Spring fashion 2013: The top 15 trends on the runways this season

Get ready to peel back those layers, kids. Here comes the sun. Spring 2013 is finally upon us, and with it comes an onslaught of new fashionable desires. To prep, we’ve distilled a month long of fashion shows from New York, London, Milan and Paris and have brought you the top 15 trends you’ll need bookmarked.
Consider this your style bible for the next 6 months, as we’ll constantly be adding trend-based shopping picks, street style galleries, photo shoots, DIYs and more. From Marc Jacobs’ 1960s Edie Sedgwick infatuation to Dries Van Noten and Phillip Lim’s ode to 1990s grunge, believe us, we’ll have plenty of Spring 2013 fashion goodness to work from.

Aside from the various time stamps, designers found inspiration worldwide this season: Japan (Prada, Haider Ackermann and Etro were all Asian-inspired), Italy (Proenza Schouler and Altuzarra put heels on the gladiator sandal), the US West Coast (beach prints reigned supreme at Victoria Beckham), the travelling music festival (Coachella 2013 brought to you by Tory Burch and Isabel Marant?) and even underwater (say hello to Seapunk, your newest fascination).
They travelled around the body too, revealing new erogenous zones for the fashion hungry to zoom in on: midriffs (crop tops at JW Anderson and Michael Kors!), shoulders (strapless at Chanel and Gucci!), legs (short shorts everywhere!)—they’re all hot this season.
But before you become overwhelmed by Spring 2013 fashion’s latest and greatest trends, take a bit of advice from us to you: Choose what works for you and stick to it. While the ghost of Kurt Cobain’s certainly a-callin’, you might not want to go head-to-toe plaid. Pick and choose girl, it’s your season.

1990s

The new wave of 1990s-inspired plaids, slip dresses and faded florals marks the return of grunge this spring. Part punk, part working class, grunge has been a recurring trend in fashion since the early 1990s. It first crawled out from the underground in the late 1980s in response to financial hardship, a backlash to capitalism and the emergence of regional rock music. The Seattle-born style was popularized by front men like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain (his tortured-by-fame look included moth-eaten sweaters, beat-up Chuck Taylor sneakers and shredded denim) and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder (fond of oversized plaid shirts paired with baggy cut-offs and combat boots). Courtney Love, lead singer of Hole and Cobain’s wife, brought her version of burnout beauty into the spotlight with baby-doll dresses, smudged eyeliner and slashes of red lipstick. Anti-fashion went mainstream and Gen Xers everywhere started Goodwill hunting.
Designers began to take notice. Marc Jacobs based his Spring 1993 collection for Perry Ellis on this surprisingly influential slacker style but gave it a decadent twist. Sleeveless flannel shirts were produced in luxurious silk, thermal tops were woven in cashmere and Chuck Taylors debuted in Duchesse silk. Then there was the skillful layering: Full-length granny-floral dresses were worn over striped tops, flowy skirts were left open to reveal hot pants underneath and crop tops were worn over T-shirts and under button-ups. The media were smitten and Jacobs won the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award but the collection didn’t sell well. The king and queen of grunge—Cobain and Love—were sent pieces from the collection, which they later burned. In a 2010 interview with Women’s Wear Daily, Love shed some light on this fiery situation: “We were punkers—we didn’t like that kind of thing.”
Three-figure price tags and thrift store-inspired threads weren’t a match made in retail heaven back then, but now luxury has been redefined. This season, designers including Phillip Lim, Dries Van Noten and Henry Holland are hoping to cash in on their tidier interpretations of the 1990s trend. Spring 2013’s look is about juxtaposing luxe with lowbrow, masculine with feminine and construction with deconstruction. It’s artfully messy with an underlying polish. Van Noten put a soft spin on it, showing plaids in taffeta, organza, mousseline and lamé. His other spring standouts included oversized sheer button-down shirts (perfect for layering) and white oblong sunnies similar to the ones Cobain wore. Rochas continued this glam grunge theme with vintage-inspired slip dresses (hello, Courtney), while Henry Holland churned out lace and sheer-edged dresses that referenced the 1990s in hues much deeper than his usual bright, bold mix. 3.1 Phillip Lim showed bare midriffs, distressed denim, tie-front skirts that gave the illusion of a flannel shirt around the waist, and tough sandals that channelled Doc Martens, while Acne designer Jonny Johansson paired sleeveless novelty tees with parachute skirts held together with utility belts.
Grunge, in all its haute hybrids, is showing no sign of social alienation this time around. The spring campaigns are high on hobo-meets-hipster chic: Jacobs, the original guru of grunge, set his latest Marc by Marc Jacobs ads in a gritty, graffiti-covered bathroom and small alleyway, proving that loud colour, chaos and clashing prints are the new must-haves. Somewhere, Kurt Cobain is flipping us the bird.

