The Runway Roundup - Trend Report from the SS22 Fashion Shows

As the dust settled on another season, for the designers, editors, buyers and models in IRL attendance, Spring Summer 22 will hold its place in history as the season that put the runway back on the map.

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But, what else is on fashion’s “roadmap out” of the leisurewear stronghold?

In the Business of Fashion’s podcast wrap of the shows, Founder Imran Ahmed and Editor-at-Large Tim Blanks both conceded the future remained uncertain. “Did you get any hint of where fashion can go from here? I didn’t,” Blanks said. To which Ahmed agreed. The work-in-progress comeback of luxury fashion and all its loose ends conversely offers designers the real opportunity to show the world exactly what they’re made of.

And show us they did. Spectacle was a big player throughout, with Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Loewe, Versace/Fendi, Chanel, and Marni some of the most talked-about shows of the month due to presentation structures, spirited ambiance, headlining models and celebrities, and serious ‘wow’ factor.

Except for the major eco-warriors Gabriela Hearst, Stella McCartney et al, heading back to the runway meant that sustainability was put on the back-burner. Well, aside from the protester at Nicolas Ghesquière’s 19th century-inspired runway for Louis Vuitton. So, while the world’s biggest narrative remains climate change, Blanks felt that the designers were more engaged by the simplicity of humanity in the immediate moment.

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As the shows presented liberated, celebratory collections from Valentino, Rick Owens, Dior, and Chloé, at large, the uncertainty of what the pandemic will come to the table with next remained. However, they seemed to all agree - why wait for something to happen? Get out and re-join the party in the cut-outs, neon, and micro-minis while you can.

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Get out and re-join the party in the cut-outs, neon, and micro-minis while you can.

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Amidst an air of confidence and blissful ignorance of what the future holds, there are a few things for sure. Here’s the run-down on the trends that defined the SS22 runways.

90s Minimalism

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Is it the inclusivity and size diversity wave that has brought on the resurgence of sleek midi skirts, crop tops, mesh layers, and cuts that elongate the torso - once reserved for Kate Moss and her cohort? Is it everyone’s chance to do it over - and better? Maryam Nassir Zadeh, KNWLS, and Collina Strada think so.

What is it about the 90s minimalism that we can’t get enough of? The golden age of fashion, the safety of nostalgia, the comfort we feel in what we already know, or conversely the shock value of bringing back something as subversive as low-rise pants in the eye of the cancel culture storm.

Hey, regardless of its subconscious meaning, it was fun. Chanel’s old-school showing with hair-flips and hip-swinging, Coperni’s and Acne’s low-rise pants, and Courrèges mini skirts and band tees were a welcome change.

Crafty knitwear

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Ah, a trend we can all get on board with.

Super soft, pleasantly tactile, the warm solar-drenched hues of comfortable summer knitwear are key to your next vacation.

Shredded, woven, and knotted knitwear in a technical array of decorative styles from maxi dresses to tiny cardigans. Alberta Ferretti’s macramé was knitted from silk threads, while Tod’s played with raw wool hand-knitted tunics and tops.  Missoni, Etro, Staud, Rachel Comey and Altazurra produced extremely wearable collections through artisanal techniques and traditional means in dresses, tops, bags, and eveningwear. Space-dyed styles were seen at Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Eckhaus Latta and Jonathan Simkhai, proving this popular trend seems to only be gaining momentum.

Iridescence

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Shiny.

Disco.

Balls.

We get it, it’s party time.  But not without some self-deprecating humour.

Jonathon Anderson for Loewe’s show was described as “neurotic, psychedelic, completely hysterical,” with perhaps the most playful element of the show being the warped, gold breastplates. Brandon Maxwell, LaQuan Smith, and Tom Ford were a little more conventional within their satin suiting, latex motorcycle pants, and blingy accessories. Rodarte proposed softer glitz in ultra-feminine silhouettes, while Courrèges brought their space-age roots back with metallic tiny tops and boots.

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Knee-High Boots

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These major ass-kickers are hanging around for another season and we couldn’t be happier.

That is to say, what else are you going to pair with your micro mini for re-emergence season? From Balenciaga’s extreme thigh-highs to Courreges pastel, metallic, and sexy 90s styles, boots also come a little more functional this season; consider the wader boot by Maison Margiela, or the stable platforms at Givenchy for heading back to underground clubs and dancefloors.

