Buyers’ Briefing: Women’s

Prints & Graphics A/W

23/24
Strike a balance between investing in hardworking,
reassuring prints and testing newness in this challenged
category

Isabel Wharton & Laura Yiannakou & Sthandiwe Khumalo

12.20.22 - 9 minutes

GLAMCULT Magazine
Pattern-full checks
Supercharge perennial checks and tartans
with bold combinations to breathe new life
into this category, confirming our A/W 23/24
New Classics forecast story.

Amp up checks for the youth market and offer

toned-down designs for conservative Milan

consumers. The bulk of your buy should be

grounded in heritage-driven patterns for
transseasonal appeal. Reserve a small buy to
test playful, statement-making designs that will
@mollygoddard
drive key marketing messages while appealing
to youth and #GenderInclusive markets.
WGSN e-commerce YoY data: checks/plaids
decrease (-23% to hold 3% of mix UK, -19% to
hold 4% in the US), so dial down your selection
and optimise designs with timeless appeal New York
(+25% US).
Sustainability: patchwork and spliced
techniques work for creative upcycling.
Key items: career co-ords, blazer-coat, winter
trench, pinafore, trousers, knitwear, skirts,
shirts, outerwear

@marineserre_official

See #DeadstockDesign for emerging designers tapping into

New York Matches Fashion
patchwork aesthetics

1
Surreal skins
A Supernature approach is applied to the
commercial animal print category.

Surreal skins offer a fresh take on A/W 22/23

graphic psychedelia prints. WGSN e-commerce
data shows abstract animal prints are up 7% in
the UK and wavy prints increased by 20%.
#MainCharacter energy prints are easily worn Marie Claire Hong Kong
in co-ords and knit dresses, creating a head-to-
toe statement. In addition to terrestrial
creatures, reference the sea skins of mystical
@botter_paris
oceanic beings. Velvet and velour provide
warmth and an illusion of depth.
Animal skins are reimagined in party ready joyful brights, which
Sustainability: print digitally to lower your blur lines between physical and digital
carbon footprint with on-demand production
while also increasing the recyclability of the
garment.
WGSN e-commerce data: find a new Paris
opportunity for this print direction in knit
jumpers/sweaters, the only category to see a
growth of prints in their mix (+2 ppt YoY to
21%).

@thebemagugu @stinegoyastudio Milan

2
Sartorial stripes
An update to A/W 22/23 mono stripes. The
stripe takes on a clean, modern look for the
new classic shirt.

The continued prevalence of the shirt sees

failsafe patterns such as sartorial stripes pick
up. Woven shirts and blouses had the largest Chava Studio

share of print to plain at 40% in A/W 22, down

from 51% in A/W 21, but shirts are set to grow
in A/W 23/24 (UK and US). Favour classic and
easy to wear colour combinations such as blue
Loewe
and white or black and white. Multi-directional
stripe-blocking creates the illusion of a
reconstructed garment.
Key items: classic shirts and tailoring are
reliable. Extend the reach of the stripe to work- Paris
leisure dresses and outerwear.
WGSN e-commerce data: stripes had a good
performance in the UK, with new-in OOSs
increasing by 1.4ppt to 8%. New-in MDs
decreased by -10ppt to 21%, lower than the
average.

@avafoo Paris Viktor & Rolf

3
Grunge romance
Brands and street style confirm the
importance of moody print directions.

Feelings of nostalgia and anemoia among Gen Z

continue to drive revisited styles. Reference the
1990s emo and grunge aesthetic revived in
TikTok’s viral trends #Whimsigothic and London

#Witchcore.
S/S 23 catwalks saw significant growth in darks,
+11.9%. Back dark-based florals, championing
rose motifs for placement and all-over prints.
@minachung_official
Placement graphics reference tattoos and off-
kilter illustrations. #SentenceSlogans can be
combined with contrasting photographic
elements to update the band tee.
Sustainability: substitute industry standard @roomiedesign

black dyes with lower-impact alternatives such

as eco black.
Key items: T-shirts, sweats and hoodies,
dresses, knitwear, outerwear and suiting.

