We Can Hardly Wait To Wear These Major NYFW Spring 2024 Trends

There was plenty to celebrate at New York Fashion Week this season, from Ralph Lauren’s return to the show calendar — the last time he presented was September 2019 — to Mansur Gavriel’s 10-year anniversary as a brand to Stuart Vevers’ own 10 years at Coach as its creative director. Peter Do also officially debuted his collection as the creative director for Helmut Lang, and Tanner Fletcher co-founders and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominees Tanner Richie and Fletcher Kasell hosted their first runway show, complete with a playful beauty pageant theme (Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel walked). Meanwhile, the NYFW Spring/Summer 2024 trends felt as thrilling and full of surprises to behold as the celebrity-filled events themselves.

For those who’ve adopted a simplified wardrobe à la Sofia Richie Grainge or Kendall Jenner, you’ll want to see what labels like Tibi, Proenza Schouler, Khaite, and Ashlyn have to offer. These collections encapsulated a sense of “effortless” dressing so many of us want to achieve (no matter how much actual work one must put in). A few silhouettes to take note of? Khaite’s cool-girl oversize leather blazers, Tibi’s sleek little white dresses, and Ashlyn’s tailored black skirt sets, which were so gorgeously constructed Katie Holmes herself snapped a few photos from the front row.

The show calendar was also filled with designers who embraced the strange and surreal, keeping the fashion world in balance. Carly Mark of Puppets & Puppets sent several of her models down the runway with the trains of their dresses dangling from their mouths. (She explains in the show notes that this was in reference to séance photos depicting ectoplasm, which may still require a quick Google definition search.) Meanwhile Elena Velez’s ladies, who were in corsets and denim, ended the show with a mud fight — some editors got splattered, but everyone made it out of the Bushwick venue just fine. And Terrence Zhou of Bad Binch TONGTONG leaned into his fantastical aesthetic by crafting outsize creations inspired by octopuses, butterflies, and geometric shapes.

These highlights are just scratching the surface of the glamorous, wild, and fun sartorial ride the last six days have had to offer. Dive deeper into the exact trends you’ll see everywhere, and will want to wear, in the new year.

Balloon Effect

If you’re one for a dramatic look, the exaggerated, puffed-up sleeves seen at Christian Siriano, Carolina Herrera, and Advisry are sure to speak to your soul. Even Khaite, known for its minimalist, sleek silhouettes, leaned into the balloon-sleeve effect — and if designer Catherine Holstein approves of it, so do we.

Catch Some Zzzs

Back in August, sleepwear-inspired designs popped up at Copenhagen Fashion Week — and now, they’ve made their way to the NYC runways, too. Whether you loved 3.1 Phillip Lim’s embellished silky, sheer set or how Marina Moscone paired a power blazer with her two-piece look, you’ll find unlimited ways to master a comfy WFH feeling... even if you’re in the office.

Clear Skies

Picture a perfect cloudless day in summer, where the blue sky endlessly stretches on — this is the hue that popped up in collections like Lafayette 148 and Cinq à Sept. Jason Wu worked the shade into a sheer top over pants, and Eckhaus Latta designers, Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, introduced it by way of a lacy outfit. Then there’s Markarian’s caplet creation: just the thing for brides searching for “something blue” on their wedding day.

Peek-A-Boo, We See You

Surprised that sheer outfits are still so popular? We’re not, especially after seeing how designers found new ways to make the peek-a-boo look feel so relevant and fresh. We especially love Palomo Spain’s floral slip, Michael Kors’s sheer bodysuit-meets-dress overlay, and Coach’s whimsical heart and rose motif dress.

Fresh Out Of The Sea

Between this past summer’s mermaidcore trend and Netflix’s newly released animated series One Piece, the world’s obsession with aquatic life lives on. If seashells, blue hues, and star fish details feel too on the nose for you, opt for dresses that loosely remind you of a fisherman’s net instead.

Child’s Play

While the bow hair ribbons at Sandy Liang were on-brand for the house, the childlike accent popped up in plenty of unexpected places. Brandon Maxwell debuted a chic leather skirt that featured embellished bows, while Wiederhoeft created a tied-up trompe l'oeil effect on a puff-sleeved white dress.

Cake Topper

Take everything you thought you knew about mini dresses and throw that out the window. The evolution of this style for Spring 2024 involves a lot of volume. For a figure-hugging number, go for Nardo’s cinched-in waist and ultra-flared skirt design. If you’re one for comfort, Altuzarra’s delicate and floaty number is the mini you want to wear after a big meal.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Metallics are in for fall 2023, and this will be no different come spring. Go for a slinky silver Gabriela Hearst dress or the glamorous Ralph Lauren evening gown at your next soirée. If you prefer colorful metallic pieces, check out LaQuan Smith or Collina Strada’s Spring 2024 collections for more vibrant styles.

Clocking Out

For spring, designers are leaning into crafty, resort-ready pieces. Save space in your suitcase by packing a set you can mix and match with other pieces, like the Ulla Johnson look. Emerging designer Rachel Scott of Diotima, who is known for incorporating the needlecraft technique into her ready-to-wear, serves up a top worthy of a seaside dinner outfit.

Bare It All (Almost)

The bras on the Spring 2024 runways all contained a little extra pizzazz, whether it was Dion Lee’s denim pocket iteration or Grace Ling’s edgy, metal wire scoop bralette. For the romantics at heart, Kim Shui’s floral embroidery number comes with a coordinating skirt you can wear to your next party.

Bloomscape

We’ll spare you from referencing that Miranda Priestly quote, but springtime florals in extra large designs are coming for all your clothes. Be it a giant decorative element on the shoulder of a blazer or buds arranged in a neat row across a dress, you can’t escape these beautiful blooms. So if you missed out on the rosette trend last season, hop on this 2.0 version next year.