WHO ASKED FOR THESE? THE WILDEST RELEASES OF 2022 SO FAR

This year has already been wild. With one fashion month behind us, another in the works, and in the midst of Cruise show season, it seems that fashion’s never ending calendar has led to brands having to work harder to capture the attention of the masses. For some, this involves lucrative advertising campaigns with well-known models, à la Bella Hadid and Burberry. For others, it demands unique collaborations with brands from inside and outside the fashion industry, in order to drive hype and attract a whole new customer base.

However, a few brands have taken to, well, getting weird to attract the attention of consumers. Whilst once ‘fashion’ merely pertained to clothing the body, we all know that this basic function has been traversed to more resemble an art form: how you dress is about perception, expression, references and subcultures as much as it is about the functional concerns of covering the body. So naturally, brands have been running wild with the concept of what fashion should, and could be – leading to a handful of downright weird and wild pieces. We’re looking through the wildest releases of 2022 so far – from Supreme x Kraft’s  Mac n Cheese, to Nike and Comme des Garçons’ sneaker heels that not only broke the internet, but also people’s hearts. Let’s get into it.

COPERNI X HEVEN SWIPE BAG

The it-bag of the year is actually pretty wild, when you look at it. Made entirely from glass, we first saw this on the runway in Paris in February, and since, on the red carpet everywhere. Coperni enlisted Heven, a homeware brand who primarily work with glass, for the bag which has captured the attention of fashion fans and celebrities alike. As well as being a fun update on the brand’s notorious swipe bag, it also has the added bonus of being able to peep at the contents. Win win.

SNEAKER HEELS

This drop sent the internet into overdrive – the CDG x Nike sneaker heels. Coupled with the Balenciaga versions, the sneaker heel has been a bit of a runaway trend this year. Perfect for multitasking (footie at 7, club at 9, obvs), they have divided opinions amongst the fashion community, who either love it’s avant-garde performatism or scoff at it as a gimmick. Hmm.

BALENCIAGA’S PARIS SNEAKERS

Dropping just last week, Balenciaga continued to make waves by releasing its Paris sneakers. The images depicted a limited run of 100 ‘ultra-distressed’ shoes, which saw soles torn and holy, uppers distressed past the point of recognition, and the silhouette warped entirely. With many quick to point out the problematic, and arguably classist implications of the kicks, others have put the move down to another one of Balenciaga’s classic attention-grabbing debacles: fashion as art, and all that.

TRAPSTAR HEAT REACTIVE PUFFER

Earlier this year, we predicted a thermal spring – and one of the key pieces catalysing the trend is the Trapstar heat reactive puffer. Coming in a blue-purple which reacts to heat in a pink hue, or yellow and brown, the puffer is one of the standout drops from the brand this year. Elsewhere, we’ve seen Stone Island pioneer this trend with knits and pullovers, and Di Petsa release a heat reactive faux leather dress.

MSCHF MONEY BLOCK

MSCHF was bound to make this list – with its seemingly constant lawsuits (hey, ‘Wavy Baby’s), the brand is no stranger to controversy, and therefore no stranger to a wild release. This time though, we’re spotlighting its blurred money block – selling out every time it drops, no matter the currency. It’s weird, maybe pointless to some, but actually pretty cool.

BALENCIAGA BIN BAGS

Debuting at the brand’s AW22 show, the Balenciaga bin bag was more than a commentary on fashion’s waste. In the context of its staging, and the Russia-Ukraine war which had just broken out at that point, Demna used these to symbolise the plight of the refugee – drawing on his own personal experience and making the show one of Balenciaga’s most powerful yet.

AVAVAV BOOTS

Online or in real life, these boots definitely make a statement. Perhaps best popularised by Doja Cat, these toe boots are like the surrealist version of Margiela’s Tabis – give or take a few toes (and inches). Coming in green, thigh high iterations or a more demure black ankle boot style, they’ve earnt AVAVAV a reputation as one to watch – for wild releases, that is.

SUPREME MAC’N’CHEESE