@erdem
New Wave Magazine
Pleated and crinkle-textured
bases add depth and interest Futuristic dye patterns are more sustainably
London
to floral prints created using digital printing techniques

4
Anonymity black and white
Financial pressures associated with the
#CostOfLiving crisis call for safer
colourations with multi-seasonal and longer
range of use.

Monochrome designs are a welcome break

from prints in over-the-top colours. Highlighted Paris

in our Nowhere everywhere forecast story,

favour simplified patterns in #BlackAndWhite
for timeless appeal. This simple colouration will
transcend seasons and gives renewed
@toryburch
importance to classic houndstooth and
#Checkerboard prints. At retail level,
monochrome had an rise of 11% in the UK and
2% in the US. On the S/S 23 catwalks,
monochromatic designs increased by 18%,
@thesmolkate
holding 8% of the mix, demonstrating staying
power. Mid- to large-scale #CutoutPrints,
animal motifs and abstracted florals create a
directional look.
Key items: all product types.
WGSN e-commerce data: checkerboards were
the only type of checks/plaids to see an increase
YoY, by 85% in the UK.

@mm6maisonmargiela @nanushka @bashparis

5
Ornate florals
Despite florals down-trending at retail, they
are still a perennial story.

This historical take on paisleys and florals is a

move on from #Cottagecore ditsies of last
season, refreshed in a hardworking
transseasonal colour palette including warm @alemais.official

neutrals and Pink Clay. As people feel the

pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, a homely,
folkloric feel to florals is key to entice those
looking for comfort, reassurance and
@alemais.official
familiarity. Enhance the rich mood of this story
through jacquard upholstery textures in
soothing tonal colours.
Sustainability: use vintage and deadstock
fabrications to gain one-of-a-kind appeal for @seebychloe
limited-edition capsules and smaller runs, tying
to the archival references of this direction.
WGSN e-commerce YoY data: florals and
paisley designs have been a challenging print
type the perennials require special
consideration and newness to rebuild. Florals
are down 22% (UK) to hold 5.3% of apparel and
had poor performance as new-in OOSs
decreased by 2.4ppt to 7%. Paisley is also down
@erdem @driesvannoten London
(-28% UK, -29% US). Reassuringly, jacquards
have shown positive growth (+27%) in the UK,
but are yet to gain traction in the US (-31%).
Key items: winter boho dress

6
Psychedelic boho
Identified in our S/S 23 Full Spectrum
forecast and confirmed on catwalks,
#PsychedelicBoho will carry over in party
guises with digital-inspired vibrancy.

This #60s and #70s-inspired trend is a big print

@emiliopucci
hit across catwalks, trade shows and street style.
It’s important to refresh the look and turn
Black or neutral grounds will create a versatile
towards a more feminine, boho aesthetic that statement
works into retro geos and stripe updates. It
continues to make a statement across the youth
market and dialled-down variations will appeal
to the contemporary customer seeking playful
@lisafolawiyo_studio
and mood-boosting print stories.
Sustainability: replace sequins with dotted or
half-toned prints that emulate a texture effect
without harmful PVC components.
Key items: cut-and-sew, woven tops, dresses, Stockholm

skirts

@rodarte @kitristudio @lisoulondon

7
#Swampland
Evolving #NaturesTexture, camouflage
descends into murky territories, confirming
WGSN’s A/W 23/24 Swampcore forecast
direction.

