The upcoming Fall/Winter season has an updated focus on quality and craftsmanship, incorporating a novel and innovative approach that reflects consumers’ current desire for practical yet comfort-first designs.
Functional yet statement-worthy silhouettes and details incorporate retro and vintage references, eco-conscious values and the comfort-factor in an optimistic, forward-thinking way.
Designers deliver designs for the season with a playful use of colour, texture and materials. Soft knits, shearling details, knits, faux fur and extreme padding enhance proportions but with premium qualities and a new sense of refinement that offers a more luxurious feel.
The silhouettes of the season are centred around comfort and movement with baggy jeans, flared trousers and oversized proportions coming to the fore.
Apparel Resources (AR) has rounded up the key trends in silhouettes and details for the upcoming Fall/Winter 2022 season, as observed during the recently concluded international runways presentations as well as on the high street by major retailers.
Read on to discover.
Baggy Jeans
There’s no piece of clothing that screams ’90s fashion as much as baggy jeans do – this silhouette had a pivotal part to play in that decade, so much so that it became synonymous with angsty teens and a sense of rebellion in the industry, in an era driven by music-led movements.
The baggy jeans silhouette is making its comeback for the upcoming Fall/Winter season, with the style being updated with modernised take on the relaxed fit to appeal to the younger cohort of consumers – aka millennials and Gen Z. In this regard, the silhouette has dethroned the mom jeans and the skinny jeans – two styles denounced by Gen Z.
The baggy jeans of the season deploy fresh techniques such as patchwork denim, embellishments and distressed elements to mimic a retro-inspired look.
On the Fall/Winter 2022 runways, Missoni and Versace opted for more simple, sleek designs, whilst labels like MGSM and Blumarine took a more daring approach, by utilising bold embellishments, bright colour combinations and destructured forms.
Palm Angels and Diesel also tuned in to the trend, with both presenting heavily distressed jeans, with Diesel even taking the dishevelled technique to the waistband and hems. Annakiki featured a ripped look further experimenting with the loose fit for jeans that subtly referenced cargo pants featuring oversized pockets that trail downwards along the leg.
Knit Dress Wonder
The knit silhouette comes in a wide variety of forms.
Some take the appearance of an oversized sweater, while others have a more body-hugging fit, taking the shape of the wearer through the use of a stretch material. While the cable knit consists of a chunky fit, the rib knit is slightly more lightweight and therefore used even for the Spring season.
Furthermore, it offers many possibilities for buyers owing to its trans-seasonal and versatile appeal that can transition from daywear to eveningwear to loungewear.
Keeping all these factors in mind, designers and high fashion labels alike experimented with techniques, forms and structure of the wonder material to offer an array of options for the season.
Coach presented a variety of knit dresses made using a crochet technique, some complete with bow details that either accentuated the waistline or structured a loose-fit silhouette.
Altuzzara, on the other hand, presented knit pieces like its form-fitting grey maxi dress layered with a chunky, cable knit cardigan that balanced out other extravagant printed gowns and sequin dresses within the collection. Eckhaus Latta’s showcased a range of knit styles presented in a deconstructed fashion.
Ruching Rampage
Ruched details have emerged as a key detail trend in the past few seasons popularised mainly due to its use in bodycon dresses and skirts and its ability to deliver a figure flattering look.
Recently concluded international runways further state that the trend isn’t going anywhere any time soon with designers presenting the technique in a number of pieces but mostly in form-fitting dresses and skirts that use ruching to create an eye-catching texture. Similar looks have been filtered down to the high street to offer more wearable style options.
On the runway, Supriya Lele presented similar ruched designs offering deconstructed garments in the form of body hugging silhouettes. Ahluwalia also used the detail in a handful of designs, shown in a colour contrasting mini dress with a form fitting waistline emphasised by neon hues.
Nensi Dojaka, known for her technically elaborate mini dresses, is one to be credited for the rise in popularity of the trend with her designs often consisting of ruched details alongside lace up and cut out technique.
The Second Skin Boot
With the last couple of years furthering the trend of ‘less is more’ and ‘comfort-first’ clothing options, designers and brands have been quick to identify and cater to consumers’ growing demands.
In this regard, unlined, single layer boots featuring a softly unstructured, sock-like appeal speak to the season’s sense of refined comfort.
Materials such as love weight premium quality leathers and stretch knits are being used to encase the foot and leg much like a second skin, detailed with subtle contrast counters for added interest and durability.
Furthermore, lightweight sole units in tonal shades and barely-there metal mid-height heels are being used to complement the easy-to-wear yet sophisticated feel.
The Flared Silhouette
The flared trouser, also known as a bell-bottom, comes in a wide variety of shapes, such as elephant bells, or more subtle flares, closer to a boot-cut.
