10 Haute Couture Fashion Week Trends You Can Actually Wear

Fashion Week, regardless of the season, is always heavy on the fantasy, but it doesn’t get more fantastical than Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris. This week, fashion houses revealed their Fall/Winter 2023/2024 collections, and the looks were jaw-dropping. Elaborate one-of-a-kind pieces are to be expected when it comes to haute couture, but that doesn’t mean the trends sweeping down the runways can’t be recreated in everyday life.

We’re not suggesting you show up to work in a literal suit of armor, but there’s plenty of fashion inspiration to be gleaned from this season’s collections. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the best trends from Haute Couture Fashion Week along with tips on how to wear them IRL. 

Over-the-Top Underwire

Shop Similar: Kasia Kulenty Chiara Top, $225, Retrofête Jetta Chain Bra, $495.
The gravity-defying sculpted bra tops at Haute Couture Fashion Week had us fighting the urge to shout “that belongs in a museum!” Fortunately, it's easy to swap out a cami or crop top for a bra, and while we've been swooning over this trend for a minute now, we love the freshness of the metallic and woven takes seen on the Gaurav Gupta, Rahul Mishra, and Viktor & Rolf runways.

Oversized Separates

Shop Similar: Malene Birger Lomaria Blouse, $300.
Couture week may not seem like the place to pick up basic separate styling tips, but Valentino, Thom Browne, and Schiaparelli all included oversized separates, from tops to skirts and jackets. On the Valentino runway specifically, Kaia Gerber wore a beautifully tailored white button-down (minus the buttons) that had us itching to add a few sized-up menswear pieces to our online shopping carts.

Heavy Metals

Shop Similar: EXPRESS Body Contour Metallic Faux Leather Halter Neck Bodysuit, $35.
A beloved piece of clothing can feel like armor against the world, and designers like Jean Paul Gaultier, Iris van Herpen, Georges Chakra took that concept literally with models that looked like high-fashion knights in shining armor. Channel the vibe with a high-shine faux leather jumpsuit or chainlink accessories.

Wild Ruffles

Shop Similar: bebe Poplin One Shoulder Ruffle Neck Top, $79, Kika Vargas Jette Strapless Ruffle Top, $159 (Originally $526).
Ruffles might not strike you as the most modern or youthful detail, but Juana Martin, Alexandre Vauthier, and Rami Al Ali created voluminous, structural ruffles that took our breath away. To wear this trend IRL, embrace the drama of ruffles by opting for an asymmetrical or strapless statement top.

Bejeweled Blitz

Shop Similar: Anthropologie Sheer Embellished Cami, $130, Brandon Blackwood Kendrick Mini Trunk in Violet Mini Crystal, $250.
A single Haute Couture garment can take a team of expert seamstresses hundreds of hours to construct, a fact that's evident when inspecting looks on the Tony Ward, Fendi, and Elie Saab runways that were not only jewel-encrusted but also, in many cases, sheer. Channel this glittering and decadent trend by scaling it down to a single item, like a crop top or accessory.

Figure Drawing

Shop Similar: miaou Kiko Corset, $275, Heiress Beverly Hills Black Strapless Mesh Corset Top, $128.
Corset-style tops have been trending all year, but the Schiaparelli, Zuhair Murad, and Ashi Studio collections respectfully said, "hold my beer" with these couture takes. Plenty of ready-to-wear brands have corsets you can shop, but we recommend going sheer or choosing a top with visible boning details to bring this trend home.

3D Blooms

Shop Similar: & Other Stories Large Rose Appliquéd Top, $139.
Florals will always show up at fashion week in one way or another, but the richly colored 3D rosettes and paillettes seen at Imane Ayissi, Zuhair Murad, and Armani Privé were something special. This trend translates beautifully into a statement top for a date night or an evening out.

Celestial Bodies

Shop Similar: Reformation Jeany Silk Dress in Grand Cru, $328.
In addition to shining silver armor, this couture week also gave us golden goddesses. These looks skewed more liquid gold than armor-plated, making it a perfect trend to recreate at home with a sleek gold dress.

Fantasy Fringe

Shop Similar: Bronx and Banco Adisa Gown, $4,500.
Coastal cowgirl fringe this is not. The fringe spotted on the Imane Ayissi, Georges Chakra, and Stefan Djokovich runways was over-the-top and denim-free. To try this trend at home, look for fringed separates or footwear in vibrant shades of crimson and buttery yellow — or, better yet, go metallic.

Bowed Over

Shop Similar: Hutch Delphine Top, $172, Streets Ahead Truffle Bow Belt, $95, Londre Bodywear Bow, $55.
The bows seen in this season's Haute Couture collections were larger-than-life. ArdAzAei, Viktor & Rolf, and Rahul Mishra all found ways to work expertly tied XXL bows into their looks. We heartily recommend embracing the volume seen on the runway with a top tied off with an oversized bow or by working a detachable bow, or sumptuous ribbon belt into your accessories collection.