Spring is the season of rebirth, and there’s no slow, gentle awakening this year. In fact, the Spring/Summer 2022 designer collections are bursting with vibrancy and optimism for the future while still including small nods to nostalgic influences of the past, according to our trendsetters, THE EDIT ADVISORY’S Krystal DeLisi and Ellen Mason.
BOLD PUNCHY BRIGHTS
Nowhere is this bold and bright reemergence seen more than in the bright-on-bright, even neon-on-neon designs that graced the runways. We saw Bold Blocking as a new way of Power Dressing by combining intense colors with a modern take on 1980s power suiting.
Key Details: Pair these powerful colors with equally powerful silhouettes such as strong shoulders, authoritative pencil skirts, and wide-leg trousers. Many designers used unexpected materials, such as sequins, in their Bold Blocking for a hint of sparkle to further punch up your brights.
As Seen On: Dior, Versace, Sandro, Eudon Choi, and Gestuz
GARDEN EXPLOSION
Another trend that embodies the triumphant return of spring is the use of vibrant, large-scale floral prints. Unlike the muted pastels of previous spring collections, these florals are colorful, oversized, and often kaleidoscopic in nature. Beyond enlarged flowers, unique patterns are created by magnifying a single petal or stem.
Key Details: Head-to-toe looks that make you feel like you are literally wrapped in flora and the occasional fauna. This is not the ditsy floral print made popular by the Cottagecore trend. These are oversized, large-scale bursts of flowers and colors. Garden fauna prints included butterflies and dragonflies, magnifying a single wing to create a unique print.
As Seen On: Chanel, Gucci, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Cain, and Schiaparelli
METAL GLAM
Designers celebrated the return of the runway with looks that borrowed from glamrock fashions of the past while retaining a bit of the post-apocalyptic feel that has been prevalent since the pandemic began. With the sequin, the glam comes. From metallic materials to sophisticated metal details, the combination of mixed metal-earth tones and sparkly neutrals create an overall palette that is both grounded and sparkly. Key Details: This trend evokes everything from the big hair, glam rock bands of the 1980s to the supermodel-filled Versace collections of the 1990s. There are also hints of 1970s disco, 1980s punk, and the multi-decade use of fringe. Designers also used a lot of pleating and cutouts in gleaming, sometimes foil-like textiles.
As Seen On: Balmain, Christopher Kane, Givenchy, Lanvin, and Courreges
ULTRA SPORT LUXE
True performance-based, activewear staples are given the fashion treatment with puffed sleeves, refined cutouts, sophisticated colors, color blocking, and retro athletic details. The inspiration for this trend goes well beyond Barre, HIIT, or other gym activities. These collections are based on extreme, ultra-sports, but it is indeed fashion.
Key Details: Look for this trend to be everywhere, but called something different, probably with “core” attached. ActiveCore, PerformanceCore, Peak PerformanceCore, UltraCore, or UltraActiveCore, to name a few. The trend also has fun playing with the extreme juxtaposition of two pieces you would not normally style together. Go beyond denim and pearls and opt for a weatherproof poncho and Louboutin stilettos look.
As Seen On: Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, MSGM, and Nikolaj Storm
