Our Editors Are Already Wearing These 7 Daring Runway Trends

Oh, how I love a Who What Wear editor's Instagram account. My team hops on trends before anyone else and it’s amazing to watch. During fashion week, we weren’t even two days in and so many people had already worn the red socks we’d been seeing all over the runways thanks to a speedy Amazon delivery. We all love a good outfit pic so any opportunity to style and share an up-and-coming trend doesn’t get missed.

Now that the shows are over, the runway reports are complete, and the dust has settled, I asked my co-workers about the trends they saw. Of their favorites, they’re all leaning towards the most daring and controversial items of them all. I’m talking about trends that we didn’t even know existed until about a week ago. Below, find the seven runway trends from fashion month that editors are already wearing.

"I've absolutely been loving the rosette trend over the last few months, but when coupled with the bold, bright, cherry hues all over the runway, combining the two is my latest pet project. Although I tend to stick to black and whites for my day-to-day wardrobe, I've been adding red sweaters, tights, and bags to otherwise basic outfits in homage to houses like Tory Burch, Ferragamo, and Loewe who all experimented with bright red colors this season."

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"While metallics aren't wildly daring, if you had told me a few seasons ago that I'd purchase two pairs of silver shoes in one month, I would've been skeptical. I like how designers are incorporating metallics into their collections in more casual, wearable ways, with Khaite being the perfect example. I will absolutely be thinking about these gold boots until they're released in the fall."

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"At this point, Miuccia Prada could put just about anything down the runway and I'd be eager to try it out. This season, Prada gave a wholehearted stamp of approval to full swing skirts where she assigned the silhouette to four looks in the fall 2023 collection. If that's not a guarantee of its inevitable popularity, then I'm not sure what is. While not risqué in the sense that it's skin-baring, I found the dramatic volume of the skirts to be no less shocking considering more fitted silhouettes have reigned supreme recently. Surprised as I was, I didn't hesitate for very long before trying the look out for myself. I tried to keep things tailored since the skirt has enough volume on its own, so I wore mine with a shrunken blazer in the same color."

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"Bold hues of purple were seen all over the fall/winter 2023 runways and I'm chalking this up to the new Barbiecore pink trend. The runways of LaQuan Smith, Altuzarra, and MSGM displayed versions of lavender and royal purple. I daringly paired a range of purples together for a bright tonal look."

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"Though I am a fan of the risqué, this season, I'm trying out a trend that's daring not for how revealing it is, but instead, its controversial nature. People have been hating on peplum ever since the silhouette was deemed "out" in the 2010s. But after I spotted it on the runways at Brandon Maxwell, Versace, Gucci, and more brands this season, I couldn't help but get excited about a comeback. My take on the trend is all about keeping it casual, so styling a peplum jacket or top with jeans rather than trying to make it complicated with other loud pieces. The style is daring enough without complicating things." 

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"When I first heard the term 'mermaidcore,' I thought to myself, 'Really?' But during New York Fashion Week, I was noticed hints of this new aesthetic everywhere from Bottega Veneta to Patbo. Everyone seems to be embracing sequins, mermaid tail–style silhouettes, and lots of shades of blue, green and purple. Very much Ariel from The Little Mermaid. While originally I sneered at this trend as too youthful and childlike, on my latest trip to Miami, I looked at my suitcase and what was it full of: sequins, mermaid silhouettes, and tons of shades of blue, green, and purple. And if I'm being honest, it was really fun to embrace this trend—especially as we enter into spring/summer."

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Distressed and vintage-inspired leather has been on the come up for the past few seasons but it really made its mark during fashion month. ACNE Studios and Blumarine are the ultimate cool-girl brands, so seeing it in their collections convinced me that the trend will reach its peak in 2023. I'm already wearing it in every possible way. Whether you choose a skirt or an oversize jacket, I suggest you buy into the vintage look by fall.

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