The fall/winter 2022/23 ready-to-wear season consisted of 449 shows in four cities. It began in New York in early February and ended in mid-March in the same city when Sarah Burton showed the FW22 Alexander McQueen collection. At the end, a picture emerged that showed that the season was marked by five big ideas.
1. Business trip
At the end of New York Fashion Week, it became clear that tailoring will play an important role in the FW22 collections. This reflects the return to a new normal in society and the need for serious clothing. In New York, Michael Kors, Peter Do and Proenza Schouler showed pant suits with long pant legs and wide-shouldered jackets and blazers. The theme continued both in Milan at Calcaterra and in Paris at Louis Vuitton.
2. Knitting pattern
Even after the pandemic, which is declared over in many places, the desire to dress comfortably and hygge continues to exist. Accordingly, knitted jumpers made a strong statement in all four cities. They have been shown in numerous variations, many of them from head to toe. This included Altuzzara’s cable knit cardigan over a space-dyed dress, which was paired with a ribbed hood and gloves. At Chloé, Gabriela Hearst showed more space-dyed dresses in colorful combinations. Christian Wijnants, Coperni, Gucci and Alexander McQueen all showed versions of this trend.
3. Neo-punk attitude
Check and plaid looks that create an anti-establishment vibe hark back to the punk movement and the fashion of Vivienne Westwood in the late ’70s. Neo-punk is an important theme in the FW22 collections, which has been revisited this year, starting with some Pre-Fall 22 collections, including those by Dior. It gained traction as the season progressed, culminating in the kind of punk/schoolgirl mix seen with Preen, Marine Serre, Rokh, Miu Miu, Kenzo, Burberry and Coach.
4. The Balenciaga Effect
Cristóbal Balenciaga is known as ‘The Master’ of Haute Couture. Along with Christian Dior, he is credited with reinventing the silhouette of women’s fashion in the middle of the last century. The FW22 season was full of Balenciaga references with cocooned, rounded shapes and dropped shoulders. Dries Van Noten, Courrèges, Tory Burch and Dolce & Gabbana all featured versions of this inspiration that paid tribute to the legendary couturier.
5. Color Theory
It’s a fact that bright colors lift the spirits. Along with garments in rainbow combos, the designers also featured head-to-toe looks in color. At Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli showed 40 looks in fuchsia pink. He said this was to “remove distractions and draw the viewer’s eyes to the differences between silhouette and detail.” Color from head to toe has also been featured at Dion Lee, Eudon Choi, Alexander McQueen, Courrèges and Versace.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ.