into skirts as well as hair barrettes, or the soaring lunar landscape of the Museum of Natural History s Gilder Center, but everything about the show worked for me.—Chloe Malle, Editor, Vogue.com
Saint Laurent, fall 2023
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I really love an ambitious designer—by which I mean ambitious about how to craft and make fashion, not hype-y marketing buzz—and very few this past year were as ambitious (or as successful) as Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. To say that Vaccarello has completely absorbed the raison d’etre of the house, with its iconic and complex legacy, and fully made it his own, is understatement par excellence. The shoulders on his elegant tailoring for fall 2023, shown in Paris this past February, might have been huge, but the construction of those jackets was so, so light. I should know: I lifted one up and down backstage to check. That’s where caring about what he makes, and having the skills to do so, comes in: In Vaccarello’s view, you don’t create fashion without making clothes. Add in the show’s old school raised runway with its shimmering antique chandeliers and it’s this collection—and his ambition—that I’m still thinking about all these months later. —Mark Holgate, Global Network Lead U.S. Fashion Features Director
Luar, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
Whenever fashion week comes around, I immediately start hankering for that edge-of-your-seat feeling, something electrifying that makes you sit up nice and straight. For me that moment came at Luar’s spring 2024 show. Designer Raul Lopez’s star has been on the rise in the last few years—he won the CFDA accessory designer award in 2022–and in recent seasons he’s held the coveted closing spot of New York Fashion Week.
As grand finale’s go, Lopez’s show was pretty terrific, and arguably his strongest collection to date, a brilliant display of his off-kilter tailoring and subversive approach to evening. As the models took a last lap to a roaring crowd—the audience at a Luar show is always a stylish and high spirited slice of downtown—a colleague turned to me and said, “you know this feels like what it was like to be at an early McQueen show, the energy of it.” He wasn’t wrong.—Chioma Nnadi, Head of Editorial Content, British Vogue
Prada, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
Prada fall 2023 has been my slow burn. It’s a masterclass on perfecting a separates wardrobe — suede blazers over crewneck knits and beautifully laced skirts, unexpectedly colored peg leg trousers with simple sweaters, and the 3D floral sharp toed shoes that went from ruling the runway to ruling sidewalks around the world.—Willow Lindley, Fashion Market and Collaborations Director
Sharon Wauchob, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
Forced to choose just one favorite collection I’ll stick with Sharon Wauchob. This quiet powerhouse is fully in her groove, having carved out a niche from which to create really modern womenswear that respects the past without being nostalgic. By modern I mean, easy, versatile pieces that feel good against the skin, are thoughtfully crafted, and allow a woman to go with the flow. Movement is key to my personal definition of freedom. For spring, Wauchob blew up a scrunchie and used it as a sculptural accessory. Fun, funny, versatile—this is just one example of Wauchob’s special touch.—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Senior Archive Editor, Vogue Runway
Jean Paul Gaultier, spring 2023 couture
In a hurried preview, Haider Ackermann told me his aim was to create “10 minutes of grace” with his Jean Paul Gaultier show. It turned out to be just exactly that: 10 minutes that seemed to slow time—a collusion of sublimely sculpted silhouettes and models who moved, paused, and turned with the kind of elegance I thought had disappeared forever. In a year when the wheel of fashion has been whirring ever more frenetically, watching Ackermann’s haute couture gave us a rare moment to exhilarate in the sensation that creative excellence matters. The gift of 10 ephemeral minutes that are etched on my memory forever.—Sarah Mower, Vogue Runway Chief Critic
Bottega Veneta, spring 24 ready-to-wear
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Disclaimer: I walked out of multiple shows thinking I’d just seen my favorite collection of the year in 2023. A couple of them are in this list, there are several others that aren’t, and then there’s menswear. But Bottega Veneta spring 24 from September was a particular stand-out. Watching this show was like sitting in a window seat with your head resting on the glass as multiple landscapes slid by below. Every few looks threw up different topographies of texture, technique, and silhouette—enough on this one runway for several collections on others—and it was dreamy to watch them pass.—Luke Leitch, Vogue Runway Critic
Loewe, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
