6 Fall Print Trends You’ll See Take Over The Streets of Paris, NYC, and London

Lately, it seems one can not scroll through runway images, social media, or shopping recommendations without running into terms like “quiet luxury” and “old money.” Like it or not, minimalism is having a moment. And while there’s no harm in adopting a more paired-back approach to our fall wardrobe, admittedly, one doesn’t want to cut all the fun out of fashion. Yes, you should absolutely make sure you’re investing in timeless fall items; that’s a given. But that doesn’t mean you should skimp out on the more spicy fall trends—life is all about balance, baby! It may seem like mission impossible to find trends where minimalists and maximalists can meet in the middle, but let us assure you, they exist. So many trends this season are up for this task (e.g., there are colors and textiles), but none are as easy to adopt as patterns. Hear us out: Print trends are the easiest way to add flair to a capsule wardrobe or commit to doing the most for the season. But if you’re unsure which print trends are worth your time this season, you’ll want to keep reading. We did a deep-dive of Fall/Winter 2023 collections to identify the six biggest prints of the season and shopped them out. Whether you’re a devout minimalist or maximalist, something ahead will speak to you.

Fall is often the time to return to the “building blocks,” or at least that’s what one can glean from looking at F/W 23 collections. Almost as if classes were back in session, we designers draw from fashion, architecture, and historical archives to bring back geometric prints. For instance, in the Fendi F/W 23 collection, Kim Jones took graphic motifs from the ’96 collection and sketches from Karl Lagerfeld’s ’81 collection and used them to create deconstructed knitwear. Form-fitting frocks featured intarsia knitting techniques with asymmetrical buttons that draped across the body and vibrant hues to create a contemporary take on this classic print. But it wasn’t just Jones who drew from the archives for his collection; so did Gabriela Hearst. Rather than drawing from her own label’s archives, Hearst found inspiration from the work of the late Eileen Gray, the multi-disciplinary artist who is most notably known for her groundbreaking furniture design. The influence of the late artist’s work is most evident through multiple runway looks, including a fitted turtleneck with a matching maxi skirt that’s covered in primary-hued squares and rectangles. Hearst and Jones may have been all about drawing from the past to create something anew (which they did, no doubt), but that wasn’t the case for Francesco Risso’s collection for Marni. The collection felt grounded in the future, as graphic prints were given a sharp edge by playing with proportions and color palettes. The more angular patterns typically only contained two colors (black and white or yellow and black) and were manipulated into dramatically tailored silhouttes like oversized puffers or slim-fitting knit dresses. The result was a series of pieces that felt like a protractor had been present through the pattern-making process. And though the Marni pieces were a bit more dramatic in form, much like other iterations of this trend, it was a reminder that the best prints teach us something new—albeit about the fashion house itself, historical figures, or how to highlight our forms through clothing itself.

Not a fan of 90-degree angles? Don’t be afraid to tap into this trend by opting for pieces with more contemporary-inspired takes on this classic print.

It’s giving contemporary art gallery, but in skirt form.

Talk about a dress that nails the assignment.

Style this with a black skirt, and you’ve got the perfect fall look.

While these pants are linear in form, they still embody the essence of this print trend.

Were you to scroll through runway looks from F/W 22 and S/S 23, you’d likely recall one print trend that had marked its territory: animal prints. There was no shortage of zebra, leopard, and snake prints on the runways; they were everywhere. While the trend has not necessarily gone extinct, it’s evolved into a new form within the F/W 23 collections. Rather than drawing inspiration from animal skins, designers created patterns that showed the complete anatomical form of animals in a way that aired on the side of realism. For instance, at Stella McCartney, we saw the full scope of this metamorphosis in how the first few runway looks featured traditional animal prints in full-length faux fur coats and oversized knits in cow print. Closer to the show’s end, we saw slinky semi-sheer slip dresses with sequins featuring rustic horse shots on a ranch. However, McCartney was not the only designer to embrace a more literal take on animal prints, as we saw other designers embrace some of the less “glamorous” critters in their collections. A prime example of this is Christopher Kane’s F/W 23 collection, which featured second-skin turtleneck tops and gowns that used artificial intelligence to create depictions of pigs, chicks, and even rats. The infusion of technology to nod to animals wasn’t just central to Kane’s collection, as we saw it play a pivotal role at Coperni, too. As reported by Vogue Runway, the brand’s fall collection explored the idea of the “wolf and the lamb” but related it to human’s relationship with robots. That manifested in how robot dogs roamed the runway while models walked among them. But most notably, you can feel the designers (Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant) grappling with the impact of technology on the physical world through the runway looks—e.g., a leather jacket had a hand-painted print that portrayed a lamb and a robot in a field. Their collection and many other designers’ work felt as if it was channeling a collective grappling with how our technology has directly impacted the world around us. With so much of the animal kingdom at risk because of climate change, designers clearly wanted these prints to challenge how we see critters (quite literally).

