9 New York Fashion Week 2023 trends you can shop now

New York Fashion Week 2023 marks the first of a series of runway shows across the four major fashion capitals - New York, London, Milan and Paris. A look ahead to what we'll be in stores come September. As a fashion editor it is my job to watch and decipher the common threads between all the presentations marking out the looks I think will be key in six months time.

New York Fashion Week 2023 kicked off a month long run of designer shows and even though spring hasn't officially begun, the fashion industry is already looking ahead to September 2023, deciding which new looks will be making their way to a shop floor near you. Even if you don't tend to wear designer items, show season creates the blueprint for the entire industry, with straight-to-market brands keeping a close eye on styles that are making their runway debut. These looks and common ideas will then be interpreted across the fashion landscape, available for everyone, at all different price points.

Always six months ahead - giving time for production, the current shows are all about autumn/winter 2023 styles, so expect to see outerwear and party dresses, alongside layering, and texture. Keeping abreast of New York Fashion Week 2023 and the runways that follow will help you work out what fashion color trends are still to come and what spring/summer fashion trends will remain key to your closet and which you might want to consider donating or reselling in the coming months. But you don't need to wait until September to get your style sorted. I've rounded up the 9 New York Fashion Week 2023 fall/winter trends you can shop and start wearing now and continue loving come fall. 

New York Fashion Week 2023 trends to wear right now

There was a great mix of styles at New York Fashion Week with something for everyone. From the silhouettes to look out for, to the colors to start stocking up on, these are the 9 trends from New York Fashion Week I think you can start wearing now.

1. Lavender Looks

With the announcement that WGSN Color of the Year 2023 has been coined 'Digital Lavender', seeing this pastel hue dominating the runway for fall/winter 2023 comes as no surprise. A popular fashion color trend last year, it's not unusual to see successful styles continue for several seasons, as designers and straight-to-market brands will have sussed out what works, tapping into already established likes amongst consumers.

Spotted at the likes of Christian Cowan, Rodarte and Carolina Herrera, for fall/winter 2023 lavender covered everything from sharp suiting to ladylike dresses and even party-ready sequinned designs.

As pastel hues are often popular in summer months, playing into the light and bright feeling of the season, this is a look you can certainly invest in right now, particularly if you're looking for the best wedding guest dresses, and keep in your wardrobe for the next 12 months, offering great cost-per-wear. 

2. Luxe Leather

One of the biggest fashion trends for this season, if you were wondering if leather looks were a good investment, then if New York Fashion Week 2023 is anything to go by, the answer is yes. The best leather jackets have always been key to any capsule wardrobe, but in recent years we've seen this hardy fabric used for everything from pants to skirts and some of the best dresses. While spring/summer is set to have more of a biker chic direction, for fall/winter 2023 you can expect leather to have a softer and more feminine feel. Learn how to style a leather skirt, looking for figure flattering high-waisted iterations in both pencil and A-line cuts. Meanwhile the leather blazer that seemed like it was one its way out made a comeback at Brandon Maxwell as part of a more tailored leather aesthetic. 

When it comes to color, black leather of course made itself known, being the most popular choice at Altuzarra, Rebecca Crews, Proenza Schouler and Adeam, but I'm loving this red-brown hue that made appearances at Ulla Johnson and Brandon Maxwell made appearances elsewhere too for a lighter and more directional feel. 

Leather wasn't just popular in New York though, known for high quality fabric, Milan Fashion Week 2023 saw plenty of leather take to the runway too, ensuring this trend is set to be big come the fall.

3. The new LBD - long black dress

Reinvented for fall/winter, New York Fashion Week 2023 reimagined the meaning of LBD from little black dress to long black dress as the runways were teaming with floor length interpretations of this wardrobe classic. 

From silk full-skirted gowns to more tapered, figure hugging iterations in velvet and lace, there was a nod towards old school glamour and embracing investment styles that managed to dance the line between directional and timeless classic, creating evening wear looks you could cherish for a lifetime. 

One of the masters of this trend is Christian Siriano who has become an increasing hit during red carpet season and his expressive and sculptural gowns mixed black with flashes of fuchsia and white for a bold twist. 

While black is often frowned upon when wondering what to wear to a wedding, these dramatic gowns are perfect for black-tie affairs. And while designer dress rental has meant you can easily switch up your occasionwear looks, if you want a versatile dress that you can rework at will, none will serve you better than a black dress. 

4. Lady in red

Color has long been on the agenda when it comes to trending styles, but while last year was all about pink, if New York Fashion Week 2023 has its way, fall/winter this year will be all about red. A tone as timeless in a minimalist capsule wardrobe as black, this punchy hue is practically a neutral thanks to its versatility, pairing with most colors with ease. Ruby was the key shade, however if you're wondering what color suits me, you can deviate to a different red hue, or wear ruby tones through accessories, skirts or pants to keep the color away from your face for a flattering finish.

Showcased at multiple New York Fashion Week shows throughout the week, highlights included cocktail dresses at Jason Wu, some of the best sweaters at Tory Burch - that slouchy, oversized feel is still going strong for 2023 and of course, block color, head to toe red looks at Theory - that are not for the faint hearted.  And while I expect red to certainly be one of the biggest colors for the fall/winter months, this is a look that can be incorporated into your winter capsule wardrobe and beyond. Team with navy and white for a nod to nautical right now, before mixing with black and camel for cooler months. 

5. Shine bright

As we're looking at fall/winter 2023 trends, February's New York Fashion Week was always going to pay homage to the party season, after all, what is a winter wardrobe without a touch of metallic. Naturally gold and silver were strongest for this trend, and whether you opt for sequins or lurex threaded fabric, there is no doubt that we're all going to be looking to shine by the end of the year. 

From dresses to flattering jumpsuits, while we associate this style with end of year celebrations, metallic has actually become fairly constant on our list of trends as is 'in' right now too. Choose more classic silhouettes, and let the fabric take center stage, creating an outfit you can enjoy for seasons to come. 

Want something a little different? Sequin and metallic looks, didn't just come in gold and silver this season, so don't be afraid to embrace colorful metallics. Crayola brights including red, green, pink and blue were hugely popular here too.

6. Here comes the sun

Dopamine Dressing was one of the biggest fashion color trends of 2022 and this look is back for a second round. While I've divided the color stories up for this trend guide, there's definitely embracement of mood-boosting brights at every turn for the season ahead, including pinks, zesty greens, pinks and a lot of yellow. 

From the best winter coat at Proenza Schouler to dinner and dance-ready frocks at Carolina Herrera, the weather might be gloomier around the second half of the year, but the clothes are set to get brighter.

Although sunshine hues were definitely my favorite interpretation of this look, golden mustard tones are set to be equally key to the offering and a great choice if more highlighter shades feel a little daunting. 

With spring kicking off in March there is no better time to get this look into your closet and you can certainly find key yellow looks to add to spring capsule wardrobes that you can continue to enjoy for the next 12 months.

7. Going Green

Another happy hue, the best green dresses were top of everyone's shopping list last summer, so get ready to dust them off again. While green didn't feature as heavily for spring/summer 2023, the New York Fashion Week 2023 shows ushered green back onto the runway in all its glory. From Kermit coloring to emerald and florescent interpretations, look to the likes of Kate Spade, Ulla Johnson and Christian Cowen for inspiration. 

With a spectrum of greens set to make themselves known you can choose the shade that suits you. From the best blazers worked with neutrals to head to toe block color looks, you can make this style as bold or muted as you like. 

8. Workwear Wonders

The best loungewear dominated throughout 2021 and part of 2022, but as many of us have settled back into an office environment or at least some form of flexible working, designers took this as a signal to once again put their best foot forward when it comes to office-ready attire. There was plenty of sharp suiting, tailored coats and chic shirt dresses to light the way, with a neutral palette key to creating a workwear capsule wardrobe for the fall/winter season. 

With a focus on tailored pieces and androgynous styling, layering is key to this look in the winter you can expect plenty of wool coats, straight legged pants and roll neck knits. To make this style work for now, embrace the neutral shirt midi dress and swap last season's wide leg pants for more form fitting styles. 

Grey and mink were dominating colors here and while they might feel a little muted for spring/summer, there was plenty of white cotton pieces on the runway too, mix these with grey, and grey-camels for a timely look that can carry over into the end of the year.

9. The bandeau is back

New York Fashion Week 2023 revelled in the return of occasion and partywear, a look that dominated many of the key runway shows. Elevated fabrications, sequins and embellishment ensured that models dazzled and while there were plenty of one-shoulder and sculptural designs, it was the humble bandeau neckline that stole the show when it came to timeless eveningwear. Spotted on the runway at Brandon Maxwell, Dennis Basso, and Carolina Herrera, the beauty of simplicity and precise pattern cutting was the highlight of this trend. Neat, nipped-in waists and bare shoulders, with no jewelry created a very chic and minimalistic look, complemented by ballerina length hems that felt utterly regal. 

An easy look to replicate right now, especially as we approach the warmer months, when bare arms are positively welcome, the key to mimicking this silhouette is to embrace the pared-back silhouette. Focus on unfussy cuts, quality fits and luxe fabrics to make this a look you can wear for occasions from now until the end of the year.