After many seasons of comfort-wear designs, Spring 2022 collections in New York, London, Paris, and Milan saw the rise of maximalism, a burst of excitement that exhibited designs centered around liberal amounts of skin showing, the heavy use of layering, as well as the display of interesting shapes and playful prints. While vibrant, daring, and certainly not lacklustre or limited, trends this season do show a sense of convenience and nonchalance, with fits suitable for all types of occasions, such as vacation clothing, work outfits, and even varsity-suitable wear. One thing is for sure, the Spring 2022 season is sure to be a bright and playful one!
Here is a round-up of the forecasted fashion trends for Spring 2022:
1. Mini-Skirt Suits
Chanel
The skirt suit first became iconic in the 1950’s when designed by labels such as Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. But the mini-skirt and blazer combo has now made a comeback, and has featured on the runways of Michael Kors, Versace, Christian Dior, Valentino, Chanel, and Miu Miu. While the shape of the skirt suit remains somewhat solid, the fabric, patterns and colors used are extremely fluid, with some styles featuring tweed, colorful leather, denim, and patterns of stripes, spots and florals. Just so long as the skirt is short and there is a blazer to accompany it, you’re on trend! The previously old-fashioned mini-skirt suit trend has now been embraced by younger Gen Z celebrities such as Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, and Emma Chamberlain.
2. Mad about the Midriff
Zimmermann
The abdominal area received major attention at this year’s Spring 2022 fashion runways. Designers such as Miu Miu, Coperni, and Giorgio Armani presented garments that proudly displayed the midriff area with cropped styles paired with beautiful and bold oversized blazers and jackets. This fashion trend also works with the mini-skirt suit, low-rise denim bottoms of Y2K styles, and even cropped varsity style cable knit jerseys. And if you were thinking that you might need to start hitting the gym to follow this trend, think again! Many plus size models featured on the runways in midriff baring garments, portraying inspirational body confidence that can only be loved and admired.
3. Fringe Fits
Proenza Schouler
Designers were a bit more daring with the fringe trend for the Spring 2022 season, showcasing garments with long fringe straps, multi-colored fringe, thick fringe layers, layers of fringe-like rope, and even a garment with thick belts draped to the floor, designed by Balmain. Runways also saw 1920’s inspired fringe dresses making a comeback, expressing practicality for movement and comfort, designed by Rodarte, Fendi, and Oscar de la Renta. It seems that this trend might always make its way back to fashion, and we aren’t complaining about it!
4. Stunningly Sheer
Blumarine
Sheer garments became the new way to show off your body and add a little bit of sexiness to your style without actually baring much skin. Garments by Blumarine, Maximilian, and Khaite were clear (excuse the pun!) displays of this trend. Sheer styles have been around for awhile in many different forms, but the trend took center stage at the Met Gala this year, with celebrities such as Zoë Kravitz and Kendall Jenner wearing intricate and delicate sheer dresses, showing just the perfect amount of skin. The sheer garments also give off a seriously ethereal feel, with shimmery, silky or even sparkly material used.
5. Y2K Nostalgia
Blumarine
Nostalgia was a main theme at the Spring 2022 runways, with designers looking back and drawing inspiration from past looks of the 2000’s. This trend is based on styles that were popular from the mid 90’s to the 2000’s, and featured midriff-baring tops paired with low-rise jeans, styled with sparkly belts and crimped hair. This trend is certainly a treat for all of the millennials who have been waiting to bring out all of their old styles and rewear those previously ‘out-dated’ looks!
6. Shrunken Wear
Brandon Maxwell
The ‘shrunken-style’ trend that dominated the 2021 runways returned in a big way for the Spring 2022 fashion showcasings. The shrunken trend features fits created with as little fabric as possible, and boast a ‘barely there’ feel. Ultra low-rise mini-skirts, shrunken sweaters and tunic length dresses are just some of the styles that this trend has to offer. Some garments, such as the pink shrunken cardigan exhibited at the Brandon Maxwell runway show (seen above), are used as a way to provide some practicality without compromising the display of the garment underneath.
7. Varsity Style
Lacoste
Back-to-school and collegiate inspired styles featured on many runways this season, with Miu Miu exhibiting the trend liberally, showing off midriff-baring cable knit sweaters and old-school pleated mini-skirts made to micro size. While thick cable knit sweaters never really go out of style, designers innovated new and exciting styles to show off the trend on Spring 2022 runways, with new silhouettes, patterns, and color patterns.
8. Cut-outs
Christian Siriano
Garments consisting of cut-outs have reappeared in the fashion world, just when we thought we had left them behind at those dingy dance clubs we used to visit back in the day. Cut-outs featured in this year’s Spring 2022 runway shows, but this time on garments of the utmost precision and structure, completely appropriate as high fashion fits. The trend is almost limitless, with an aspect of liberalism seen in the placement, shape, and structure of the cut-outs. While once seen as controversial, this trend has recently been embraced by the fashion world, as a way to show some skin without having to wear garishly skimpy dresses.
Whether you are a fashion fiend or just here for the lewks, these trends are certainly ones to watch, and are sure to inspire even more innovative and futuristic styles from designers in the fashion seasons to come. For now, keep your eyes peeled and look out for all of these styles on your runways near you- out on the streets!