You may not be able to buy a horse, but this dress will do the trick.

Bird watchers, this is all you.

For cat lovers, these sheer mesh pants are a must-have.

Butterflies continued to be a source of inspiration for designers in collections—frankly, we don’t blame them.

Even toxic frogs need to be represented (and appreciated)!

At first glance, most print trends are easy to comprehend—you can tell what they are or what techniques were used to create them, but F/W 23 collections flew in the face of that. Admittedly, it seemed like a glitch in the matrix that so many runway collections featured either super-blurry over-prints or hyper-realistic digital prints, but alas, it was intentional. As noted in Loewe’s show notes, the collection was all about “Playing with blur as a way to stress that fashion, rather than being about the moment, is about what’s later. It’s about putting into focus what may seem unclear right now…pixels of the previous season are now blurred.” That mission was most adeptly achieved through satin shift dresses overprinted with blurry images of other clothing items, including dresses, trenches, and fur coats. Jonathan Anderson may have gotten very meta with the whole clothing printed with clothing on top of it, but it seemed he wasn’t the only designer aiming to use design techniques to challenge our perspective. At Jil Sander, we saw Luke and Lucie Meier pair ultra-tailored silhouttes with punchy futuristic fruit prints. What made the collection a visible feast was its aim to make the “organic-synthetic divide vanish.” The melding of those two worlds was most apparent in the prints found in the collection—a tailored white wool peplum top combined intarsia knitting and digital overprinting to create a dark maroon cherry print that looked 3D. While natural and augmented seemed to be combined more literally within Loewe and Jil Sanders collections, that’s not to say it’s the only way we saw designers challenge our perspectives. For instance, Chet Lo’s collection featured black leather separates that had the appearance of being spraypainted with green to create an ombre effect. Similarly, at Mowalola, a low-slung black leather skirt was overprinted with the illusion of hands grabbing the waist. Though the techniques used by designers varied this season, the overall sentiment felt synonymous: It was about creating pieces with overprints that explored the blurred lines between the digital and the physical.

Peak matrix vibes.

A tank top printed with a wrinkly tank over-print? Genius.

Loewe’s pixelated print jeans are the perfect way to tap into this trend.

Let’s just say the blurry print on this corset will get you some glances.

Who wouldn’t want to get their hands on this skirt?

Polka dots popped back up as a significant print trend in S/S 23 collections, and that era seemingly hasn’t ended. But were you to say that the polka dots found in F/W 23 collections were “run-of-the-mill,” you’d be remiss. Designers took an atypical approach to this pattern by leaning into design techniques, materials, and styling. You can see how technique played a role in reinventing this print, most prominently in Jacquemus’s fall collection. Nestled in gardens at the Place of Versailles, attendees watched as models sauntered by the water; if the location wasn’t already outside the typical box, then the prints did the trick. The collection featured an off-the-shoulder mini dress with dramatic puff sleeves adorned with 3D appliqué polka dots. Simon Porte may have added an air of decadence to this print through embroidery, but Miuccia Prada added a dash of sultriness through her focus on materials. As noted in Miu Miu’s show notes, “Materialization can actively change how outfits are visually read and how we understand them,” that idea was on full display in the fall collection. The runway was punctuated with classic silhouttes (knee-length skirts, button-downs, and halter dresses), all made from a sheer georgette polka dot material that was often layered over each other as a way to play with opacity. While materials and techniques no doubt dialed up the print’s visual intrigue on the runways this season, possibly the most approachable (but still punchy) way we saw this trend was in Valentino’s collection. The more “formal” menswear items like ties, button-downs, and trousers were given a youthful spin via vibrant hues (e.g., pink, red, yellow), textures like sequins and feathers, and, most importantly, polka dots. For example, the classic button-down and tie combo was spiced up by being styled with oversized sunglasses, sculptural earrings, chunky ankle boots, and a polka dot peacoat. It was a look that reminded us that this print can still pop off; you just have to be willing to go for a version of this pattern that’s a bit off the beaten path.