A wicked take on bourgeois daywear—that’s what I liked about Loewe’s spring show. It confirmed Jonathan Anderson as a brilliant designer: never predictable, a consistent shapeshifter, witty but with a sort of sharp nerdy side that makes his references to contemporary culture rarefied and profound. He stretches the vocabulary of fashion and charts new directions—inventive silhouettes, paradoxical volumes. Intelligent and illogical, cerebral and emotional, his designs are about ideas, and read as a beautifully bizarre antidote to today’s stagnant pond of ‘luxury’.—Tiziana Cardini, Vogue Runway Critic
Issey Miyake, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
Scrolling through Issey Miyake’s spring 2024 was like something out of a fairy tale where the protagonist is on a humdrum stroll through the woods where suddenly something magical happens. The first look, a woman wrapped in all black—an allusion to the now-iconic Miyake spring 1998 show—was a false flag planted to hide the lightness that lay ahead. First the color palette: subtle peaches, vibrant lilacs, blood oranges; sheer and layered on top of one another, hugging the body and creating its own ridges and frontiers. Then, sunlight reflecting off an unseen mirror somewhere or slipping in through a crack on the wall and gently kissing the hem of a dress or the sleeve of another; followed by an explosion of pure cobalt blue: an oversized jacket, blouse, trousers. Towards the end, models in barely-there wrap-around bikini tops and wrap skirts, sleeveless tops and loose trousers, asymmetric dresses in powder blue, dusty pink, and aged white, meaning yellow; with hand-crafted hats; all made from “single tubes of washi paper and polyester mix.” It was like a memory from a long-ago time, romantic but fierce and unlike anything else I saw all year.—Laia Garcia-Furtado, Senior Fashion News Editor, Vogue Runway
Diotima, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
Rachel Scott’s New York Fashion Week debut was, as far as I m concerned, the collection of the season. Already known for her special blend of tailoring and crochet—which is made possible with the help of some knitting circles in Jamaica—Scott collaborated with artist Laura Facey to create a collection that honored the Jamaican funerary tradition of Nine-Night. But while the haunting backstory is a bonus, the clothes are also just really beautiful, wearable, and special. The gold skirt suit in particular has stuck with me since September. In Scott’s work, you really see why it’s important to have women designing for women. She just gets it.—Sarah Spellings, Fashion News Editor
Simone Rocha, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
Whether staged in a medieval church or a crumbling Victorian auditorium, Simone Rocha’s runway shows always have a mystical, melancholic quality about them. But few have conjured as powerful and transportive an aura as her fall 2023 outing at London’s Central Methodist Hall back in February. On a chilly winter’s evening in Westminster, she paid tribute to the pagan Irish festival of Lughnasadh, a celebration of the beginning of harvest season, with her army of models—including cameos from photographer Perry Ogden and actor Samantha Morton—floating through its halls and across its blood-red carpets to the eerie, plaintive strings and pipes of the Irish folk band Lankum. But even this richly atmospheric setting played second fiddle (so to speak) to the clothes. What makes Rocha such a compelling designer is her quiet subversiveness—the frills and lace and tulle are always undercut by something a little more menacing, be it the arresting red ribbons attached to both clothing and under the models’ eyes like tears of blood, or the gowns stuffed with raffia as if preparing the wearer for some kind of Wicker Man-style sacrificial burning. But it’s all strangely wearable, too: Her second menswear offering had me lusting after the bomber jacket with ruched, billowing sleeves, or the blazers and sheer jackets embroidered with floral crystals in red and black. It was just the right amount of strange, and just the right amount of seductive.—Liam Hess, Living Editor
Miu Miu, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
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When Emma Corrin came sauntering down Miu Miu’s fall 2023 runway, closing the show in a beige turtleneck and gold sequin briefs, it set off a whole fashion movement—namely, the pantless trend that all of the It girls have been wearing in the months since (Hailey, Kendall—the list goes on and on). But that wasn’t the only forward-thinking design in Miuccia Prada’s fresh fall collection, which was entirely designed in soft, neutral hues. Whether it was the buttoned-up cardigans paired with reading glasses—librarian-chic!—or the saucy little kitten-heel sling-backs, the assortment was, for lack of a better word, very smart. “I think we have to dress for thinking,” said Prada of the line. Amen.—Christian Allaire, Senior Fashion and Style Writer
Willy Chavarria, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
