Tailoring has always been at the heart of the BOSS design DNA, and its confident impression reinforces the brand’s core motto, Be Your Own BOSS. For its Fall/Winter 2023 fashion show, presented in Milan’s Allianz MiCo conference center on September 22 before a group of over 1,000 guests, BOSS revisited its heritage through a thoroughly modern lens. The collection theme, “CorpCore,” saw the show venue transformed into the BOSS Techtopia: an ephemeral workplace and oasis of tranquility and ergonomic design, where the needs of body and mind are seamlessly integrated. By combining the wonders of game-changing technologies, such as robotics, with lush green spaces, the BOSS Techtopia presented a calm atmosphere and a positive, inspiring view of tomorrow.
Here, at the intersection of humanity and technology, we meet Sophia: the highlight of the BOSS Techtopia. Created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics, Sophia represents some of the world’s most advanced technology in robotics. The original robot citizen, Sophia manned the entrance of the BOSS fashion show, interacting with guests thanks to the ability to recognize faces, hand gestures – and even register human emotional expressions in conversation. In an unexpected twist, Sophia was sitting at a desk in the front row watching the models as they took to the runway.
Following their surreal welcome from Sophia, guests then entered the BOSS Techtopia via tunnels filled with life-sized holograms offering multilingual greetings, leading to a mesmerizing, screen-filled lobby. From the lobby, attendees accessed the striking runway space, which combined traditional office fixtures with futuristic, inspiring, tech-infused elements.
Six themed rooms were located within the runway loop, overseen by the BOSS Techtopia Control Room. In the HarmoniTech Space, a yogi found a haven of calm for their practice within the fast-paced corporate world. The Brainstorm Room saw “employees” wearing light-therapy headphones and summoning collective creative energy. Two additional rooms served as harmonious, plant-filled meeting spaces. The AromaSynth Lab, a space dedicated to olfactive discovery, celebrated the classic BOSS scent, BOSS Bottled Eau de Toilette, while also presenting BOSS Bottled Elixir – the latest creation from BOSS Fragrances – to be sampled.
Brand ambassador Lee Minho surprised guests by kicking off the show as the first to enter BOSS Techtopia. As a future-facing brand that attracts tastemakers from across the globe, BOSS welcomed a diverse all-star cast to walk the show. The runway stars, led by Gigi Hadid, included Jay Alvarrez, Paulo André de Oliveira, Ezra Frech, Ryan Garcia, Ashley Graham, Aleksander Kilde, Jutta Leerdam, Noah Lyles, Yusra Mardini, Matthew Noszka, Luke Rockhold, and Pedro Scooby. They were joined by BOSS brand ambassadors Anthony Joshua, Alica Schmidt, and Khaby Lame. The guest list for the show was also packed with exciting talents and VIP guests, including Naomi Campbell, Suki Waterhouse, Burna Boy, Ariana DeBose, Colman Domingo, Ester Expósito, Simu Liu, Demi Lovato, Sonam Kapoor, Lee Minho, Arón Piper, Zhang Yuqi, and Zhang Binbin. In the front row were sports stars Victor Cruz and Jonathan Kuminga, plus brand ambassador Matteo Berrettini alongside Melissa Satta.
And, fitting for an event already creating a buzz in the digital realm, social-media royalty – including Tommy Cash, Dixie D’Amelio, Meredith Duxbury, Parris Goebel, Vinnie Hacker, Nic Kaufmann, Wisdom Kaye, JeanCarlo León, Lele Pons, Luka Sabbat, and Naomi Watanabe –was in attendance.
The show was followed by an after-party on site, where Nicola Mazzetti, The Martinez Brothers, and Ricardo Villalobos entertained attendees with live DJ sets.
