9 biggest milestone moments from the world of fashion in 2023

2023 was no short of fashion moments that made us stand up and take notice. Right from glamourous red carpets, to models cat walking down the runway, the very best of designers and celebrities gave the world one fashion statement after another all year round. 

Here are some of the moments that stood out. 

THE BARBIECORE CRAZE

If anything, 2023 will go down as the year of pink. Think shades of watermelon, bubblegum, and kitschy fuchsia. Then the details: pink bows, rippling frills, heaps of tulle, flashing sequins, neon tights, and ostentatious pumps. The catalyst for this craze in 2023? Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, one of the highest-grossing films of the year. Also, a big shoutout to Valentino’s creative director, Pier Paolo Piccioli, for setting Barbiecore in motion the year prior.

SABYA GOES BIG!

When it comes to a Sabyasachi launch, opulence is a given. The first half of the year witnessed the inauguration of Sabyasachi’s most expansive flagship store to date, located in Mumbai. This 25,000-square-foot retail space resembles a lavish trove of wonders, housing an array of curiosities, trinkets, and couture.

Picture three floors adorned with 100 chandeliers, 275 carpets, 3,000 books, and 150 pieces of art. The flagship store serves as a hub for couture enthusiasts.

GUCCI REBORN

In January 2023, the House of Gucci welcomed a new creative director, Sabato De Sarno, a seasoned professional with 14 years of experience at Valentino. As anticipation built, the September '23 preview of the collection sparked numerous inquiries: would it mark the return of the Gucci aesthetic from the ’90s? Were logo thongs making a comeback?

With ‘Ancora,’ Sarno forged a path that connected various incarnations of Gucci, spanning from its illustrious past to its dynamic present. The other big news from Gucci last year was the appointment of Alia Bhatt as the global brand ambassador for the maison.

PEAK GAURAV GUPTA

In 2005, Gaurav Gupta embarked on his fashion journey with a vision centred on India’s essence. In 2023, he again delivered on that promise with his inaugural collection for Haute Couture Week in Paris, aptly titled ‘Shunya’. This collection showcased vibrant colours, ranging from neutral tones to vivid blues. Gupta artfully integrated Indian mythical elements into his embroidery, employing a variety of fabrics such as organza, crepe, and Banarasi brocade, and incorporating techniques like Kundalini embroidery. But it was Beyoncé wearing his outfits, not once, but three times on her Renaissance tour that was the highlight of 2023 for Gaurav Gupta.

WERK, WERK, WERK

Rihanna didn’t give us a new album in 2023 but turned up and turned out as a headliner for the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show in February, donning a custom Loewe outfit for her performance. Traditionally, artists lose layers as their performance continues, but Rihanna added pieces for her Super Bowl halftime show. Who can forget the matching scarlet MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon sneakers and a scarlet Norma Kamali sleeping bag coat?

GLITZ & GLAMOUR ATLV

Pharrell Williams took everyone to church with his first collection as creative director for menswear at Louis Vuitton. His designs for the esteemed fashion house seamlessly adhered to its iconic framework, adorned with signature prints and monograms that unmistakably conveyed the Louis Vuitton aesthetic. However, what set this collection apart was the unapologetic joy infused into every piece. The presence of an illustrious front row, including Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Zendaya, further amplified the cultural significance of the moment.

FASHION SPOTLIGHT

Let it be known that 2023 was the year that Mumbai became India’s ‘culture capital’ with the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), which arguably saw one of the most star-studded red carpets in recent times with the likes of Zendaya and Gigi Hadid making their India debut in ethnic wear. What followed was the ‘India in Fashion’ exhibition at the NMACC, which showcased over 150 exhibits, all fully or partially made in the sub-continent. And then, later this year, we witnessed another spectacle—the launch of Jio World Plaza, touted as India’s most expansive luxury mall.

BACK AT IT

Raw Mango doesn’t make a splash. It doesn’t have to. It has cultural storytelling on its side, one that designer Sanjay Garg has carefully cultivated over the years. So when the brand decided to make a runway comeback (of sorts) after almost eight years, as the Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI’s opening show, it got everyone talking. Named ‘Children of the Night,’ the collection was characterised by its striking proportions and drew inspiration from the vibrancy that emerges after nightfall. It exuberantly showcased the artistry of woven textiles and drapes, skillfully blending bold colours like black, neon yellow, and silver.

DIOR TO INDIA

Dior’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, has maintained a longstanding partnership with the Chanakya atelier in Mumbai. This collaboration reached a pinnacle with the staging of the Fall 2023 show in the Maximum City. Set amid an art installation crafted by Chanakya and its School of Crafts, Maria presented one of her most embroidery-intensive collections to date, characterised by luxurious silks, jewel tones, and a breathtaking progression of colour and texture. It showcased Chiuri’s design prowess and underscored the significance of acknowledging and celebrating the craftsmanship of Indian ateliers in the global fashion landscape.

“It was one of those events that become ‘fashion moments’ in the collective imagination and seem to signify an inflection point in India’s emergence as a market for international luxury brands,” says journalist and anthropologist Phyllida Jay. “Overall, many international brands reproduce aesthetic tropes of India with such a long history of borrowing and cross-fertilisation with Indian aesthetics that it’s difficult to say they represent ‘cultural appropriation’ equivocally. The ‘India of the Maharajas’ or ‘rani pink’ and the defacto tiger, paisley, and peacock motifs exemplify this clichéd sartorial shorthand. They all appeared in Dior’s recent Indian-themed Pre-Fall 23 collection. You could say the collection was the Emily in Paris version of India.”