For spring/summer 2022, designers have tapped into our collective appetite for the high-octane—think dramatic fringe and trains, towering platforms, eye-grabbing headpieces, and the return of sex via exposed midriffs, extra-short minis and a sensual new look for the suit.
Related article: Bringing Sexy Back: 2022 Menswear Embraces Skin And Gender Fluidity
From New York to Paris, designers both established and ascendant were unanimous: The Y2K aesthetic is back and with it, the midriff as the erogenous zone du jour. Some designers sent out campily faithful homages to the era: There were hip-huggers accented by butterfly belts at Blumarine; low-waisted wrap skirts at Versace; bedazzled denim and underwear on show at Dolce&Gabbana. However, there were others who chose to take the look in a more grown-up direction. At the likes of Chanel, Fendi, Erdem and Valentino, midriff-baring tops were paired with the most ladylike of skirts.
From left: Bluemarine, Chanel, Dior, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci, Fendi, Versace and Miu Miu
For spring/ summer 2022, a large cohort of designers seem intent on putting out clothes that convey joy and few things delight more than fringe—it says that these are clothes in which to move, shimmy and dance. Flapper dresses show up at Fendi, Dior and Dolce&Gabbana, hinting at a new Roaring Twenties. At Chloé and Alexander McQueen, fringe takes on a more crafty turn, while Burberry and Proenza Schouler present sexier, more streamlined takes.
From left: Proenza Schouler, Burberry, Chloé, Alexander McQueen, Fendi, Dolce&Gabbana
Unleash your inner mad hatter, and we mean mad in the best possible way—for designers have dived head-on into the world of eccentric, expressive headgear. At Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry kept the House’s Surrealist spirit alive, envisioning a woman on holiday with a parasol on her head. Erdem translated his English garden inspirations into floral crowning glories, while Louis Vuitton and Paco Rabanne showed toppers that are part flapper and part sci-fi priestess. At Gucci and Burberry, the animal world was the starting point, but the end results are fabulously whimsical.
From left: Erdem, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Schiaparelli and Nina Ricci
The fashion pendulum might have increasingly swung towards casual in the past two years, but the suit remains a staple—one that lends itself well to refreshes and reinventions. This season, all the stuffiness has been knocked out of it and its sex factor upped. Versace and Peter Do showed two-pieces worn with nothing but bare skin. For a little more coverage, the suits came layered over tiny silk bras at Fendi, athletic bodysuits at Stella McCartney and plunging silk shirts at Valentino.
From left: Fendi, Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Valentino, Versace and Peter Do
Time to put those matching sweats to rest—spring/summer 2022 sees the dominance of the miniskirt worn with a coordinating top or jacket. The effect evokes the polish of a skirt suit, but these are decidedly not your mother’s skirt suits and twinsets. Even when presented as suits, the overarching mood is youthful—as seen at Moschino, Chanel and Dior. But it is the designers who opted out of that classic framework that make the biggest splash—see Givenchy’s pistachio ruffles, Lanvin’s eggplant leather and Dolce&Gabbana’s animal-print jacquard.
Fom left: Chanel, Dior, Moschino. Lanvin and Givenchy
This season, a dramatic exit is as important, if not more so, as a grand entrance—judging by the extravagant trains that designers have attached to the backs of many a look. It’s a flourish that harks back to a time when dressing up was a much more elaborate affair and indeed, there are tinges of nostalgia running through some of the collections—Old Hollywood at Gucci, 1980s couture at Richard Quinn and ’70s disco at Fendi. But the most striking iterations are also the ones that are most modern; flowing trains were paired with culottes at Valentino, minimalist mini sheaths at Prada and drapey trousers at LOEWE.
From left: Fendi, LOEWE, Gucci, Valentino and Richard Quinn
Move over, little black dress. This season, it’s all about the statement white dress—though designers seem to be taking different approaches interpreting it. On one hand, there are designers such as Simone Rocha, Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen and Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, who played with romantic volumes, intricate lacework and sumptuous embroideries; on the other, designers such as Gabriela Hearst, Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent and Kim Jones at Fendi opted for strikingly minimal silhouettes with a sculptural bent.
From left: Self-Portrait, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Balmain, Marine Serre, Saint Laurent, Givenchy and Simone Rocha