Originating in the ’60s and ’70s, bell-bottoms have cemented their place as the it-trousers for the two decades, with the silhouette being popularised by the likes of glam rock icons, trendy youth, the working class and the average dad, alike.
Its current resurgence can mostly be attributed to Gen Z’s rejection of slim fit silhouettes, putting the flares back into the game.
Tapping on the silhouette’s hippie origins, Etro drew direct inspiration from the ’60s and ’70s, in a collection that was reminiscent of a Woodstock festival crowd. The brand presented crochet bell-bottoms as a stylish flare option alongside printed ponchos and waistcoats, for the upcoming Fall/Winter season.
Paisley printed trousers furthered the brand’s boho aesthetic, paired with clashing leopard print to present a bold outfit style.
Stella McCartney also opted for the flared silhouette, included in a range of, as she herself labelled it, ‘tailored hippie’ suits. The ’70s vibe was further emphasised by the brand’s use of geometric and pin-stripe prints that defined McCartney’s new design direction.
The Fluffy Slides
Fluffy slides have been dominating the runways and retail for quite a few seasons now, presenting shoppers with a simple, seasonless design, most notably complete with a fluffy exterior.
This season was no different with designers and brands offering a fresh take on a style that was previously preferred solely by sportswear brands.
Fluffy slides are a fun addition to a casualwear line that adds a vibrant character to a collection. Furthermore, the material and silhouette make the slides suitable throughout the year, with an open shape that allows room to breathe during Spring and Summer and a fluffy exterior that provides a bit of warmth in the colder months. Owing to its versatile characteristic, the fluffy slide can be worn both as an outerwear piece and as an indoor option to just simply lounge.
On the recent runways for Fall/Winter 2022, Claudia Li presented fluffy slides in a myriad of pastel tones and exaggerated shapes, similar to the garments in the collection. Lanvin’s slides also took the form of a closed off slipper shape with a clashing colour scheme. Despite not fitting the typical definition of a slide, Bottega Veneta steered towards fluffy footwear, offering up a slip-on platform heel in a bright orange hue. Simon Miller also presented a take on the platform shoe, displaying a fluffy slip-on with an exaggerated height, complementing the brand’s other fluffy shoe styles presented for the season.
Shearling-lined Aviator Jackets
Aviator jackets have been derived from military uniforms, with this particular style originally created for pilots in the first half of the 20th century.
The aviator jacket, also known as the flight jacket, features a waist length cut, with details such as button closures and elasticated cuffs and hems designed to keep the wearer warm. Additionally, an enlarged collar is often also fixed around the neck for added warmth.
Modern iterations of the jacket see these traditional features merge with other jacket styles or updated for today’s customer, resulting in designs that are often unisex.
The look was a prominent trend on the Fall/Winter 2022 runways, translated using oversized fits, colourful fur linings and revamped silhouettes.
Many brands presented statement outerwear pieces for the season with an array of linings and materials that add to the character of this versatility piece. Sacai opted for alternative silhouettes, offering up a wide, tent-like cut that was additionally present in a sleeveless iteration of the design.
For some versions, Sacai utilised a coloured fur lining, an element also used by Hermès, which stuck to the traditional silhouette. Loewe’s jackets featured lighter tanned materials whilst Kenzo’s new Artistic Director Nigo, presented a subtle twist to the style, adding a contrasting coloured hood to the jacket, again offering a modern take on the look.
Expressive Statement Tees
The statement tee of the season is much more than just an eye-catching print.
The recent happenings around the world have led customers with an untamed desire to express themselves and make their voices heard. The statement tee goes beyond a fashion item wherein current lifestyle movements, political and social movements get translated into a wearable, tangible garment.
The seasonless wardrobe staple offers unlimited styling possibilities and the ability to appeal to every customer group. For designers who adopted the trend for their collections, the T-shirt served as the perfect canvas to express opinions that likely resonate with their customer group and the values they may hold themselves.
Balenciaga and Vetements, which are both known for their statement looks and bold design values, managed to translate the same into the simple T-shirt silhouette. Balenciaga is known to turn out highly sought-after tees that often come with compelling messages. The brand’s recent collection saw it share a brief take on circular fashion, releasing a T-shirt that stated the wearer was going to donate the top once they were done wearing it.
For their Fall/Winter 2022 collection, Vetements aimed to redefine haute couture through a money-themed line. Pieces in the collection featured statements such as ‘Money can’t buy me happiness but Vetements can’ and ‘I did nothing, I just got lucky’. Chloé’s collaboration with ’60s artist Corita Kent saw the label unveil a collection of tees with powerful statements calling on the wearer and its viewers to ‘Get with the gang’.
