The future of fashion is excessive

One of the best things about working in fashion (or at least next to it) is living in the future. When the present feels tense or downright dystopia, biennial fashion weeks offer a hint of another time, down six months down the road. Sure, the current calendar can make these runway shows feel out of touch with the here and now, but taken another way, it’s an opportunity to disconnect from it all and imagine what a wonder it is.

Come spring, what if you have a different job and need a completely new outfit – will you become an office fashion plate and wear polka-dots and caps and big bows? Carolina Herrera and Tom Brown voted yes. Would you like to welcome the return of beige by Valentino and Batsheva? What if two robotic arms came up from the floor and drew a dress directly over your body and you were Bella Hadid?

As we scanned the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris, the line became clear: it’s going to be fun for spring. Clothes scream and our lifestyles become more fun to match. The bright optimism of September may be gone all too soon, and the fashion week calendar allows us to hold on to the heat just a little longer. The sun has set a bit and we can imagine it will rise. Purple sequins look like flowers on Laquan Smith. Seen at Balmain and Louis Vuitton (the latter with studded handcuffs), it looks like a bag big enough to get out of Dodge for a few days. Even our jeans will be embellished with gems and splatter paint by spring 2023.

Below, as we delve into the future of fashion, see everything Senior Fashion Editor Sam Sutton packed for the week in Paris, how stylists plan to wear next season’s big trends, and inspiration for living and dressing—to the absolute fullest.