SS2022 Catwalk Report
Spring/ Summer 2022. One of the first fashion seasons since the pandemic where – for the most part- we can enjoy the display without biting our fingers raw.
This season the designers were as much glad to see ripped white t-shirts, and onesie’s go as we are, although the changes to not only our dressing choice, but our way of living were clearly woven through every collection.
TRANSFORAMTION. COMFORT. MOVEMENT. That’s the season summed up. Looking at designers including, Zahair Murad,St John, MIU MIU, Schiaparelli, Simone Rocha and Valentino, they have all looked at Fashion’s adaptation to the worlds new attitude to working.
Whether its subtle, or attention seeking, Flowers are all over the runway, and the continuing idea of freedom and nature from which we have been shielded from for the last year.
There’s a desperation to move beyond the attitudes which have held fashion for the last couple of years. The influencer driven decade has been exhausting on not only our bank accounts, but also our mental health. Looking “perfect” and kept and stylish, and trendy but not too trendy to be desperate is a lot of work believe it or not.
Fabrics gentle on the body like lace and cotton have gained increased popularity, but so has deviation away from figure hugging “influencer” body suits. The kind that gives everything on show. Nipples anyone?
Comme des Garçons took this to the extreme and I applaud them for ditching the textbook curves and walking in with a completely different silhouette. It’s the personal bubble taken to the next level and would make a pretty decent duvet if needed. Perhaps that was the thinking. Just as there’s convertible office’s, why not a bed on the go. The vibrant colours are striking and once again there’s reference to nature, a desperation to wander beyond four walls.
Louis Vuitton follows suit, nothing tight in sight on their collections. Loose and flared bottoms, materials to die for once a gentle breeze enters them. All in all another ode to freedom from even a global leader.
The classy pearl donning Channel has opted for swimsuits. A visit to a tropical oasis was clearly on someone’s mind, but then it shouldn’t be surprising considering the year of staycations could never come close.
A favourite for reimagining the classics, Alexanders Macqueen includes their take on every outlaw’s staple. The leather jacket. In fact, several of their looks combine it with cuts of denim to create alternative pieces voicing both the notion of rebellion. Denim is as casual a fabric as you can get – You must have had your mother scold you for trying to wear jeans to that fancy restaurant around the corner at some point in your life- and a leather jacket is a universal symbol for being badass. So what Macqueen is trying to say is, reject expectations, reject the headlines and wear what you what you want, because that’s the boldest thing you can do. Although you should probably give the pyjamas to work a miss.
On the subject of workwear, this season’s brands are loosening the tailoring on our suits. The fabric is flexible and the colours more lively. Gucci’s adding silk and taking the iconic piece out, out, along with their sense of exploring sensuality through different textures and colours. Oversized cuts of fur from the 60s are back in, and so is old time Hollywood glamour, with a post pandemic twist. It’s clear their outrageous multicoloured concoctions are desperate to be back in the spotlight. But then after months holed up, isn’t everyone?
