Fall fashion week in New York is always one of the best fashion events of the year.
Yes, you may think that’s calling it a little early, it is in February after all, but our favourite emerging and established American designers always pull out all the stops for the coveted event—and 2022 has proved to be no different.
Where Paris and Milan fashion weeks are rooted in tradition and heritage, which naturally comes from a prestige roster of luxury brands, New York’s independent labels and eclectic maisons are rebelling against every convention and rewriting the rules for winter dressing.
From the pieces that will soon make up your go-to going out look to the unlikely celebrity-approved trend you’ll soon be spotting everywhere, we’ve rounded up the five trends from the Fall/Winter 2022 season of New York Fashion Week to know and love.
How’s Your Head?
Beanies be gone! Balaclavas are back, baby. The practical headgear that we typically associate with bank robberies and ski season has had a high fashion makeover, spotted on the catwalk at Dion Lee, Proenza Schouler and Altuzarra.
While the celebrity style set, including Dua Lipa and Alexa Chung have been pining for its return since the look made a comeback in Miu Miu’s Fall/Winter 2020 apres-chic collection, our favourite New York based designers are making us want one in every colour.
Effortlessly fall-worthy, Proenza Schouler delivered velvet options while Altuzarra stayed true to the classic knit. Dion Lee went full throttle, sending blue lace and fire-engine red balaclavas (with a built in face mask).
Soft As Butter
As far as outerwear is concerned, leather is second to none. It seems that almost every designer showing at New York Fashion Week is proving that soft-as-butter leather is the perfect material for bracing the long winter ahead.
Khaite’s quintessentially New York collection argued that head-to-toe leather is to be embraced, not shunned, while Helmut Lang and Dion Lee paired leather bottoms with shearling tops.
With a leather jacket shown in almost every collection this season, designers are telling us this will be your new go-to going out look. While you may run the risk of looking like a Ramone brother rather than an Olsen sister, depending on how you style it, it’s worth it in the name of fashion.
Living in the 70’s
While the Spring/Summer season of NYFW focused on 90s nonchalance and the freedom of the new millenium, the Fall/Winter collections are taking us back to the 70s era of liberation and ease.
Gabriela Hearst embraced macrame like weaving and kaftan silhouettes, two staples in a 70s capsule wardrobe, while Anna Sui presented late 60s-style tunics with accompanying headbands for the ultimate beatnick kick.
LaQuan Smith took us to Studio 54 with sequin adorned boiler suits and elsewhere, Coach proved that corduroy can be timeless with Altuzarra arguing that tie dye is forever.
All Laced Up
There’s no doubt that lingerie has been a source of inspiration for designers, however, more so than ever are corsets welcomed as a practical form of outwear.
While the corset king Dion Lee presented leather harnesses and even zip-up leather corsets, LaQuan Smith presented boned dresses and one pieces that gave the appearance of lingerie.
While Tory Burch has been honing in on effortless feminine silhouettes in recent collections, her clever use of lace up belts served to give the impression of a cinched waist that only a corset can provide.
Transparentsoul
Post-pandemic dressing is still in full swing, and there’s no better example of the body positive, skin showing movement than a transparent dress for fall.
While we’ve already discussed that sensual dressing isn’t a moment, it’s a movement, the designers at NYFW are taking it one step further and leaving nothing to the imagination.
For Ekhaus Latta’s 10th anniversary presentation, sheer sequined slips and geometric dress shapes celebrated our anatomy, while Y2K queen Kim Shui showcased ultra feminine silhouettes in lace and mesh cut-out designs.
LaQuan Smith continued to champion the reign of the black bodycon cutouts and bared all plunging necklines and thigh hugging minis.