Seapunk

Spring 2013′s Seapunk trend is a product of one of the strangest intersections we’ve seen in a long while. Part Little Mermaid, part 1990s computer graphics, this sea-inspired trend is certainly something new.
While swimming pools, abstract waves and water prints remained mainstay inspiration for some, it was the addition of digi prints, acidic hues and hip hop stylings that really stood out this season.
Explosive as of late in the cultural world (case in point, Azealia Banks’ video for Atlantis), Seapunk’s influence as a fashion trend can arguably be traced back to Alexander McQueen’s last show: Plato Atlantis, Spring 2010. The collection merged larger-than-life digi prints with a serious online component—it was the first fashion show to be streamed live, via SHOWstudio.
This season, designers like Proenza Schouler gave new life to seapunk, infusing the Spring 2013 show featuring Tumblr-inspired prints on split-layered dresses, jackets and more. To boot, the label’s Spring 2013 campaign video was entirely digital, inspired by the online game Second Life.
Back at the more traditional end of the spectrum, serene blues and soft greens breathed new life to typical underwater inspiration, with Monique Lhuillier’s Mediterranean-inspired collection at the forefront. Known for her formalwear, Lhuillier’s digital prints added a unique spin. Appropriately entitled “Kaleidoscope,” Giorgio Armani’s Spring 2013 collection fused navy and turquoise with with pops of soft sea-like colours and fabrics with sheen. Michael Kors adopted the trend in a more wearable way, showing a few dreamy ocean-inspired looks in an otherwise crisp geometric collection.

Festival fashion

 

Every year around this time, thousands of music lovers prepare to flock to locales across North America and Europe for weekend-long celebrations of peace, love and cut-offs. Think Woodstock 2.0, where the new brand of flower children wear hair wreaths purchased at Urban Outfitters, performers don Céline (ahem, Kanye), and the only cause is having your picture taken by a street-style blogger.
Music festivals such as Coachella (California), Bonnaroo (Tennessee) and Osheaga (Montreal) have become important trend-breeding grounds for designers and retailers; festival fashion items like crop tops, feathered headdresses, knit vests and flowy maxi dresses have become almost as relevant as what comes down the ready-to-wear runways.
And while the festival fashion trend serves as mainstay inspiration for designers like Isabel Marant, Anna Sui and Blugirl, it was given new life for Spring 2013 with an explosion of crafty macramé, 1990s-era printed T-shirts and fringe.
3.1 Phillip Lim’s largely 1990s-inspired collection set the freewheeling tone of Spring 2013′s brand festival fashion showing bright overalls, breezy floral printed jumpsuits, parka-esque summer weight vests along with those good ole logo T-shirts in black, white and red. Acne went even more literal, emblazoning “Music” across its cut-off T-shirts.
Even Upper East Sider Tory Burch had festival fashion fever, swapping out her typically preppy wears for embroidered blanket sweaters, oversized crochet necklaces, tie-dye dresses and fringed shorts.
The festival fashion trend has resonated since the original rock gods put their stamp on festival style at Woodstock during the summer of ’69—Janis Joplin’s circular rose-tinted glasses, Jim Morrison’s lace-up leather pants and Jimi Hendrix’s headscarves. But its transference into our collective style consciousness can be chalked up to one now-iconic look: Kate Moss, Glastonbury, 2005. Wearing tiny cut-offs, a black buttoned vest and—the festival pièce de résistance—mud-covered Hunter wellington boots, she redefined the look of a supermodel as she traipsed across the show grounds with then-boyfriend (and Babyshambles frontman) Pete Doherty. That paparazzi shot of Moss inspired leagues of lookalikes, propelling the British heritage brand’s wellies to the forefront of cooldom. And the love fest continues.

