Top 10 Style + Fashion Posts of 2023
2023 was a year when modern style and fashion found inspiration in the extreme ends of rugged adventure and cozy comforts, high design and fun functionality. We’re excited about what 2024 might have in store for us in the realm of style, but before then, let’s look back at our 10 most popular style + fashion posts from the past 365 days ahead of the new year.
10. adidas x Norse Projects Collaboration Fits the Duality of the Modern Adventurer
The craggy archipelago of the Faroe Islands are renown as an adventurer’s paradise, making them a worthy inspiration for Copenhagen-based Norse Project’s SS23 collaboration with adidas. The collection’s two different shoes – one for exploring the city, the other for exploring rugged terrain – each represent the brands’ “Good for All Seasons” ethos down to their very sole.
9. Online Ceramics x Hodinkee Drop Casio G-SHOCK Horological Cult Collaboration
The wonderfully weirdo vibes of cult design brand Online Ceramics meets up with the horological passion of watch website Hodinkee in the form of a keen and green special edition G-SHOCK 5600. We love the watch for its small, but distinguishing details, like the tiny snail that smiles back at you every time you take a glance at the hour.
8. adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Low GTX Blazes a New Trail in Hiking Comfort
Typically when someone tells you to “go take a hike!” it’s not a good thing. But it was all good vibes when we ventured up to Portland, Oregon to speak with adidas TERREX’s Elisa Schaller, Director of Product/Brand Outdoor, North America at the brand’s one and only semi-permanent pop-up shop dedicated to TERREX. Not only did we get to learn about the brand’s initiatives to make hiking more inclusive, but also got the opportunity to put their latest gear to the test on a small section of the Pacific Crest Trail.
7. Porsche Lovers, You’re Gonna Want to Nab a Rennsport Reunion Bag
Were you one of the fortunate few who got your hands on one of the strapping special edition collection of Aer x Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 backpacks and slings? The highly coveted pieces of automotive swag created specifically for this year’s Porsche Rennsport Reunion honoring 75 years of the Porsche legacy is an example of event merch done right.
6. A Study of Color and Time: Projects x Albers Watch Collection
The geometric abstractions of Josef Albers and textile-focused artistry of Anni Albers make for a trio of chromatically compelling commemorative Projects Watches x Albers timepieces. The colorful and analog watches are less about tracking the exact minute and more about adding a bit of dimensionality to our perception of time.
5. A Puffer Jacket Reimagined as a Bag or a “Jacket” for Your Laptop
It’s a puffer jacket! No, wait it’s a bag… it’s both? Drawing inspiration from the seasonal staple across cold climates everywhere, Nik Bentel Studio’s satchel-style crossbody laptop bag is the definition of a statement piece and a conversation starter in one.
4. The Eames x Gelato Pique 2023 Collection Embodies Soft Modernism
The Eames Office got soft, cozy, and casual in collaboration with Japanese label Gelato Pique for the third time this year. Just imagine kicking back in one of these limited-edition, sumptuously soft loungewear pieces adorned with the iconic pair’s House of Cards toy and Dot Pattern graphic while relaxing in a lounge chair designed by the very same couple.
3. Allbirds M0.0NSHOT: The World’s First Net Zero Carbon Shoe
The lunar themed Merino wool sock boots might draw comparisons to the Vetements sock sneaker and YZY Pods, but neither of those minimalist footwear designs follows the footsteps of the world’s first net zero carbon shoes, complete with a sugarcane-derived foam midsole composed of 70% bio-based content.
2. Field System Gear Is Equipped for Futuristic Synth Scored Adventures
If you’ve ever dreamt of cosplaying as one of the homesick astronauts from Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar, look no further than the monochromatic and moon-worthy Field System Gear collection from synth + music brand, Teenage Engineering.
And the most popular style + fashion post of 2023 is…
1. Nothing Drops the Shockingly Affordable $69 CMF Watch Pro
The sleek but chunky Nothing CMF Watch Pro resembles the Apple Watch, right down to its rounded aluminum alloy corners finished with chamfered edges. But where Apple’s wearable aspires to do everything well, Nothing’s budget-friendly accessories sub-brand CMF focuses on offering a basics-only smartwatch experience that should be (more than) good enough for most people.
Check out the rest of Design Milk’s end of the year coverage here!