Sleek, chic, dangerous: these were the moods of nearly every fall 2022 runway. Each garment was inflected with pandemic-era anxiety and nostalgia, along with a heavy dose of Surrealism and elevated dressing—think over-the-top, fur-adorned cocktail dresses perfect for in-person partying and a range of modern suits that will shine in the office, if you choose to return to it. Below, we’ve highlighted 10 of the most pervasive and strongest trends from the season, all of which will surely influence your personal wardrobe once the weather turns.
Euphoria High
This is a nod to the incredible costumes and wardrobes of the hit HBO show Euphoria and its cast—who seem to push the envelope in all ways, but especially when it comes to fashion. Chloe Cherry, the actress who played Faye in season two, walked in the Blumarine show; the brand has redefined Y2K fashion and become a Gen Z favorite in the process. We imagined Maddy and Cassie in many of these mini-hemmed, midriff baring looks, especially the Miu Miu and Coperni.
Tuxedos
A prominent eveningwear trend in the collections this year were these luxe takes on the classic tuxedo. More traditional tuxes could be seen at Burberry and Dior, while less literal takes, like this skirt suit at McQueen and this tuxedo dress at Saint Laurent, were elegant and sharply designed.
Addams Family Values
This Alaïa look—derived from Azzedine Alaïa’s Spanish skirt shapes, reinterpreted by creative director Pieter Mulier—reminded us of what Morticia Addams might wear to the carpool line. Naturally, the J.W. Anderson piece that covered the model head to toe in hair was pure Cousin Itt. Undercover was very Uncle Fester; Burberry looked like Debbie, Uncle Fester’s conniving wife, and The Row presented looks that were as chic as Wednesday Addams gets.
To the Maxi
We’ve moved on from the Miu Miu mini to this season’s maxi. Skirt lengths have historically yo-yoed over the years—and in 2022, we have found ourselves back to the maxi skirt, this time feeling a bit ’90s, even if the silhouettes were a bit fuller (a design that we can all thank Coco Chanel for: she was the first to create a wider skirt for women in the 1920s, freeing the legs and allowing for more practicality during day-to day activities). We loved seeing this classic skirt trend paired with a casual sweater or cardigan, making it super wearable for daytime.
Fanciful Faux Furs
A glamorous woman from the 1980s was a prominent character on most runways for fall 2022. And in many instances, she wore a fabulous faux-fur. Balmain, and Coperni featured these beautiful, ankle-grazing faux-furs, while Balenciaga showed shorter, cropped versions. We especially loved this faux mink robe at Victor Glemaud.
Workin’ 9 to 5
You can often count on seeing a suiting trend each season. But this year, the concept came in the form of a working woman’s wardrobe—utterly classic and chic. Prada’s camel coat was reminiscent of one your dad might wear to the office, similar to this Sport Max version, done in gray. We loved the added neck tie on this Burberry skirt suit, as well as the tie at Gucci.
Apocalypse Now
This trend is all about dressing for the elements—a recurring theme we’ve seen for quite a few seasons, but feels so much more relevant in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Apocalypse Now encompasses literal protective gear from Balmain and Loewe, as well as elegant twists on the idea from Rick Owens and Junya Watanabe. Demna, who was a Georgian refugee, had the most noteworthy reference to what is currently happening in Ukraine, when Balenciaga’s models trudged through faux snow while carrying what appeared to be a trash bag—a symbol for their most important personal belongings.
Hooded Eyes
Sure, we’re all familiar with hoods in the traditional sense, but this season we saw many brands doing away with shoulders altogether and, instead, bringing the shirt or jacket right up over the head to create a hood shape. It felt very relevant to now—with everyone unsure about emerging after Covid—in addition to putting another layer of safety and comfort in your clothing.
A Very Fuzzy Cocktail Party
At this point, it’s more than obvious that fur is in. This twist is especially fun and newfangled: furry cocktail attire. Burberry showed an Oscar red carpet-worthy fur gown, Loewe had a chic fur mini skirt, a fur trimmed leather mini dress stunned at Sportmax and our personal favorite, the perfect little black dress made entirely of fur at Christopher Kane.
Out of Body
This season, Surrealism was everywhere—with many brands translating the codes of Surrealist art directly onto their garments and painting, printing, or sculpting their garments and accessories with human body parts. Fun fact: this Alexander McQueen suit was created in the same manner as the white tube dress from the legendary spring 1999 show, “Savage Beauty”—by a robot spray painter. The Loewe show was entirely a surreal experience from start to finish: dresses were adorned with 3-D lips and balloons cheekily positioned on the chest, and, as seen in our favorite look here, hands caressed the body. Even emerging Central Saint Martins designer Steve O. Smith was in on the trend, putting hand-painted works of art on his designs.