Stripes

Whether horizontal, vertical, thin, thick, black and white or in living colour, stripes make a graphic statement, day or night. And while we cant think of a time when stripes weren’t in, they are certainly back in a big way for Spring 2013.
The stripes trend was at its strongest in New York during fashion week, where it dominated two very different runways. Marc Jacobs paraded models in 1960s-inspired looks that included horizontal, vertical and zigzag patterns in simple shades of black, white and oxblood. From a simple striped white T-shirt worn over not much else, to the head-to-toe sequined striped gown, Jacobs’ created jailbait, jailhouse and high society appeal all in one show.
Michael Kors gave stripes his slick signature with a brighter, sportier take, using emerald green, red, navy and yellow to cover crewneck sweaters, drop waist dresses, and a standout two-toned bathing suit.
The European runways were showing stripes some love for Spring 2013 too. At Dior, Raf Simons added his signature modern touch to formal dressing, with pink and black satin stripes sewn in angles to create an asymmetrical hemline. At Dolce & Gabbana’s crafty ode to ’50s era Italian countryside, stripes stood out as a palette cleanser.

Ruffles

When the Paris makes a fashion statement, people listen. This season the message was loud and clear. Ruffles—from pretty frills to oversized decoration—are big trend winners for Spring 2013, appearing on everything from sleeves to collars to hemlines.
And while ruffles can often be a feminine detail, it was the dramatic oversized styles that caught our eye. At Gucci, Frida Giannini showed ruffles arcing around the sleeves of an otherwise simple gown. At Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière showed stark contrasted black and white ruffles that traced along the hemline of a dress to create a ruffled slit—-quite a delicate statement for the designer’s last collection with the house. At Chloé, designer Clare Waight Keller played with ruffles in the label’s classic, feminine way. Flouncing ruffles decorated the top of a one-shoulder dress pastel dress, referencing the femininity of this pretty trend.
For those concerned that the ruffles trend can be a bit overwhelming, some labels showed ruffles in simpler, more wearable ways. For Ralph Lauren’s exotic Spring 2013 collection, the designer showed fluttery ruffled blouses that were made for real-life with a touch of American glamour. JW Anderson’s mini-dresses also adopted ruffles, but offset the trend in asymmetrical layers and with crop tops. Anderson, London’s rising talent, designed flirty ruffles for the bottoms of skirts and dresses as well, inspiring a cool-girl take on the trend.

Crop top

Last year’s infatuation with the crop top is back for another round and midriffs are having a skin-is-in moment. Bra tops, ruffled bandeaus and corsets have a distinct 1990s feel, especially when paired with high-waisted trousers.
The crop top trend is not for everyone, but it’s important to remember that the trend has come a long way from its late 1990s Spice Girls days. Spring 2013′s offerings need not expose your whole stomach. The sexy schoolgirl look has been mellowed for a more mature and comfortable style.
That touch of sophistication was lead by designers like Peter Som, who showed vintage bralets with long feminine skirts for a look that was more pretty than provocative. Michael Kors designed a long sleeve crop top that seemed fashion-forward and sporty, exposing just a sliver of mid-section. And at Balenciaga, crop tops were created with flattering boxy cuts that did not cling to the body.
Designers seemed inclined to pair a crop top with a high-waisted skirt for a more ladylike approach to the trend. But the look can certainly double as beachwear for summertime fun. While the crop top is often a fashion trend that is feared by many, this season’s choices make it easier to embrace this tricky style statement.

