Fall 2023 Menswear Collections: Dressing Up
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As luxury menswear continues to skew away from both streetwear and traditional tailoring, designers are embracing a new version of dressed up elegance by tapping further into couture sensibilities.
The fall 2023 collections saw reinterpretations of 19th-century dandy silhouettes with exaggerated proportions and feminine accents. There were ruffles, lace, sparkle and bows aplenty, but an undercurrent of darkness lurked beneath the romance as looks fit for a fairy tale read more Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen than Disney.
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So into the woods WWD went to shoot this season’s story, brought to life at a rustic cabin in Connecticut. Photographer Ivan Bideac was in tow as well as two models dressed by style director Alex Badia. Together with a caravan full of runway ensembles in a black and white palette, they made use of rolling green hillsides, winding dirt paths and a picturesque lakefront, which served as the spooky setting for the cast of characters depicted here.
One of the story’s most eccentric looks comes courtesy of John Galliano for Maison Margiela. A punk dandy in his own right, Galliano’s cocooning viscose Neoprene-bonded coat accented by an enlarged bow commands center stage atop a large boulder, while the house’s recycled Mickey Mouse cadet hat with black tulle fascinator completes the Mad Hatter look.
More so than millinery, striking neck treatments were dominant on the fall runways. Anthony Vaccarello showed some of the season’s best in his formalwear lineup for Saint Laurent. Vaccarello ditched the predictable collar and tie for tie-front poet blouses, like the one seen here. An interplay of textiles — such as the plush velvet on his pin-thin trousers paired with shiny patent leather boots — go against the grain as well, especially standing in front of decaying natural wood panels.
Meanwhile, American designer Willy Chavarria is the one spearheading the gothic romantic revival on this side of the Atlantic. His billowy maxiskirt, another big trend for men this fall, sweeps the forest floor. Layered underneath Ferragamo’s asymmetric wool natté jacket with satin peak lapels, the overall effect strikes a balance between tailleur and flou.
Elsewhere, master of sinister glamour Rick Owens serves up a circle cape that towers above the weeds on monstrous platform heeled boots. Photographed next to a blazer with sloping shoulders, also by Owens, worn over Palm Angels‘ transparent top and Dior’s voluminous pleated trousers pants, these twinning looks make for a seriously bewitching pair.
In the final chapter, Jonathan Anderson swoops in, providing a touch of angelic surrealism with a shearling poodle sleeve coat and dainty Cupid’s wings from Loewe.
Launch Gallery: Into the Woods: Men's Fall 2023 Fashion Collections
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