It’s the end of an era. And a rollercoaster one at that! 2022 marked the return of outdoor fashion after a long 2-3 years of ‘getting-dressed-but-nowhere-to-go,’ outdoor dining and limited social events. From virtual reality and metaverse, fashion finally returned to the physical world with the rise of dopamine dressing to get us back into the mood of feeling good. 2022 was that awkward transition, but also give rise to new trends mainly from TikTok. Yes, we’re talking about Y2k. We roundup with new designers pushing the boundaries (such as Y/project) and iconic moments like the Miu Miu fashion show giving preppy a new air, and the multitude of fashion collabs that had exclusivity on a chokehold. Fashion has changed. And not just the clothes, but the bodies within them too. Along with emotional triggering colours, nakedness was also updated during the summer. It felt like we wanted to reclaim lost time, and feel happy again, despite things not being quite back to normal or the same again. Hedonism came back with a creative flair that was thankfully not self-destructive. Along with the new Gen Z generation, nostalgia made the headlines, but also the rigid rules of what was deemed as ‘fashion’ were chucked out of the window.
You could be anyone, your archetype that you used to be bullied for was ‘back in fashion’. The internet didn’t want perfection anymore. They wanted realness, and you to be unapologetically yourself. There is a core fashion that everyone belongs to only you, as well as a nook in the internet with other people like yourself. Owning you fashion identity might have just been the roundup statement of 2022 and the future.
Best Trends of the Year – Personal Faves
Utility Trend
Before the summer came around, one of the hottest trends was utility wear. It ranged from ‘army-core’ to parachute pants. Fashion was leaning towards hard-duty and survival. It made sense because of the economical, psychological and political impact of events that were happening in the world. We weren’t ready for the romantic and nice things before covid that was all over Instagram. The reason why I added this trend to the roundup was because I love the genderless vibe, hard textures like denim, and big structures. Wearing workwear inspired clothes (a favourite of mine to date is the apron trousers from Ouest and cargo pants inspired by The Attico), made me feel powerful. Mixing the hard duty styles with more feminine pieces was a style match made in heaven!!
The Rise of Platform Shoes
The rise of platform shoes – pun fully intended, was one of my favourite trends of the year! The Versace runway made me do it!! She’s bold, powerful and sexy, standing 10 inches tall. I talked in this article here about the rise in popularity of platform shoes. They’re definitely a kick of nostalgia for some, though given a 2022 reboot. I bought two pairs of Versace and also a pair of Valentinos. Perfect when I want to wear more feminine occasion wear pieces.
The Body & Nakedness
Post-covid body insecurities were being talked about. But so was the attitude of indifference. People started questioning, who cares anyway? And why did I care in the first place?, as we started to reevaluate our values and philosophy towards perfectionism. Let the body be body, fashion said as they brought out the sheer clothing, new cut-out shapes and naked body optical illusions. In the past there was an emphasis on ‘reclaiming sexuality’, however, it felt that this year, the shift was ‘reclaiming the body as the body’ and ‘sensuality without objectivity’. By the summer, hard duty of the pre-spring loosened and in came positive hedonism and joy. Some of the shackles that made sheer clothing awkward in past years was fully embraced. Why did I care before? I’m here to live in the moment. Though as a disclaimer, attitudes about the self might have shifted, but fashion’s body inclusivity is still slow to change (despite seeing more inclusive runways). Something that needs to continue to change for the years to come.
Special Moments – Fashion Week!!!
For this roundup I also wanted to highlight a big moment for me – I went to New York, Paris and Milan for fashion week! It was my first time in Milan. I wanted to experiment more and really push myself out of my comfort zone. While still retaining that balance of choosing something that was very like myself. I think pushing your fashion style is a great way to discover new pieces and silhouettes that work for you! I absolutely LOVED these looks. And also some more wearable for everyday than I thought. Here are some of my best looks! What were your favourite fashion moments of 2022?
