UNPACKING THE NEW SEASON TRENDS

Colour, bright and euphoric – hyper prints and vibrant dyes reign supreme for the season ahead. “It’s always great to see the changeover from autumn /winter to spring / summer,” says Fashion Buying Director Shelly Corkery. “It’s always a great change in terms of colours and brightness. It’s new and exciting coming out of the darker, winter months, it’s a fresh, summer feeling. The overarching mood for SS22 is one of real optimism. Designers have put the fun back into fashion with a whole host of warm-weather looks, making us feel excited for what’s to come.”

A front row seat at all the shows offers Corkery a unique perspective on the new season ahead. “My favourite show was Saint Laurent, which took place at the Eiffel Tower. All the lights came on and half way through the show there was thick fog and it started pouring with water, just like rain, it was amazing and I thought all the clothes were fantastic. That was the most elevated show and for me, the most interesting. I also loved Prada in terms of fashion. I loved the short skirts and tail backs, and I thought the collaboration with Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons is really working and also the direction is more feminine, which I found very interesting. The short lengths were extreme yet amazing and Miuccia Prada did the same at Miu Miu. It was stronger and more feminine than in the past. That’s a hot favourite for me. I loved Loewe as well, the collection more than the show. It was very modern, very cool, very animated - embellishment, colour and trimmings, over-indulgent in costume and high-end fashion.”

While there is much to look forward to, one of the most exciting developments this season is undoubtedly the opening of the new Dundrum store. “The brand mix is new and very strong, there’s a high contemporary feel about the whole store. It’s very digitally focused too. Our new dedicated beauty department, Planet Beauty will be amazing, and then all the fashion brands and accessories, jewellery and tech will be fabulous. We’ve carefully selected all the brands. And it’s the first store we’ve ever built from scratch. It’s been phenomenally exciting. We’ll also do the three R’s – Rental, Resale and Restore. They all fit with our direction towards the new world of retail.”

SKIRT SETS

A perfect balance between masculine and feminine, SS22 showcases elegant skirts styled with tailored jackets. A move from a more prominent strong shoulder from seasons past, designers are feminising the tailored jacket, into a more wearable silhouette suitable for the times we are in. Dior perfectly embodies this trend with tailored skirt sets in bold colours of orange, speaking of her collection Maria Grazia Chiuri says “I wanted to create something graphic and clean, minimal and positive. Because I think we have to give an optimistic outlook to the future.”

Key Brands - Christian Dior, Saint Laurent, Erdem, Prada, Alessandra Rich.

COLOUR ME HAPPY

Colour, explosive, manic and euphoric – hyper prints and vibrant dyes reign supreme for SS22. Vibrant tones are seen across all the collections. Zesty lime is seen in cut out shapes at Stella McCartney, while modern tailoring in vivid pink is seen at Alexander McQueen. Demna Gvasalia injected the runway with bold tones of blue and pink at Balenciaga, while lightweight taffeta tailoring in vivid colours and a plethoras of minuscule dresses were shown at Valentino.

Key Brands - Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Stella McCartney, Dries Van Noten, Etro, Isabel Marant, Christian Dior.

TWILIGHT TROPICS

Designers have pulled out all the style stops for SS22, catapulting all things sequined and risqué into our eye line for the season ahead. From sequined and ruffled ensembles at Loewe, to daring embellished tops at Dolce & Gabbana & Stella McCartney. Sequins are given a beachy edge at Coperni, where full length embellished skirts and flared trousers are paired with barely there bralettes.

Key Brands – Dolce & Gabbana, Loewe, Alessandra Rich, Erdem, Stella McCartney, Coperni.

PSYCHEDELIC SUMMER

Hyper prints in vibrant colours are best seen at Dries Van Noten for the summer season. Tie Dye looks in energetic pinks and blues are balanced perfectly with impeccable tailoring in vivid greens and yellows. During a sky bound show for SS22, Sarah Burton’s collection at Alexander McQueen featured voluminous dresses with a sky-themed tie dye, adding for perfect summer occasion wear. For Burton’s first real-life Alexander McQueen show since the pandemic crashed down on humanity, she gathered people to a carpark rooftop in the East End of London, for an encounter with the aerial powers of nature: “a show in the sky”.

Key Brands – Dries Van Noten, Loewe, Alexander McQueen, Etro, Christian Dior, The Attico.

RETRO RESORT

Playful prints and pretty florals are seen across the collections for SS22, adding holiday chic to the summer season. New brand for the season Etro reworked 70s style hyper prints in bohemian colours - Veronica Etro states her process for SS22 - “In this period I came really close to mindfulness, yoga, and meditation: There was a spiritual awakening, like for many people, I think. This thing of finding balance within, that was also very typical of the early 70s.”

At Erdem a delicate floral embroidery curled around dresses looked almost like an industrial chain print, quilted floral skirts were kind of wrong but cool, and lace dresses transformed into knitwear de-prettified that girly trope.

Key Brands - Etro, Erdem, Alessandra Rich, Valentino, Ulla Johnson.

TAILS & TRAINS

Make an exit with Tails & Trains, as designers make the back view of their garments the forefront of their collections. At Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons sliced open the backs of their skirts and adorned them with long satin trains. Prada never approaches anything straight on, it goes without saying. The hard/soft interplay of raw or distressed leather jackets and tiny duchesse satin miniskirts trailing trains counted as the collection’s strongest, most directional proposal.

Trains in the form of capes donned the runway at new brand for the season Gabriela Hearst, adding a minimalist tone to this trend with a full length cream dress with a delicate caped sleeve. While vibrant pleated capes draped over fluid silk shirts are seen at Valentino. Keeping in tone with this theme, Loewe and Alaïa showcase trains in separates, with scrumptious white cotton poplin shirts and fine knitwear.

Key Brands - Prada, Alaïa, Gabriela Hearst, Loewe, Valentino.

DROP IT LOW

A nod to the early 2000s, Drop It Low see’s designers drop waistlines on their miniskirts and trousers. Think low slung waists in the form of miniskirts at Miu Miu, and hip sitting embellished minis at Dolce & Gabbana. If you are nostalgic for the noughties, this trend is for you! At Miu Miu, midriffs were elongated to a degree that would have made Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera collectively blush in the early 2000s.

Key Brands – Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Coperni.

MODERN OCCASION

Occasion wear in the form of romantic dresses, but with a masculine edge. Feminine silhouettes are exaggerated with volume and ruffles, best seen at McQueen, Erdem and Alaïa. Short lengths in pretty tones with intricate embroidery donned the runway at Valentino and Miu Miu. Magnified polka dots are given a modern twist at Balenciaga, while scrumptious cotton shirting is reworked at Alaïa, allowing for the perfect summer occasion wear.

Key Brands – Alexander McQueen, Alaïa , Balenciaga, Erdem, Valentino, Miu Miu, Prada, Jonathan Simkhai.

DECONSTRUCTED CRAFT

Designers bring forth Deconstructed Craft for the season ahead, with summer holiday caftans, and lacy dresses bringing a free-spirited vibe to the runway. Focused on sustainable fabrics, with responsible ethical sourcing at the heart of many designer’s collections. Chloé reigns supreme for this trend, keeping in tone with its bohemian routes. The maison is working to limit their environmental impact, with increasing their use of lower impact materials for SS22.

Key Brands – Chloé, Gabriela Hearst, JW Anderson, Malene Birger, ACNE.

SHOP ALL THE SS22 TRENDS:

MORE TO READ

Now you know the fashion trends to covet this season, it’s time to learn all that’s new in the accessories world in All Things Bright and Beautiful.