The best viral items of 2023

For fashion, 2023 was the year of absurdities. Microscopic handbags, haute couture dresses that take the form of Savannah animals and bear-paw-shaped shoes caught the attention of sceptics and insiders in equal measure, reaching the limits of creativity. Of all the items that made the rounds on TikTok and Instagram during the latest Fashion Weeks, only few proved to be forward-thinking, thanks in particular to the sartorial know-how of their respective brands. Here are the five viral items that have made their mark this 2023 chosen by nss, the winner is up to you readers and you can vote for it on our social channels.

JW Anderson's Frog Mules

JW Anderson's collections are always ironic. The designer and founder's most extravagant designs are nostalgic sediments from his childhood, proof that to find something new you need to look to the past. One of the items we will remember most are definitely the Frog Mules, the frog-shaped rubber shoes created in collaboration with the British brand Wellipets and presented in Milan during Fashion Week FW23. An unmistakable item in the UK that achieved iconic status thanks to a famous photograph of Princes Harry and William in the company of Lady Di, these cute PVC frogs were papped in the 1980s by major British newspapers, and in 2023 found immense media space on social media.

Bottega Veneta's leather denim

Even in 2023, Bottega Veneta and its creative director Matthieu Blazy dominated the scene. With an unparalleled study of textile and leather technology, the fashion house has made illusionist looks an indelible stylistic code of its DNA. First worn on the catwalk by Kate Moss for the SS23 show and later by Kim Kardashian on the September cover of Interview Magazine, Bottega Veneta's tromp l'oeil leather denim has shaken the fashion industry and inspired countless other brands to challenge the limits of textiles. The Nubuck leather chosen by Blazy and his team has been made to look like cotton, knitwear and fur, but the denim iteration remains the most remarkable.

Louis Vuitton's Millionaire

Officially released in November, Louis Vuitton's Millionaire bag has risen to the top of this list, bypassing all the accessories launched before it. Presented during the Paris show of Pharrell Williams' first collection for the fashion house, this bag is no ordinary Speedy. Hand-stitched crocodile leather covered in monogrammed yellow paint, a gold chain, diamond trim and, as the name suggests, a stellar price tag: one million dollars. If yellow is not your thing, the Millionaire is coming soon in four new colours: blue, brown, red and green. It is made-to-order, so you have plenty of time to think about it.

Gucci's G Chain Bra

This 2023 Gucci's creative direction was not only passed from Alessandro Michele to Sabato de Sarno, but also to the studio's in-house team of tailors and designers at the FW23 show. The show paid homage to the most exceptional looks from the Gucci archive, from a re-edition of the Horsebit to new interpretations of the logo, but the garment that really made its mark was the crystal-made G Chain Bra, worn by Vittoria Ceretti in a dedicated campaign. Just as it turned the heads of the guests at the fashion show, in the months that followed it continued to amaze the public thanks to the it girls who decided to dare with their look, at the price of $18,000.

MSCHF's Big Red Boots 

Don't pretend you don't know them, these Big Red Boots appeared on everyone's screen this 2023. A genius stunt that allowed the brand to once again gain the attention of its fans, MSCHF's rubber boots inspired by those of the 1960s manga and anime Astro Boy invaded the feed of every Instagram and TikTok user, dividing the social media audience between enthusiasts and cynics.You don't think they deserve one of the top spots on the list of the best viral items of this 2023? They led MSCHF to collaborate with Crocs, BAPE and Timberland; provocation or not, the nostalgia factor of these Big Red Boots is indisputable.