Florals and More Back for Spring Summer 2022
By Jake Rosenbluth ‘24
Gigi Hadid in Moschino SS ‘22
As fashion icon Miranda Priestly asserts, florals for spring are indeed not groundbreaking; nonetheless, alongside bright colors and bold patterns, floral prints are one of the joys of spring fashion. As seen in Valentino’s Paris fashion show for the house’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, vivid greens, pinks, and yellows feature alongside feathers, sequins, and, you guessed it, florals. American fashion designer Jeremy Scott, creative director at Moschino, and Jason Wu both included florals in their recent collections. As bold staples of Spring/Summer 2022 fashion, florals, sequins, and graphic prints are indicative of the desire to have fun with fashion once more. The WFH-era of sweatsuits and PJs has ended - and if you have not left that time yet, please do - and adventurous fashion is storming back to the runways of and streets of fashion capitals New York, Paris, Milan, and London.
Gabriela Hearst SS ‘22
Loro Piana, Etro, Jonathan Simkhai, Gabriela Hearst, Givenchy, Paco Rabanne, Kenneth Ize, Isabel Marant, Duro Olowu, designers who at first glance appear disconnected, all had something in common from their SS ‘22 lines: magnificent, swirling prints of colors. A psychedelic, love-letter to 1960s and 1970s Los Angeles, a throwback to the flower-power era was strong in all of these collections. Let your imagination run free. Let your clothes be the statement. Daring colors and prints were not the only features that made these collections stand out. New takes on classic silhouettes, shapes, proportions, and weaves spoke to innovation.
Fendi SS ‘22
With COVID-19 related restrictions lifted by major cities and countries alike, the world and its people are ready to take the streets and party. The excitement and lust for life can be felt in the dance-party clothing featured in the collections of Salvatore Ferragamo, Rodarte, Fendi, Proenza Schouler, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, and Dries Van Noten. These designers all heavily feature feathers and fringe, harking back to the days of flappers and partying of the Roaring Twenties.
Dolce & Gabbana SS ‘22
These Gatsby-era designs are no surprise - just as the exuberant joy of fashion was felt in the 1920s following the 1918 Spanish Flu, it is once again being channeled following COVID-19. I, for one, am a huge fan of all things feathers and flow and am excited to see such dresses, skirts, and shirts at parties this summer.
Finally, we cannot talk Spring/Summer 2022 trends without discussing the dramatic new proportions designers are embracing, between itty-bitty shorts and skirts made iconic by Miu Miu's super-cropped looks, the oversized shoulders and silhouettes of blazers seen in the collections of Prada, Peter Do, Louis Vuitton, Raf Simons, or the high-waisted, slouchy trousers featured in 3.1 Phillip Lim, Altuzarra, Gauchere, Ulla Johnson, Alberta Ferretti. We are seeing designers and fashion collectors alike reimagine their clothing, embracing dramatic, statement pieces as everyday attire.
Why go back to the skinny-jean, the all-black NYC uniform, the basic stripe, or polka dot print that were icons of fashion houses in the years before COVID-19? Dare to go forward with fashion. Let the bold be bolder, louder, more intoxicating, and intriguing. We all are tired, or at least should be, of sweats, drab colors, and sitting indoors. Get back out with new texture, print, color, fabrics, and let your clothes be indicative of the new wave of high-spirit and ebullience moving through society.