Paris Fashion Week – What’s New in the Fashion World?

Paris Fashion Week kicked off on January 17th and ended on January 22nd, bringing many exciting and extra fabulous moments to the runway. Many familiar figures like famous French Fashion Designer Jean Paul all graced the event with their presence as the runway showcased intricate, weird, and over-the-top fashion. Who can say they’re ever ready for what Paris Fashion Week holds?

What’s Paris Fashion Week?

Paris Fashion Week is a series of fashion showcases that occur semi-annually. Custom-built sets and venues are made to showcase the fashion gallery and are more dramatic than ever. Huge luxury fashion houses like Chanel and Gucci participate in Paris Fashion Week along with smaller fashion houses like Tony Ward and Miss Sohee. Every year is unique and it allows audiences to absorb never-before-seen fashion. There are many celebrity cameos in Paris Fashion Week to increase viewership but to also display the fashion. Needless to say, it’s one week packed with extra fabulousness.

Best Looks of Paris Fashion Week 2023

I had many favorites of the week, so many that I struggled to rank them. But here they are in their full glory. While all of the fashion pieces I witnessed were amazing, these collections really took the cake as the best looks of Paris Fashion Week 2023.

Bode FW23

If you want a collection that reminds you of your fashionable grandma, this is the collection for you. Bode made her official return to PFW, bringing in a collection straight out of her mother’s stories. The collection is titled “The Crane Estate” and was directly inspired by the stories of Bode’s mother, Janet, and her relationship with “Ms.Long” and her historic fashion wear that dated back to the 1890s. This collection celebrates those stories. These 3 looks in particular caught my eye. The 2 looks to the right encompass a modern yet vintage feel that is not only runway ready, but wearable. The one on the left embodies vintage clothing which looks like it came straight from the early 20th century. The colors of these 3 looks are nostalgic and friendly, and this collection made me feel like I knew Ms. Long myself.

Photos by Dominique Maitre

Ernest W. Baker FW23

Classy vintage is always a hit. The collection by the talented Ernest W. Baker is titled “Grandma Chic” and sought to blur the lines between menswear and womenswear. The collection is described as a love and comfort collection, something a grandma would embody. These 3 looks blew me away. The use of fur added to the comfortable feel, and the use of blacks and browns made it a classy winter look that people could wear outside the runway.

Photos by Vladimir Kaminetsky

Marine Serre FW23

Nothing is more fabulous than sustainability. Marine Serre showcases a zero-waste collection from “found elements” to discuss the importance of environmental vulnerability and how we as a society should be conscious of our fashion choices and what it does to our earth. I would’ve never guessed that these two looks were made entirely from scrap material. Both looks are refined and runway hot. The look in the middle looks straight out of the Disney show “That’s So Raven” and is oozing late 1990s-early 2000s energy. The look on the left is the definition of hot yet elegant and it represents the message of sustainable fashion so well. A truly 10/10 collection.

Photos by Carlo Scarpato / Gorunaway.com

Sankuanz FW23

High end? Streetwear? If you don’t think those go together, the collection says otherwise. Titled “Chapter III LA VEUVE NOIRE,” which translates to The Black Widow, the collection explores dark and sharp themes in a deconstructed way. A world where graffiti is a message for the bold. This collection is certainly bold, and I appreciate that the color palette is not just dark, muted colors, but also bright colors. Oddly enough, the bright colors embody a more dangerous feeling than the darker looks, making this an interesting collection.

Photos by Giovanni Giannoni

Steven Passaro FW23

What a dreamy collection. For being so muted in colors, this collection truly is romantic in its own way. Steven Passaro looked to embody water in this collection and to really emphasize the emotion of water and its nature. The raging storms, the morning showers, and the wind breeze were all achieved with light, delicate fabric. These looks were my favorite from the entire collection as the fabric and design used on the suits resemble clouds and raging oceans. Overall, this look triggered an overwhelming feeling of peace. Round of applause to the talented Steven Passaro.

Photos by Ben Fourmi

Juun.J FW23

This season, South Korean designer Juun.J set out a collection breaking all the rules. Ripped denim, shredded silhouettes, and dark colors.  Can’t go wrong with an all-black look, and these looks prove that. Considering the fabric he usually works with is considered sacred, this rogue collection brought him out of his comfort zone. And it paid off. The essence of this collection is villainous, intimidating, and dangerous. They are looks one just has to appreciate because of the fabric used.

Photos courtesy of Juun.J

Feng Chen Wang FW23

Feng Chen Wang returns with a new deconstructed version of community and Chinese elegance with her newest collection. The soft, fluffy feel with the slick leather look makes the looks interesting to look at, and the cohesive color palette of each look makes it visually pleasing. Ms. Feng Chen Wang reached for a restless energy in her designs, and the quilted-blanket look seen in most of her looks certainly represents that energy. You can’t help but feel warm and safe with these heavy fabrics. Once again, Ms. Feng Chen Wang produces another hit.

Photos by Giovanni Giannoni

Walter Van Beirendonck FW23

The love I have for this collection is immense. The lovely Walter Van Beirendonck created an avant-garde political message through his collection in the best way possible. Centered around the message “WE NEED NEW EYES TO SEE THE FUTURE,” all of his looks are depicted with eyes to protest a future with peace. The silhouette of these looks is impeccable, and not one look lacks fun. Each look is unique in its own way with various compositions and styles, making it a funky yet amazing collection. I am a Walter Van Beirendonck super fan.

Photos by Dominque Maitre

Final Thoughts

What I appreciate most about Paris Fashion Week is its versatile style. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. I’ve seen that this season has brought a surge of environmentally conscious collections which I personally appreciate as a thrifting enthusiast. I suggest you check out the Fall/Winter season for yourself as the collections this year were certainly fun to look through. Paris Fashion Week displays all the looks in their glory along with the official runway videos. Cheers to fashion!