Everyone at NYFW Is Getting Sparkly

On the streets of New York, fashion is in the air. Well, it’s walking around on the ground, at least, as hundreds of fashionable folks head to the Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear runway shows held across the city from February 10 until 15, when the festivities shift to London (and then Milan, and then Paris…).

Our first batch of NYFW street style is a (literal!) snapshot of what real people are really wearing right now, though it’s always worth taking the results with a terribly stylish grain of salt.

Everyone dresses up to go to these things, as we all know, so don’t think that these people are necessarily wearing all of this perfectly poised stuff in their daily life. But the dress-up aspect is part of the fun of Fashion Week. Isn’t it only right to occasionally admire the peacocks as they pass by?

These on-the-ground dispatches often reveal trends in real time, laying bare the undercurrents currently steering the fashion-focused’s stylistic choices.

Chief among them? A little sparkle. Maybe make that a lot of sparkle.

Plenty of especially daring fashion show guests were turning heads with flashy ensembles dotted with crystals, diamonds, and all sorts of other shiny stuff. The pale sunlight of New York’s mild winter glinted off statement necklaces, reflective bags, and even a bit of statement makeup by way of crystalized eyes.

Wallet chains, bauble-encrusted handbags, statement earrings, rhinestone puffers, ornate brassieres: it’s all here, and then some. The vibe is “LOOK AT ME!!”

Even the comparatively conservative set tapped into the sparkly movement with glistening silver and gold handbags, with jewelry to match.

Yes, we’ve been here before (metallics started their return in late 2022) but we’re now reaching peak bling.

Other notable stylistic rumblings: moto gear, makeshift waist flair, and power heels (as if they were ever not in).

Compared to the street scene in Paris last month, everyone is dressing decidedly un-normal. Sometimes a peacock just has to strut.