Metallic

Out with the gold, in with the new: The metallic trend’s got a whole new motto for Spring 2013. Designers have put the pedal to the metal, amping up mirror metallic finishes and iridescent fabrics. Shining on all of the major runways of fashion’s capitals, these looks bring a fresh sense of opulence to the always-colourful season.
Many top designers used shiny textures and iridescent fabrics for their Spring 2013 collections, but it was Burberry Prorsum that set the metallic standard. Creative director Christopher Bailey showed dresses, capes and even swimwear in metallic blues, pinks, greens and yellows that were so intense, they brought new meaning to escapism. At Christian Dior, new creative director Raf Simons placed thin shining layers overtop sophisticated stripes and feminine florals, effectively putting his stamp on the house.
The big news now: Shine for day. Space age-inspired separates and playful candy-wrapper foil frocks prompt serious reflection, especially at Jonathan Saunders, where a 1990s era club kid take on the trend had mirror-shine stripes and sequins split into stripes and curved lines on crop tops, drop-waist dresses and jackets.
Whether you prefer to dip a toe or dive right in, Spring 2013′s take on the metallic trend is as easily tested as accessories or even full looks. Bonus points? Try on some shine from head-to-toe for some surefire flashbulb appeal.

Floral print

“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” Miranda Priestley’s famed catty retort from The Devil Wears Prada may live on in infamy, but its been proven false time and time again.
Fashion’s ongoing love affair with floral prints continues for Spring 2013 with a myriad of designers offering up their take on the iconic pattern. Be prepared to embrace your inner lady with floral print dresses, swimsuits, shoes, and even sunglasses. This season’s florals come in soft pastel colours and vibrant hues, all of which are some variation of the garden theme.
While the floral print trend has been in full bloom for as long as we can remember, Spring 2013 brought with it oversized floral motifs that even included 3D designs. Erdem, king of the floral print, adapted his signature print in sorbet hued 3D appliqués that caught the eye of not one but two Hollywood A-listers before the collection had even hit stores.
Another titan of floral prints, Oscar de la Renta, showed appliques so big, they were virtually life-size.
For those less willing to live in bloom all season long, the floral trend still continues from previous years with printed pants, mini-dresses, skirts, and everything else retailers can put a flower on. Florals are all about having fun with fashion and embracing the joy and romance of spring. Perhaps this is why the floral trend is one that just won’t go away.

Shorts

Shorts are continuing to improve on their cool factor this season with many different lengths and styles to choose from. A summer essential, shorts are a great way to show off legs. But this trend is about more than summer vacations and sporty style. This spring, shorts range from casual to elegant with a variety diverse of choices. Play up gams with serious game in shorts long on style. Choose from bicycle, boyfriend and micro-mini, opt for bold prints or go matchy-match in a chic shorts suit.
Be prepared for an onslaught of Bermuda shorts such as the distressed denim version worn by Cara Delevingne at DKNY’s Spring 2013 runway show. Other designers, such as Roland Mouret, showed Bermuda shorts with a structured blazer; raising the level of sophistication that is appropriate for most offices. The charming shorts suit, which has been around for a few seasons now, is a feminine take on menswear that continues to gain momentum. Michael Kors showed a matching striped version on the runway that is sure to set the standard this spring.
Despite shorts’ newfound refinement, cute and girly short shorts continue to be a key item in our closets for Spring 2013. Designers such as Rebecca Minkoff and Cacharel paraded shorts in electric hues and super short, sexy styles. The short trend is becoming more versatile every year with designers continuing to experiment with different options. What’s next?

