Wear This Not That New York Fashion Week 2023 Recap!
Holly recently attended the 2023 February New York Fashion Week and is here to report that this was one for the record books! On this episode, she shares the highs – and the lows – of what is about to come your way in fashion and style.
Traditionally, your favorite personal stylist, and podcast hostess with the mostest, attends about 13 to 15 shows during NYFW. But this year, Holly took the new approach of quality over quantity, and frankly, she is not sorry. Getting to enjoy the art of fashion, rather than running all through NY traffic and weather, really gave her a chance to study what the latest trends, designs, and fabrics designers are showing this year.
The purpose of this episode is to encourage you to learn how to interpret these new fashion trends, and ultimately, incorporate them into your own wardrobe!
Now would be a good time to remind you to head over to Holly’s Pinterest boards to see all the new fashions mentioned in this episode, as well as photos from the shows.
Make sure there are no distractions for the next 30 minutes because let's be honest, this is the stuff we all need to know!
What Holly saw:
Their clothes were on another level this year! They paired a fleece hoodie with a black A-line leather skirt. Holly loved the way they style their suiting, which has been around for several seasons now.
They paired an oversized white jacket with like an asymmetrical midi straight skirt and slouchy white boots. There was a skinny contrasting black belt around the jacket. And there were several dresses that were long with “carwash” detailing.
(If you don't know what carwash detailing is – think of when you go through a carwash and you go through the strips that are wavy like noodles. THAT is the detailing of some of the dresses at the show.}
What Holly liked:
#1 – This company has nice people who work there and appreciate their customers.
#2 – They have a variety of price points, meaning their current line is expensive, but they carry another brand, which is a lesser price point called White Label with the same aesthetic as the full price line, just different fabrics that are a little bit more relatable to moderately priced consumers.
#3- Lastly and most importantly, consistent sizing. Season in and season out, the Proenza sizing and fit are something you can rely on.
What Holly saw:
PatBo is a very hip women's wear brand by Patricia Bonaldi. She is a Brazilian designer who has been sewing since she was a child and started making gowns for private clients in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The woman who wears this brand tends to skew a bit younger with styles that show a lot of skin and leg. Along with gorgeous gowns and two-piece sets that are full of embellishments, sequins, and beads for days. All beautifully made.
What Holly liked:
Holly loves this designer’s playful and beautiful use of embroidery, fringe, beading, sequins, and adornments that are over-the-top and fabulous.
UMMM VERY IMPORTANT PSA: Just know that at this point in the episode, Holly shares that she met one of her Peloton idols: Ally Love. And if that wasn’t girl-crush enough, Ally had on the most spectacular PatBo two-piece ivory fringe and pearl embroidered mini skirt set ever seen. DYYYIIINNGG. We love her.
The PatBo customer is definitely a party girl who loves to turn heads when she walks into a room. This is always a fabulous show and never disappoints.
The Sergio Hudson collection is a ready-to-wear label crafted entirely in the USA, with meticulous attention to detail that is at the forefront of every single garment. He is known for dressing celebrities, such as Beyonce, Priyanka Chopra, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Jennifer Lopez.
What Holly saw:
Hudson’s show was a complete and total throwback to the early 90s. All the models channeled their inner “Fran Drescher,” with literally the same hairstyle, a suit with a short short (and we mean SHORT! Like no pants on short!) skirt, pumps, a suit jacket, and dark pantyhose. Every single model had their hair wavy and very long past their shoulders, with part of their hair up and part down like we used to wear in high school - complete with a scrunchie!
What Holly liked:
This show was really playful and played up the styles that are just for the show and some that will actually go into production. It was all about neon colors, and 90s hair and makeup. Flirty clothes with a twist on a business suit in a really fun way.
There are so many things in his ready-to-wear collection that Holly would love for herself: Jackets with very strong shoulders, wide-leg pants, and the belts, the belts, the belts, they are really the most elegant way to top off one of his looks. Holly highly recommends you try a pair of pants just to see if you like the fit.
CAROLINA HERRERA (omg)
This was literally the opportunity of a lifetime for Holly. (She tells us how she ended up getting a seat at the very last minute because someone very special went above and beyond to get her a ticket.)
The show was at the Plaza Hotel and if you've never been to the Plaza, do yourself a favor the next time you are in New York City and go there even if you go sit at the bar and have a Bougie overpriced drink! Anyway…..
What Holly saw:
Timeless, ageless, elegant style. Needless to say, when you go to a show like Carolina Herrera, you just cannot compare it to the other brands. Herrera makes gorgeous, showstopping, and timeless clothes that are an investment. When you purchase a dress from this designer, you wear it forever. It never goes out of style. This is true elegance. There is just no comparison to it.
What Holly liked:
Beaded, cropped pants and a matching jacket, a color-blocked sheath dress, a purple and green damask dress with a train, a black and white striped strapless dress with floral shoes, a floral gown with sheer sleeves, a yellow and white chevron dress with pants underneath, a red and pink striped dress, AND, a floral pantsuit. She loved it all. All of it. Every bit. She will get one of these dresses. Oh yes.
This designer has been sewing since she was a child with her grandmother. She started this line in 2017 and designs dresses, bridal wear, blouses, jackets, and everything in between.
She can make anything custom – a customer can change the top of one dress or put them on the bottom of another, change the fabric, or use a different strap. You can choose from anything she has to create your own look. Everything is made locally in New York City.
She had a presentation, not a runway show, which means it was like a cocktail party where she shows her line in a more intimate setting.
What Holly Saw:
The venue was stunning with clothes in different rooms that were decorated with gorgeous dried flowers everywhere. There was a jazz band, and the whole aesthetic was very 1920s, and very, very, iconic New York.
What Holly liked:
Party dresses and sequined skirts–and especially a sequined fish-scale skirt that has Holly’s fingerprints all over it. Holly loves this brand because it is sophisticated, very achievable, and wearable for all. This designer is not out of reach, nor is a ridiculous price point.
Please visit Markarian-nyc.com. They are a small company and you would be supporting a small women-owned brand that is fabulous!
For more visuals and to really get a taste of Holly’s NYFW, check out her Pinterest board and follow her on Instagram!