BOSS SS23 Said "Be Your Own Boss" Through Size, Gender, Age, and Race Inclusivity
Seeing DJ Khaled, Pamela Anderson, Precious Lee, Violet Chachki, Gottmik, Indya Moore and many others walk the runway.
BOSS has the key to viral success. Back in October, Hypebeast spoke to the House’s SVP of Creative Direction, Marco Falcioni, to find out how it has harnessed TikTok, supermodels, and influencers to bolster the brand in a world run by what Gen-Z says, and last night BOSS doubled-down on this with a Spring/Summer 2023 runway show in Miami.
How? By opening with the legendary Pamela Anderson, and closing with DJ Khaled and Naomi Campbell. Quite the viral moment, we think. Add in Law Roach (who recently announced his “retirement” from the styling scene to seemingly model for BOSS), as well as RuPaul’s Drag Race superstars Violet Chachki and Gottmik, Indya Moore, Precious Lee, Candice Swanepoel, Amber Valletta, Anderson’s son Brandon Thomas Lee, and you’ve got yourself a show of monumental shareable proportions. But for BOSS, it’s much deeper than grabbing a headline.
BOSS made its name in the tailoring game, and SS23 shows that it doesn’t just know how to make a great suit, but that it also knows it can suit and boot anyone and everyone, of any size, gender, race, class, age, or sexual orientation.
This was one of, perhaps the, most inclusive runways of late. Just six days ago, The New York Times asked: “Why Did Ultrathin Models Make a Comeback at Fashion Week?,” stating that “castings of midsize and plus size models fell by almost a quarter compared with last season, according to new data.” To see such representation not just in size, but diversity across the board, proves BOSS is truly championing it’s “Be Your Own Boss” campaign slogan.
As for the looks, they appeared almost custom-made for the models wearing them. Pamela Anderson’s number was exquisitely floaty and free, expressing the star’s effervescent nature, while Indya Moore stunned in an updated three-piece pinstriped cream suit, centering around a waistcoat that doubled as a corset.
Law Roach donned a soft pastel pink dinner jacket and matching slacks, with lapels folding deep toward the navel and a silky shirt undulating with loose folds beneath. The stylist likely had a hand in how the suit looked on him, and the result was a piece of contemporary sartorialism that complemented Roach, as every other look did to its respective wearer.
Relaxed overcoats structured with sharp lapels were updated with inclusivity as it was worn by a headscarf-wearing model, while the industry’s frequency to hide a plus-size model’s curves in too much fabric was eschewed for Precious Lee, allowing the model to shine in their skin proudly.
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Even DJ Khaled showed us that a suit can take its own course: his was a simple single-button number worn atop an open-chested white shirt. Another one was Naomi Campbell, who naturally rose to the occasion in a closing black statement gown.
Aside from celebrities, the show was a night to remember — not just for BOSS, but for the fashion industry. Formalwear met casualwear in a welcomed clash, with oversized double-breasted cream pinstriped blazers featuring in a look comprising slouchy macintosh jackets, baggy striped underwear-esque shorts, and a footwear-sock moment that was harnessed around the leg. The riding look was emulated a number of times, elevated in formality and undressed on other occasions to show BOSS’ versatile wardrobe, and overall, it was a hit.
Take a look at the runway in the gallery and the video above.
In other news, Tekla has dropped its Spring 2023 collection.