1960s

Op art prints, doll-like proportions and Crayola-box brights create a totally new vibe for the ongoing 1960s trend this season. Half a century later, this decade still captivates.
Why? Just ask Marc Jacobs, who set the tone of the season with 45 Edie Sedgwick-inspired looks, effectively reclaiming one of the decade’s hottest It girls for Spring 2013. Sedgwick embodied the freewheeling 1960s with her more is more approach to layering fur and leopard print over striped T-shirts (worn simply as dresses) while accessorizing with shoulder length chandelier earrings, exaggerated mod eye makeup and false lashes. Jacobs’ simple striped black and white T-shirt worn over hot pants and a platinum bob was all it took to bring her up to speed. And whereas Jacobs cited restraint as one of the underlying tonal influences in his Spring 2013 collection, the 1960s trend meant optimism for many other designers, including Christopher Kane. For his last collection at Versus, Kane used cacophonous brights in singular looks. At Moschino Cheap and Chic, hippie styles reigned supreme with a cheerful optimism that included large and multicoloured peace signs blazoned on maxi dresses and purses shaped like fruits.
Miuccia Prada’s take was yet another spin on the trend, showing Marimekko-esque floral prints on strict black skirts and thick rimmed 1960s style glasses.
The 1960s revolutionized fashion in ways that had rarely been seen before. Mini skirts, short hair, and dramatic prints revolutionized the way women dressed, the effects of which can still be seen today—particularly for Spring 2013.

Off the shoulder

Call it the Michelle Obama effect: Shoulders are in. After a long winter of covering up, this erogenous zone shares the spotlight with bare midriffs and mile-long legs for Spring 2013. Whether completely exposed or veiled with transparent netting, wearing those shoulders bare is a sexy trend that nearly everyone can embrace.
While off-the-shoulder exposure is nothing new, Spring 2013′s collections brought the trend back the forefront with discreet cutout styles and glamourous one-shoulder dresses. This trend has an inadvertent come-hither effect, and it’s the perfect way to show some skin without going overboard. The seductive look can take any outfit up a notch, exposing the body in a playful way. Think Grease’s Sandy gone wild, but updated for today.
At Maison Martin Margiela, shoulders were a focal point with oversized ball gowns that exposed little but the shoulders. Even more modern, Gucci showed a stunning black evening dress with the shoulders covered in keyhole netting. What’s more, the popular one shoulder look is still going strong, with designers like Emilio Pucci and Isabel Marant taking part.
But it wasn’t all about the glamourous gowns on international runways. For a more casual spring look, off-the-shoulder sweaters and tops were on display at Anthony Vaccarello and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, that coincided perfectly with another of Spring’s 2013′s biggest trends: the 1990s. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

Checker

When model duos descended on a bank of escalators to a giant checkerboard runway in Louis Vuitton’s signature Damier print, it was clear that a major trend was emerging. It’s been a long time since we played the game, but we may want to brush up on our skills—ranging from itty-bitty to supersized, checker patterns are anything but square for Spring 2013.
Most notable ushered in with Vuitton’s all around checker ode, designer Marc Jacobs’ mod shapes and 1960s references brought the pattern up to speed, and the rest followed. At Aqualiano.Rimondi, the checker pattern was flipped on an angle, giving a harlequin print effect to the duo’s colourful dresses. At Balmain, the checker print was given a larger than life 1980s spin, when it was embroidered into bulked up shoulders.
Alongside its close relation, the stripe, the checker trend has become a favourite amongst Hollywood’s leading ladies. Seen on everybody from Jessica Alba to Kristen Stewart to Kerry Washington, the print brings with it an unexpected slant on the average. Perhaps it was the same optimism that has attracted so many it girls to the Vuitton collection itself. It attracted us, that’s for sure.

Primary colours

Think school’s out for summer? Think again: Cobalt blue, fire-engine red and canary yellow make the grade when mixed or worn monochromatic. Those good old fashion primary colours are back in a big way this season.
Stella McCartney hit the crayon box with her Spring 2013 collection, showing head-to-toe pleated looks in bright primary colours as well as tangerine and emerald. Valentino adopted a couture-like approach to primaries with leather trench coats in solid red. At Gucci’s upbeat show, models wore head-to-toe vibrant colours in a rainbow with matching shoes and bags, keeping prints to a minimum.
And speaking of prints…primary colours seemed to take the biggest style marks when mixed with the print of the season: stripes. Combined best at Michael Kors, thick stripes in red/blue and yellow/blue had a distinctly All American feel. At Versus, similar combos made up head-to-toe patterns on 1960s-inspired jumpsuits.
While the primary colours trend references a back-to-basics approach, it’s anything but business as usual. Whether worn head-to-toe (a simple silhouette in a continuous solid colour is all you need!) or with accessory colour pops (ready to try Prada’s bright red judo platforms? What about Céline’s fun fur heels?), this trend is just ready to blow.

