Elana Fishman
Another year has come and (almost) gone, bringing a bevy of style statements we still can’t stop thinking about.
In 2023, the world’s two biggest pop superstars — Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — embarked on fashion-filled tours, turning stadium stages into their own personal runways. Rihanna, meanwhile, revealed her second pregnancy in a red-hot Loewe look at the Super Bowl.
Margot Robbie’s “Barbie” press tour had everything thinking pink, and Sofia Richie’s over-the-top wedding in the South of France turned her into a TikTok sensation.
In between it all, famous fashion rule-breakers like Doja Cat and Julia Fox trotted out some of their wildest ensembles to date, leaving dropped jaws and memes aplenty in their wake.
Below, take a look back at the best and biggest celebrity style moments from the past 12 months.
Kylie Jenner’s mane event
Less than a month into 2023, the makeup mogul got all of social media roaring when she attended the Schiaparelli Haute Couture show in a black velvet gown affixed with a creepily lifelike (and life-sized) lion head.
While no animals were harmed in the making of this fashion moment, some argued the style glamorized trophy hunting — but it managed to earn PETA’s stamp of approval, with the organization praising the “fabulously innovative” piece for “[celebrating] the beauty of wild animals.”
Doja Cat paints the town red
At the same Schiaparelli show, the boundary-pushing “Say So” singer turned up completely covered in more than 30,000 blood-red Swarovski crystals that rendered her almost unrecognizable.
Created in collaboration with Pat McGrath, Doja’s mesmerizing beauty transformation took about five hours to execute; on Instagram, the makeup maestro praised the musician’s “sublime patience.” We’d say it was well worth the wait.
Rihanna’s Super Bowl reveal
The Bad Gal bowled us over with her halftime performance at the big game — and shocked millions of viewers by unzipping her scarlet Loewe jumpsuit to reveal a baby bump.
Rihanna’s pregnancy announcement kicked off another string of stellar maternity style moments from the superstar, culminating in the birth of her second child with A$AP Rocky in August.
Gwyneth Paltrow goes to court
She may have “lost half a day of skiing” following a 2016 collision on the slopes, but the Goop founder won us over with her series of “stealth wealth” style statements during the ensuing trial in March.
From cashmere knits and wide-leg corduroy trousers to those viral aviator glasses, each look was better than the last. And Paltrow wound up victorious in the civil case, proving the only thing she’s guilty of is great taste.
Law Roach retires
The Hollywood super-stylist shocked the fashion world by abruptly announcing his retirement from the industry in March, writing in a since-deleted Instagram post, “The politics, the lies and false narratives finally got me! You win … I’m out.”
Many on social media suspected Roach’s decision stemmed from a seating mix-up with longtime client Zendaya at a Louis Vuitton show, but the self-proclaimed “image architect” quickly put feud rumors to rest, tweeting, “She’s my little sister and it’s real love not the fake industry love.”
While Roach continues to work with Zendaya, he’s since parted ways with the rest of his celebrity clients as he pursues other projects.
Taylor Swift revisits her eras
The pop superstar’s Eras Tour kicked off in March, shattering records and filling stadiums across the country with friendship bracelets. And in addition to peppering her three-and-a-half-hour sets with her greatest hits, Swift served up dozens of designer costumes that paid tribute to her many style eras from throughout her career.
Whenever new outfits appeared, Swifties could be sure something was afoot — as when the musician showed off a series of all-blue ensembles before announcing “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was on the way.
Sofia Richie says “I do”
Nicole’s little sis became the poster girl for quiet luxury following her fashion-filled wedding to music exec Elliot Grainge in April.
Featuring a trio of Chanel Haute Couture dresses in addition to looks from Khaite, Proenza Schouler and Paco Rabanne, her lavish nuptials took over TikTok and turned her into an “It” girl practically overnight.
Karl Lagerfeld lives on at the Met Gala
With its theme of “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” the first Monday in May was fittingly full of tributes to the late Chanel creative director, from Anne Hathaway’s safety-pinned tweed gown to Doja Cat’s Choupette cosplay to Kim Kardashian’s piles of pearls.
