And that’s a wrap!
After a year’s hiatus, Afterpay Australian Fashion Week has returned for the 2022 edition and proved that anything good is worth waiting for.
Over 63 designers showcased their upcoming resort 2023 collections in a mix of runway presentations, industry-only parties, offsite shows and all the glamour the style set could muster.
Of course, the coveted looks extended off the runway and onto the street, with Australia’s fashion crowd providing all the sartorial inspiration you’ll need when it comes to styling emerging trends. Think ties, berets, cargo pants and kilts.
However with so much fashion to absorb and digest from the five-day fashion bonanza, it can be a little difficult to decipher.
What pieces are worth adding to your wardrobe? Are there any major moments that I may have missed? If you find yourself asking these naturally imperative questions, then keep scrolling below for marie claire’s edit of the five key trends spotted at AAFW 2022 to know, love and add to cart.
Soft Layering
Serving the perfect transeasonal addition to your wardrobes, soft layering seemed to be the preferred styling choice for designers presenting their Resort ‘23 collections.
Relaxed layering in the form of sheer shirting, lightweight sweaters and pants under skirts were spotted on the runways of Bianca Spender, Beare Park, Aaziel and Bec + Bridge.
Elevated Embellishments
In a move that will appeal to any Y2K sympathsier, metallic tones and elevated embellishments were featured heavily across the Afterpay Australian Fashion Week ‘22 runways.
The Oceanic-inspired Auteur show featured pearlescent and lustre tones with a heavy emphasis on sequined and expertly crafted embroidery.
Elsewhere, Mariam Seddiq focused on midnight hues and nearly-naked silhouettes accented by sequins.
Michael Lo Sordo also expanded his signature diamante-adorned designs by presenting a diamanté g-string.
Skin On Skin
While the Spring/Sumer 22 season proved that sensual dressing reigned supreme in the post-pandemic trend department, the designers at AAFW are cementing its continued relevance.
Australian resortwear hasn’t typically been known for its revealing silhouettes and sex appeal, designers like Karla Spetic and Bec + Bridge are keeping hemlines high, cut out extremes and delivering our nude illusion fantasy.
Low Rise
It’s news that would send a shiver down the side of any scorned by early 2000s dressing, but low rise is officially back.
Prepare to once again bare your hip bones because this divisive number has cropped up (no pun intended) on the runways in the form of low-slung suit pants, slip and mini skirts and even bikini briefs.
Corporate Chic
Could Andy Sachs be the ultimate style guru? On the runways at AAFW, it appears that the collective of designers showcasing their Resort ranges may have been sartorially referencing the assistant-turned-stylish-journalist by throwing caution to the wind and embracing corporate cliches through a couture lens.
Between Aaizél’s mid-2000s approach to workwear dressing, Oroton taking us from the boardroom to the beach and ESSE’s exploration of sustainable staples, we’ve never been more excited to return to work.