Photo print

Drawing on inspiration from the ongoing digital print phenomenon, the photo print trend is an innovative way designers are creating wearable artwork. For Spring 2013, designers showcased clothing emblazoned with oversized photographs that are both visually striking and interesting. Some of these images were of beautiful landscapes and nature scenes, but others featured human bodies and faces adding something different to a downtown look.
When considering this trend, one should look no further than Proenza Schouler. Citing Tumblr as an inspiration for the collection, designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez showed skirts and dresses printed with artsy pool scenes and forest imagery by artist Gerhard Richter. By using prints that are so complex and intricate, the duo has created designs that are so detailed they require more than just a passing glance.
Other designers, such as the always-provocative Jeremy Scott, proved that even the human face in and of itself can be trendy. Scott showed a one-piece swimsuit with a woman’s face printed across it. While this look is likely not for everyone, it’s sure to please Scott’s loyal fans. Furthermore, Christopher Kane unleashed his inner mad scientist with a Frankenstein-inspired collection that included the infamous monster’s face on T-shirts. Whether you’re looking for a sophisticated uptown look, or a bold and surreal interpretation, the season’s photo print trend is a surefire way to turn heads.

Asian-inspired

As the Asian market becomes increasingly important to the business of fashion, so too does it become to designers. With so many of the world’s top designers, models, consumers and businesses from Asian countries and the increasing presence of China and Japan as key fashion markets, the elegant Asian-inspired trend which has been chugging along for the past few seasons is showing no sign of slowing down for Spring 2013.
The Asian inspired trend was strongest at labels such as Haider Ackermann and Prada. Ackermann showed deep hues such as black and navy on lavish and traditional Asian silhouettes. Models took to the runway in layered, belted looks with structure and sophistication. Prada, whose presence is rapidly growing in various Asian markets, paid tribute to traditional Japanese femininity. The designer showed coats embroidered with origami flowers and evoked a calm serenity that is so often associated with Asian society.
With such a colourful show of kimonos, structured judo jackets and traditional motifs for Spring 2013, fashion is sure to continue to blend cultures and draw on global inspirations well into next season.

Accessories

The easiest way to update your wardrobe is by adding a new accessory. This season, designers updated old classics to create new statement pieces that can take any outfit to new heights. Everything from jewels to shoes and even sunglasses has been given an overhaul for a fresh take on Spring 2013 accessory trends.
Jewellery is always a go-to for putting the finishing touches on any look. After previous jewellery trends such as the statement ring and the statement necklace, this spring all eyes are on oversize earrings. Another summer must-have – sunglasses – have also been updated. Prada’s quirky frames have been decorated with graphic floral prints. While at Missoni and Just Cavalli, sunglasses were designed in vibrant hues.

In terms of footwear, Spring 2013 also promises fantastic new ideas to experiment with. Not long ago, we thought that the time of the uber-trendy gladiator sandal was coming to an end. But not so fast! The gladiator sandal is back with a vengeance, with new knee-high boot styles seen at Altuzarra, Versace, and Proenza Schouler. Platforms are another strong spring 2013 trend. We love the unexpected shapes and intricate details shown on the runways of Pucci and Dolce and Gabbana. These new platforms are a great way to add height to any outfit.
Spring 2013 also brought with it a lot of structured handbags. While there are many different styles and sizes to choose from, the overwhelming focus was on clutches. At Vivianne Tam, clutches were big enough to carry your iPad but small enough to discreetly tuck under your arm. But it was Celine that unsurprisingly set the standard with leather clutches with their tops rolled over. Highlighted with various patterns, colours, and textures, these clutches are quickly becoming the new ‘it’ bags of the season.