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Sweet Leather

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Whether made of mushroom leather care of Stella McCartney’s bag offering, to the buttery smooth summer pastels thanks to Jil Sander, leather for summer suddenly doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

​Hermès took to sunny, buttery pieces in shift and corseted dresses, jackets, pantsuits, and skirts matched with knitwear. Chocolate hues were an unexpected mainstay for a number of collections including body-wrapping crops and dresses for Acne Studios, a sumptuous Courreges jacket, Givenchy’s corsetted peplum tops, and Balenciaga showed a midi skirt to pair with leather boots.

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Big Totes

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Office workers rejoice! Leave the tiny Jacquemus bag and Fendi baguettes at home while you opt for something a little more comfortable. From Jil Sander to Etro, Salvatore Ferragamo and Givenchy these laptop-sized bags came in colourful quilting, utility details, paisley prints, comfy leather, and sporty over-nighter styles cc: Lacoste, in case you need to pack a crop, or tiny cardigan for after-hours.

The big bag is back for all our newfound freedoms and weekend getaways.

Start-over suiting

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It’s hard to distill office wear into a single trend, but if one thing’s certain business casual was back.

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From knee-length shorts to oversized blazers and le smoking styles for Zoom meetings, boardrooms and beyond. From Miu Miu’s preppy skirts and boyish layering, to Raf Simons more serious tailoring with pulled-up socks, to Saint Laurent’s signature skinny trousers and shouldered jackets. Peter Do offered effortless minimalism in relaxed pants and blazers in pale neutrals and soft pastels, while Proenza Schouler and Jil Sander offered equally easy-wearing looks for easing back into office life.

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No-holds-barred neon

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From pops of highlighter orange and yellow at Proenza Schouler, Lacoste, and Versace, to the all-out electric shock of head-to-toe colour - neon hues stormed the runway without hesitation.

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SS22 was all about bright clothes for brighter times.

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In irreverent, celebratory silhouettes at Richard Quinn, JW Anderson and Roksander, to more wearable neons from Molly Goddard, Dior, and Stella McCartney in bodysuits with cut-outs, mini skirt sets and tulle tops. Isabel Marant offered a more subdued sunset version of neons in utility jumpsuits, overalls and bralettes. SS22 was all about bright clothes for brighter times.

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Micro mini skirts

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As most evident in Paris, we saw hemlines rise and waist heights fall to reveal the tiniest skirts we’ve seen since Paris Hilton was a trend-setter. We saw Coperni pair theirs with platform sandals and neon crops, and Miu Miu took to shock-value paired with minuscule sweaters and shirts. Dior and Prada offered a more wearable take for a number of looks, and Chanel’s sets offered a summer workwear staple. Meanwhile, Versace and Lanvin offered tiny leather versions, while Michael Kors and Moschino’s were for the throwback skirt-suit aficionados.

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Artful draping

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While the female form mostly came to the fore with overexposed skin, sheer panels and cutouts,  gorgeous drapery was a more subtle way to present the body and likely has a little more longevity. From Proenza Schouler and Versace’s gowns seemed to effortlessly skim over the body, to the artful bias-cut pieces from Rick Owens and Richard Malone that swathed the body with precision and elegance. It was a sight to behold at Loewe with surrealist experimentations of adorning the female form.

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Key Takeaways

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From start to finish it was authenticity and celebration that beheld the designer collections, with optimism a major player in the success of the return of real-life shows. No matter the late 90s to mid-naughts influences, what remained true across the month was that there was a definite sense of refinement and luxury when it came to fusing Gen-Z interests with traditional codes.

Size inclusivity and gender fluidity continued to gain momentum, leaning into wider market appeal, although some brands are vastly ahead of others. There was bright colour, brevity, and boldness, an unbridled sense of escapism through abstraction for all things wining, dining and vacation-inclined. Officewear looked to everything from mini-skirt suits and easy languid tailoring, alongside denim and leather styles redefined to usurp the ultra-casual and suit the new office dynamic.

As noted throughout, super summery crochet creations, the overt sexuality of tactile fabrications, beaded bikinis and low-rise trouser cuts, albeit divisive, meant that finally retailers and designers could restart allowing us to dream of the places we want to go, how we want to be seen, and what we want to wear.

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Main Image Credit: Stephane Cardinale//Getty Images