Marie Antoinette would have loved this dress.

The attached scarf on this top is the styling detail we didn’t know we needed.

Polka dots have never been more risquè,

Just add a button-down and tie.

Um, H&M is that you?

In addition to polka dots, another print trend felt like a continuation of themes found in S/S 23 collections: stripes. However, this was not the ultra-thin pinstripes we’ve gotten accustomed to in recent seasons, as we saw stripes get a whole lot thicker in F/W 23 collections. It wasn’t so much that the orientation of these stripes mattered this season (as we saw them face horizontally, vertically, and diagonally); instead, it was all about the size, making them big enough to qualify them as awning stripes. No collection understood that aim more than Valentino. As aforementioned, Pierpaolo Piccioli included polka dots in the show; however, there were far more looks with awning stripes. You could find this print on everything imaginable in Valentino’s F/W 23 runway show—e.g., a full-length satin cape came in pink and white stripes. At the same time, a black-and-white striped button-down dress was adorned with feathers. And then, the formerly “grungy” oversized red-and-black stripe sweater was elevated by styling it with a men’s tie and feathered boots. Stripes may have been given a glamorous feel in Piccioli’s collection, but he wasn’t the only designer to do so this season. For instance, at Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon took this print and fashioned it into multiple eveningwear looks fit for royalty. The most noteworthy was a strapless gown with dramatic draping at the waist, creating a high slit and the illusion of a train dragging behind the model. But this print wasn’t solely made for special occasions, as we saw other collections incorporate it into ready-to-wear pieces, including at Chloé. Whilst most of the collection comprised minimalist pieces in neutrals, there happened to be a few punchy prints incorporated into the mix by the brand’s former creative director, Gabriela Hearst. Including, of course, an awning stripe pattern composed of black, yellow, and creme was used to create two tailored outerwear looks—the first was a wool trench coat, and the second was a leather moto jacket with a matching skirt. The wide usage of this print (both in more elegant everyday items and elevated eveningwear) makes a serious case for stripes.

The way we’re about to see the French fashion set eat this dress all the way up.

Pro tip: opt for horizontal awning stripes if you want to look taller.

Possibly the easiest way to adopt this trend is through a simple everyday t-shirt.

Spice up your work wardobe with these printed trousers.

Alt-girls, this knit is calling your name.

Last but certainly not least, it would be a disservice to the world (or at least you, dear reader), not to mention one last prevalent print trend to have on your radar for fall. Unless you’ve been off the grid, you’re likely already semi-aware of how the surrealist art movement has inspired recent seasons. For those who haven’t majored in art, the short synopsis of this art era can be defined by works that defy reason—which makes sense if you look to the more “unnecessary” iterations of this trend in recent memory that came in the form of Loewe’s balloon-shaped heels, or Puppet and Puppets cookie bags. But with F/W 23 collections, it was less about embracing surrealist accessories and more about using them to create exciting prints that challenge our perspective. One can’t argue that no other print featured in a collection this season will make you do a double-take like Y/Project’s show, but then again, that’s the genius of Glenn Martens. Slip dresses, crewneck shirts, and maxi skirts were screen-printed with suggestive body prints—the kinds that allude to the “unconscious” realms of the mind this movement is all about tapping into. And while these prints no doubt aired on the risquer side of things, that’s not to say it’s the only way surrealist images showed up on the runway. In fact, we saw a sweeter take on this print trend at Lanvin in the form of a draped black silk gown featuring a life-like bundle of white cala lilies. But the best example of this print trend had to be at Rabanne’s F/W 23 show. In order to honor the legacy of Paco Rabanne (who passed earlier this year), Julien Dossena decided to partner with the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí. Heralded as one of the most prolific surrealist artists, Dalí was a close friend of Rabanne throughout his lifetime, so it was only fitting that the collection honored that bond. Within the collection, we saw Dalí’s paintings given a new life through full-length gowns with small cutouts at the décolleté and knit with matching skirts that fit like second skins. The overall effect was a series of prints that not only made the onlooker take a second glance but think more about the things out of sight—in a way, that’s what makes this print so poignant. If a pattern doesn’t spark a moment of introspection, is it even worth adopting? For Dossena and so many other designers this season, the answer is a resounding “no”.