Lace is About to Dominate the Spring/Summer 2023 Season
- Amber Louise
- Oct 1, 2022
- 3 min read
With the spring/summer 2023 fashion month coming to a close, it’s clear that 2023 will bring an abundance of new and recurring trends to the forefront of fashion. This season, lace garments dominated the runways, paving the way for a new era of the fabric. Reclaiming lace garments as provocative and modern were collections from Victoria Beckham, Versace, and Christopher Kane, to name a few. While lace has been around since the 16th century, it’s hard to see it in a modern light. Usually, one pictures expensive lingerie or their grandma’s doilies—two very different images. This season, designers set out to change that notion, creating contemporary looks that were sultry but modest.
It’s no surprise that lace has made its comeback on the runway. Since the resurgence of sheer garments and lingerie-inspired looks alike, it only makes sense that lace is getting its time to shine this upcoming spring/summer season. Despite see-through lace seeming revealing, the way in which these designers have used the fabric leaves plenty to the imagination.
Designer Christopher Kane kicked off the return of lace with his SS23 London Fashion Week (LFW) show in mid-September. Showing pastel organza blouses and skirts ornamented with white lace edges set the tone for the show—a juxtaposition of fabrics to accentuate the female frame. Within a few looks, the lace detailing had taken a moodier turn. Reappearing in the form of a semi-sheer black mini dress with a bubble skirt, it was evident that lace would be approached as both a feminine and gothic style.
Richard Quinn’s SS23 collection showed yet another example of lace being seen in a new light. Look 6, a black ruffled gown with sheer lace panels, was something I could imagine a modern Morticia Addams wearing. It’s dark and chilling, but utterly fabulous. Continuing this theme was Versace, designing their SS23 collection with “a dark gothic goddess in mind” (Versace, 2023). This theme came to fruition in the form of deep purple and black bridal-inspired looks with lace-edged veils and dresses accompanied by lace gloves.
Despite Dolce and Gabbana taking similar inspiration to that of Versace, their SS23 collection served as a nod to their past, collaborating with Kim Kardashian to redesign vintage pieces from previous collections. Their typical ‘rich Italian wife’ designs were modernised, with lace-adorned ensembles. Sheer black lace dresses, skirts, and bra tops were embellished with dramatic opera gloves and sizable cross necklaces and chokers. Directly contrasting were similar silhouettes produced in a light tan, paired with lustrous lingerie and opera gloves of the same colour. Simply put, the colour change completely transformed the look and feel of the garments, creating something softer and more feminine.
Victoria Beckham kept lace light and feminine, using the fabric as more of an accessory throughout her SS23 collection shown in Paris. Light pink gloves and tights accentuated dresses, providing a unique texture to the looks. The beauty of recurring trends is that they can be interpreted in so many ways, which her collection is just one example of.
It’s exciting to see the different directions that lace is taking this upcoming spring/summer season. Whether your style is more gothic or bright and feminine, this trend can be incorporated into almost any kind of wardrobe. Lace has been around for a long time and won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Comments