The stars are literally aligned for these trends, designers and business opportunities to thrive.
Most people would never think of simply looking to the sky to predict fashion trends. But I’m not most people.
I always chose another, even in the strangest cases. Astrology in the eyes of modern society—like my childhood preference for the color purple instead of the more standard girlish pink—has been polemically framed as other : science versus pseudoscience, rationality versus superstition. Maybe that’s why I was so fascinated by researching her connection to fashion as an adult.
Astrology is not only used to tell you about you. Electoral astrology, for example, is the application of astrology to find the best dates and times to start a new project, get married, publish a book, apply for a job, etc. From a fashion perspective, astrology can be used as a tool or cheat code to decipher what trends may be just around the corner.
So what does 2023 have in store for us when it comes to clothing? Let’s find out.
WHICH PLANETS DETERMINE WHAT?
Before we delve into 2023, it’s helpful to look back at the 2022 birth chart—or its “solar return chart”—to determine how the trends of the past year have translated from heaven to earth.
For fast fashion and micro-trends, we look to month, because it changes signs about every two days.
In terms of money-making trends and trends targeting women, we look at to Venus , as Venus is a feminine planet that rules money, beauty and fashion. For men, we look at Mars, since Mars is a male planet.
And for long-term, sustainable trends, we look at Jupiter (which spends about one year in each sign) and Saturn (which spends about two and a half years in each sign).
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?
At the beginning of 2022, Saturn was in Aquarius.
Aquarius rules over our skin and freedom—in this case, our body, in the sense of clothing. nancyDojaka has persevered during Saturn in Aquarius: not only did the designer win the 2021 LVMH Prize for Mentorship in 2022, but her name has since become synonymous with cutouts and body-hugging clothing.
Aquarius also rules over our legs (especially our calves), and brands like Versace and MiuMiu, were wise to revive micro-mini skirts.
We also started the year with Jupiter in Pisces, which rules all things ~weird~, including aliens, the unknown, and Loewe-esque surrealism. Have you ever dreamed that you have difficulty climbing stairs, that all your teeth fall out, or that you suddenly go blind? Twisted narrative and visual effects (a la Alexander McQueen) are the energy of Pisces.
Jupiter is the planet of expansion and abundance; the sign it is in can determine what trends we can expect over the next 12-13 months. Jonathan Anderson gave us a taste of Dali surrealism for Loewe’s Fall 2022 collection in the form of aerial body parts and lips for breasts; The brand’s spring 2023 collection, which debuted in late September, celebrated lumps and bumps in the style of a surrealist Rei Kawakubo. (Kawakubo’s spring 1997 Lumps and Bumps collection was released just before Jupiter entered Pisces in 1998, when Jupiter was still in futuristic Aquarius.)
WHAT CAN WE PREDICT ABOUT 2023?
TREND: SPORTSWEAR
Aries will be in the spotlight in 2023 for two reasons: Jupiter (planet of expansion) is now in Aries (which rules sports and physical activity) and the North Node will shift from Taurus to Aries in the second half of this year in May. Both of these planets are signs of exponential growth, so expect loads of sportswear before Jupiter joins Uranus in mid-May and lures us into slower fashion and sustainability.
TREND: SUSTAINABILITY AND SLOW FASHION
On January 1, 2023, we had five planets and the North Node in superslow earth signs: the Sun, Mercury, Venus, and Pluto were in Capricorn, while the Moon and the North Node were in Taurus. (Quick: Taurus rules necks, and pointy collars were big at Prada and Fendi for fall 2023.) When three or more planets are in the same sign, we call it a stellium: the stellium energy is stronger and more powerful—and of course, earth signs rule constancy and slowly With the Paris Agreement and the political emphasis on clean energy, the fashion industry is sure to follow suit more than ever.
TREND: RELIGIOUS AESTHETICS (AND MORE SURREALISM)
In 2023, Saturn will enter the sign of Pisces for the next three years. Astrologers believe that this transit will collectively enforce faith-based boundaries and force us to prioritize our emotions as they relate to those boundaries.
Pisces rules dreams, the unknown, and ultimately religion. It also rules the twelfth house of isolation, loneliness, and darkness, as well as our intuition, psychic abilities, and sleep.
In terms of fashion, expect more collections with a religious theme (with a possible negative effect as Saturn restricts) in the next three years – think Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 1990, Alexander McQueen Fall 1996, Versace Fall 1997 Couture, Christian Dior Spring 2006 year
And as I mentioned before, Pisces’ dominance over surrealism suggests that brands like Loewe and Schiaparelli will continue to make giant waves in fashion.
TREND: MORE VINTAGE REVIVAL AND PINK MANIA
The year began with a stellium in Capricorn, the ruler of the past. Similar to Diesel’s resurgence last year, I predict that brands like Michael Kors , True Religion , and Kate Spade — brands we appreciated in the 2000s (and maybe not so much anymore) — will make a similar comeback to Diesel.
Valentino Pink, Barbiecore, Balletcore – all this will remain in 2023, when Venus in Capricorn makes a hard aspect with Cancer and Libra, rulers of femininity and the color pink.
BONUS OPTION: SHOES
Pisces rules over our feet and, ultimately, our shoes. The best shoe brands in the world were conceived when Saturn was in Pisces: Vans (1966), Nike (1966), Converse (1908), Giuseppe Zanotti (1994), Jimmy Choo (1996). If that’s not a sign of a shoe brand in the next three years or waiting to explode, I don’t know what is.
DESIGNERS TO WATCH IN 2023
The year 2023 is already favorable for a minor designer Stella McCartney , which works well with both sportswear and sustainability. Vegetable and leather alternatives have become commonplace for brands. With the vegan leather industry set to be worth over $66 billion by 2030 , and Saturn entering Pisces in March, we can also expect more sustainable (but expensive) 3D printing in style Iris Van Herpen.
At Raf Simons his natal North Node is placed in Aries, a Miuccia Prada – in Taurus. Starting in May 2023, when the North Node moves into Aries and Simons experiences his nodal return (a concentrated time of fateful events, high achievements, tremendous growth, etc.), we can expect major changes at Prada that will transform the house as we do. to know this
In March, Saturn will enter Miucci Prada’s twelfth house of slumber and reflection. Saturn’s transit through the twelfth house forces us to make breakthroughs and move toward an inner rebirth that manifests outwardly as it enters the first house after a three-year transit. As an Aries rising with the North Node transiting her First House, Prada will be called upon to put herself first.
Although the time of Simons’ birth is unknown, the north node in Aries will conjunct his natal Saturn in Aries, and transiting Saturn in Pisces will make a strong connection to his Chiron (trauma asteroid) in Pisces. Karmic, doomed events are definitely on the menu for the couple this year.
A huge year is on the cards for Marc Jacobs , who has the Sun, Mercury and Jupiter in Aries. Jupiter in Aries now means that the designer is experiencing a Jupiter Return in the first half of 2023, an abundant transit that occurs every 12 years. The North Node (lunar point of fate) in Aries in the second half of the year will be on his Sun and Jupiter, the planets of glory and expansion.
If you thought that drama Balenciaga/Demna is over… The creative director of Balenciaga will definitely be in the spotlight, with the North Node in Aries transiting his natal Venus, Sun and Mars in the same sign. The Libra South Node (lunar point of mass reduction and loss) will connect his Libra natal Pluto (planet of destruction and rebirth) and Saturn (planet of Karma, limitations, boundaries and emotional unavailability). Libra rules justice and balance, and with the South Node conjunct Saturn (the planet of Karma), I expect Demna to once again gain attention and come out of hiding—but not for any positive reason or chance at redemption.