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Back in 2021 for his spring 2022 collection, Willy Chavarria redirected the course of his label by focusing on elegance. But rather than do away with what made his brand unique, and uniquely his, he recontextualized the idea of sophistication within the world he had already built. His casting, his vision of masculinity, his commitment to showcasing the beauty of the Latino man, they all remained, but got a new look. It feels like the industry is finally taking note of the great talent that Willy is, and how important his point of view is for fashion to continue to push culture forward. Spring 2024 was his best collection yet, and his most impactful—it was seeing all of Willy’s worlds collide in harmony. The best of his tailoring, sportswear, and streetwear all came together to realize the vision he has been working towards for the last couple of years.—José Criales Unzueta, Fashion News Writer, Vogue Runway
Chopova Lowena, spring 2024 ready-to-wear
On the first day of London Fashion Week for spring 2024, Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons set the bar high with a riot of a show at a concrete skatepark under a bustling highway. Several factors contributed to the electrifying experience. Firstly, the garments were a heightened manifestation of the brand’s distinct aesthetic—cleverly merging folklore vibes with streetwear and gothic undertones. The casting was fantastically diverse with intriguing off-beat characters, while the music, ingeniously curated by Chopova herself, blended Bulgarian influences with ’90s punk. The crowd of editors and die-hard fans went wild. Few brands of today have managed to cultivate such a devoted, cult-like following as this duo. It was a moment—you really had to be there. Plus, the men’s carabiner skirt-trouser hybrid will be an investment piece that I’ll be adding to cart as soon as it’s available.—Alex Kessler, Junior Fashion News Editor, British Vogue
Schiaparelli, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
With equal parts whimsy and craftsmanship, Daniel Roseberry dreamt up a Schiaparelli show that proved ready-to-wear can be just as thrilling as the brand’s buzzed-about couture. The Texan designer left no stone unturned, from the playful gold bijoux face bags to the plated toes that have become a signature of the brand’s footwear. And, of course, no Schiaparelli collection is complete without an homage to Elsa Schiaparelli herself, and Roseberry delivered with keyhole motifs and turbans galore. Even his most simple pieces—for instance, a creme strapless dress with a draped bodice and hip—offered a masterclass in construction.—Hannah Jackson, Fashion Writer
All-In, spring 2023 ready-to-wear
One of my favorite shows of the year was All-In Studio’s spring 2023 show. Alex Harrington first introduced me to the brand when he requested it for one of his shoots and I have been hooked since. Benjamin Barron and Bror August truly bring a perspective to the runways that is both refreshing and inspiring. All-In brings a certain level of fun that makes me excited to get dressed again and take risks in my own wardrobe.—Naomi Elizée, Fashion Editor
Balenciaga, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
I love a clean-slate show. Demna’s fall show had buzz and attention normally reserved for a designer’s debut. I think often about Nicolas Ghesquière’s white turtlenecks for his first Louis Vuitton in fall 2014 and Hedi Slimane’s in-our-face speakers for his first Saint Laurent for spring 2013 especially when thinking about how fashion shows are still the most effective way for designers to communicate and the ways a new beginning can be messaged. We know the story, Balenciaga let the spectacle get so big the brand turned into the spectacle and in the course staged some of the best shows, arguably, ever. All other brands followed suit. For this show, Demna took us to the basement of the Louvre, its shopping mall set-up to be specific and once the home of Paris fashion week shows (before the, ahem, circus started). The first fashion show I ever saw live was a show I snuck into at age 18 in this same venue, and walking in there, with all those memories coming back it was clear what the message was: We were going to re-focus on the clothes. With its bare white walls and no finale, the onslaught of looks, and all the ideas that came with them, were crystal. Yes, I love a show but during fashion week I love a Fashion Show more.—Max Ortega, Contributing Editor
Ferragamo, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
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I’m a stickler for classic wardrobing that’s accented with a hint of glamour, and Maximilian Davis has unsurprisingly delivered just that since taking the reins at Ferragamo. In his sophomore collection, Davis presented a masterclass in restraint with an arsenal of pieces that subtly command attention without the use of prints—just sculptural silhouettes (like the cocoon-shaped white leather trousers, and the kickstand arched pumps) that, in my humble opinion, deserve to be in a museum.—Alexis Bennett Parker, Senior Commerce Writer
Wales Bonner, fall 2023 menswear
For her Paris debut, Grace Wales Bonner merged her classic sporty flair with crisp tailoring. The result? Rugby sweaters layered over button-ups and elegant leather loafers worn with sporty football jerseys. Sarah Mower noted in her review that the crowd thought that the models “looked exactly like Grace herself,” which I think is a testament to her great personal style.—Irene Kim, Production and Editorial Coordinator, Vogue Runway
