Review of Isabel Marant Spring 2023 Fashion Show
Marant Takes Us Back to the Best of Boho
By Angela Baidoo
Fashion can be a means of escapism, but what Isabel Marant brings to the table, particularly during her summer seasons, is clothes to escape in. As we all consider how to keep calm and carry on in the face of an impending financial crisis, many will be looking at ways to escape, even if the only means of doing so is to pick up a sheer blouse, pair it with micro shorts and wear it to the nearest sandy bank or body of water.
Crochet, as a medium, seems most at place at brands like Marant’s, styled in amongst the cargo pants and leather skirts, hand-crafted crochet swimsuits can be worn for both the beach and to party.
Like a number of other brands, dark florals will be in for spring, while deep hues of aubergine, orange, and cognac are a casualised take on the similar palette that was seen at the other end of the fashion spectrum at Saint Laurent. Trying to convey a sense of hope and lightness, sharp whites and parchment also formed the base for peachy tones and faded orange.
Crochet, as a medium, seems most at place at brands like Marants, styled in amongst the cargo pants and leather skirts, hand-crafted crochet swimsuits can be worn for both the beach and to party. A men’s look of a vest that seemed like it was hanging on my literal threads should be made available on the women’s side too, as it serves as the ultimate beach cover-up or for the more daring a layered mini dress.
This season those that choose to invest will be coming in at the right time as we are on the cusp of an inevitable boho revival, and nobody does it better than this brand, but rather than the heavy-handed layers-over-layers and fringing, Marant’s way around this trend is so effortless a handbook should be written. Tops are either ruffled camisoles in the lightest of chiffons, and a bandeau with wafty layers is a 00s throwback that now looks right to make a return. Blouses are universally flattering with lace inserts and cut-outs in A-line shapes and will work with either the cropped leather biker pants or the cargo pant – itself now a key item across retail for women of all ages.
The army print hasn’t been seen across the runways as a cohesive trend in a few years, but here the pattern is refreshed with a softening of its edges, while opting for faded greens and browns will translate for a broader customer base.
There does come a moment when – in a time when designers, and casting directors for that matter, are challenging their own body diversity efforts – we have to look at the brands who hold up a very singular body aesthetic as its representation.
The Isabel Marant brand is known for its blend of boho and biker chic that became an instant hit among French girls for the way in which it captured their essence and sold it back to them, repackaged in the form of cropped leather pants, embroidered volume blouses, quilted jackets, and ruffled minis. Yet, there does come a moment when – in a time when designers, and casting directors for that matter, are challenging their own body diversity efforts – we have to look at the brands who hold up a very singular body aesthetic as its representation. And as much as this brand maintains its relevance in a constantly shifting market, one day soon it will have to address this issue, and when they do all their fans and potential plus-sized customers will be all the better for it.