The rise of algae as a viable and more

sustainable solution in a wide variety of Copenhagen

industries inspires this direction, as well as

regenerative nature themes and desire to
protect and care for the environment. This is
about embracing imperfections when working
Canada Goose x Feng Chen Wang
with natural processes, such as organic dyeing,
for an authentic and eco-friendly result.
Key colours: embrace the versatile spectrum of
neutrals nature offers, from warm neutrals to
#GetYourGreens and dark browns. @jermainebleu

Sustainability: explore bast fibres that use no

pesticides and help renew soil. Opt for natural
dyes.
Key items and categories: career co-ords,
skater-cargo hybrid, winter boho dress,
#ModernRomantic blouse, cut-and-sew,
knitwear, dresses, tops, skirts, dresses

@roomiedesign Milan @panoramastore

8
Otherworldly party
Electric colours create a dynamic glow-in-
the-dark aesthetic. IRL and virtual fashion-
ready #Phygital items drive metaverse-
meets-space styling.

Designers look to space and digital worlds to

inspire print, referencing far-off solar systems
and constellations. Dark grounds are New York
illuminated with vivid brights or to emulate
sparkle. Florals are abstracted to mimic
celebratory light and fireworks.
@hodanyousuf
Sustainability: switch unsustainable surface
decorations of sequins and glitter for hyperreal Use #DigitalFilters and blur effects to create movement and
digital prints that emulate shine for a more eco- contrasting effects
friendly approach to partywear.
Key items: leather jackets, co-ords, tops,
bottoms, dresses.
Paris

@msgm Jaspel A Better Mistake

9
Racer revival
An evolution of the #Y2K and
#SubversiveSexy trends, this viral TikTok
aesthetic is driving fashion-led items and
racer graphics.

#RacerRevival has been prominent on the S/S 23

catwalks and street style, seen mainly on biker
jackets. Paris

Though new-in printed jersey tops were down

at retail level, they still had the highest
penetration of print vs plain within their
@ambush_official
product mix at 46% in the US and 37% in the
UK. Take the opportunity to breathe new life TikTok's #BikerJacket tag has over 17 million views, making it a
into this category and promote positive growth key item for graphics
through the introduction of this uptrending
print direction.
Sustainability: check the recyclability of the
inks or resins to ensure a circular system is @jadecropper
possible. Avoid plastisol inks, opting for water-
based inks.
Key items: biker jacket, tops, skirts, pants.

@eytys Milan Paris

10
1 2 3
Action points

Balance known and bold prints Focus on sustainability and circularity Favour transseasonal prints

As the cost-of-living crisis places pressures on the
discretionary spend of consumers, balance versatile,
hard-working prints that have been proven with new,
bold designs
Apply a nature-first approach when it comes to printing
methods. Use digital printing methods favouring water-
based dyes to reduce harmful toxins and energy waste.
Print blocking and thrifting remain key for deadstock
prints
Versatility and transseasonal wearability will be top of
mind. Extend the wear of prints, favouring those in
classic or easy to wear colour palettes that work for both
summer and winter wear

11
Methodology
WGSN e-commerce data WGSN catwalk analytics
Based on women’s products in the UK and US from August 1 to October 30
WGSN is supplied with images covering all the major catwalk shows and

2021 and 2022 pre-season collections. Each look is classified with its individual

Some retailers are excluded to ensure like-for-like calculations and to

garments, allowing us to get accurate counts for each product

classification. This ensures the tags apply at a garment level, not to the

avoid inflated product counts due to the acquisition of new retailers on

the e-commerce platform whole look. The garments are then given further keywords for style,

silhouette, neckline, length, print and pattern, detail, embellishment and

Numbers may fluctuate as we recategorise to help clarify ambiguous/new

fabric. This process is completed by our panel of fashion-trained image

products, or if retailers refactor their website taggers. Each image is quality-checked for accuracy by our in-house team

WGSN social media data This report uses data based on the S/S 22 shows across New York,

London, Milan and Paris tagged as of October 23 2022. Future reports

We use text analytics to track, measure and respond to the conversations

may contain a bigger data set as we continue to tag and classify images
that are driving some of the key trends in this report across our WGSN

influencer map WGSN search index

WGSN influencer map: created by a team of WGSN trend specialists,
This report uses Google Trends data from November 2021 to November

which lists influencers from the US and Europe, selected from a range of
2022
disciplines, eg brands, stylists, photographers, publications

12