“The BOSS Fall/Winter 2023 collection is an evolution of our brand’s tailoring heritage,” says Marco Falcioni, SVP of Creative Direction at HUGO BOSS. “I loved the creative challenge of taking the traditional office attire of the executive – a look not typically associated with breaking boundaries – and shaking it up to make it new, exciting, and representative of the multi-faceted modern BOSS. It’s a celebration of suiting as a tool for empowerment, confidence, and individuality – values that drive our core message, ‘Be Your Own BOSS’.“
With a theme that Falcioni dubs “CorpCore,” the new collection breaks the codes of traditional office attire with contemporary spins on classic staples in men’s and women’s wardrobes, from blazers and suits to shirts and pencil skirts. Modern, super-stretch suiting has been made from the brand’s bestselling performance fabric, printed with traditional patterns, while deconstructed designs honor BOSS’s signature craftsmanship in a refreshing way. Belting adds definition to boxy cuts; deep slits and double-way zips bring intrigue and versatile styling options to timeless silhouettes.
The collection is rich in crisp, structured fabrics and sharp silhouettes, with an emphasis on a clean, uninterrupted look. Visible buttons and zips are removed from their typical placements, putting focus on the tailoring expertise that BOSS is known for. Its sophisticated, muted color palette draws from the neutral hues commonly seen in the corporate workplace, ranging from timeless gray and white to shades of brown and green. Black – a classic in any BOSS collection – also features heavily, including on pieces adorned with the signature B-monogram pattern, which links back to the brand’s corporate identity.
In the realm of accessories, playful references to office objects like paper clips, pens, and folders are reworked in unexpected means. Details such as numerical locks on briefcases lend a statement finish to bags and shoes.
Following the success of the “see now, buy now” model used in its previous shows, BOSS made a selection of styles from the Fall/Winter 2023 collection available to shop online immediately, allowing its digital-first customers to purchase runway looks as soon as they were revealed.
As part of BOSS’s THE CHANGE initiative and the brand’s long-term partnership with HeiQ AeoniQ, LLC – both of which intend to usher in a more innovative and sustainable approach to fashion – the “see now, buy now” collection also includes three limited-edition outerwear styles in HeiQ AeoniQ™ fabric. This material serves as a substitute for oil-based filament yarns, such as polyester and nylon, for a lower environmental impact. Customers can learn more about the styles, as well as THE CHANGE, via the dedicated website boss.com/thechange.
LED walls live-streamed and re-streamed the show in several BOSS stores around the globe, with top fans treated to special screening events in-store in London, Liverpool, Gibraltar, New York, Chengdu and Beijing, complete with catering, DJ entertainment and photo-moment opportunities to capture the spirit of the show. Several runway-inspired looks and “see now, buy now” pieces were available to shop during the events, giving attendees first access to show styles.
The fashion show aligned with the exclusive collaboration between BOSS and TikTok, with BOSS being the first fashion brand to partner with TikTok Rewards program. Through this initiative – running for two months, from September to November 2023, in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK – users can receive points for completing engagement tasks on a dedicated, BOSS-branded page within the TikTok app. These points are redeemable against exclusive rewards and experiences from BOSS. The brand’s takeover of the TikTok Rewards program during the major global fashion weeks demonstrates its omnichannel expertise and industry-wide reputation for successfully leading in digital.
About BOSS and HUGO BOSS:
BOSS is made for bold, self-determined individuals who live life on their own terms, with passion, style, and purpose. Collections offer dynamic, modern designs for those that embrace who they are fully and unapologetically: as their own BOSS. The brand’s heritage tailoring, performance suiting, casualwear, denim, athleisure, and accessories cater to the style needs of the discerning consumer. Licensed fragrances, eyewear, watches, and kidswear complete the brand. The world of BOSS can be experienced in over 400 own stores worldwide. BOSS is the core brand of HUGO BOSS, one of the leading companies positioned in the premium segment of the global apparel market. The group offers collections in 132 countries at around 7,400 points of sale and online in 70 countries via hugoboss.com. With approximately 17,000 employees worldwide, the company, based in Metzingen (Germany), posted sales of EUR 3.7 billion in the fiscal year 2022.
Images courtesy of Hugo Boss