While the red carpet looks leaned conservative and high-collared, all bets were off at the after-parties; Kendall Jenner rocked a strappy bodysuit and thong inspired by a ’90s Chanel runway look, while Irina Shayk defied one of Lagerfeld’s cardinal fashion rules by showing up in sweatpants.
Kate Middleton’s crowning glory
King Charles III’s coronation in May delivered plenty of noteworthy looks from the royal family, but we particularly loved seeing the Princess of Wales trade her tiara for a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece made up of silvery leaves.
Princess Charlotte wore a mini version of the accessory, making for a memorable mother-daughter matching moment amid the day’s pomp and circumstance.
Beyoncé’s runway-worthy “Renaissance” tour
Taylor Swift wasn’t the only pop phenom treating fans to an epic tour this year; Beyoncé brought her “Renaissance” album to life with a dazzling display that included custom looks from Loewe, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balmain, to name but a few.
And when the “Halo” hitmaker implemented an all-silver dress code at her shows timed to Virgo season, ticketholders obeyed, turning venue after venue into Beyoncé’s House of Chrome.
Pharrell lands at Louis Vuitton
Vuitton’s newly minted men’s creative director unveiled his vision for the house in a star-studded show during Paris Fashion Week in June. Among those in the front row? Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Zendaya, Kim Kardashian and Megan Thee Stallion.
And it wasn’t just Pharrell’s guest list that made headlines; the pièce de résistance of the super-producer’s debut collection was a crocodile-leather take on the luxury label’s iconic Speedy bag. Accented with a chunky gold chain and diamond padlock, the Millionaire Speedy is available on a made-to-order basis for the price of — you guessed it — a million bucks.
Margot Robbie’s “Barbie” bonanza
Barbiecore reached new heights in the lead-up to the release of Greta Gerwig’s Mattel movie, with star Margot Robbie and her stylist, Andrew Mukamal, working together to bring some of the titular doll’s most iconic outfits to life.
From an Hervé Léger mini modeled after the original 1959 Barbie’s striped swimsuit to a duo of hot pink Atelier Versace styles inspired by 1985’s Day-to-Night Barbie, Robbie’s parade of (primarily pink) press tour outfits helped make “Barbie” the cinematic event of the year. Life in plastic never looked so fantastic.
The Biebers’ clashing clothes
Are they trolling us? After years of stepping out together seemingly dressed for different events, Justin and Hailey Bieber took their mismatching to the extreme at the latter’s Rhode event in NYC this August. The model-turned-mogul looked ravishing in a red-hot minidress and heels, while her husband showed up in gray sweats and yellow Crocs.
“It’s like, it wasn’t Justin’s day. It was Hailey’s day. He’s there to support his wife, period. But also, he still looks cool, so you can’t hate the guy,” Hailey’s friend Kelia Moniz told GQ Hype of the viral moment.
Julia Fox’s full metal moment
It was a banner year for the “Uncut Gems” muse, who walked runways, covered magazines and released a memoir in 2023.
In between it all, she turned heads at fashion weeks in New York, Milan and Paris in a parade of typically outlandish outfits — none more so than the barely-there metal bikini she picked to kick off NYFW in September.
“I got in trouble for that one,” she later admitted of the skimpy Seks design. “There were a lot of haters, being like, ‘This is unacceptable. This is setting such a bad example.’ But, it’s like, ‘Why?’ It’s just my body. Is my body, like, ugly? Is my body a crime? Did my body slap your grandma? The way that they were acting, it was like, ‘What the heck!’”
Kim Kardashian’s pointed statement
The Skims founder got all of social media talking with the October release of her brand’s Ultimate Nipple Bra, a push-up style with built-in nipples “for shock factor.”
Some hailed the invention as “genius,” while others thought it seemed like an April Fools’ prank — and obviously, we had to try the perky style for ourselves.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings