With the recent conclusion of Fashion Month the expectancy of changing trends is only bound to happen. The month was a goldmine of opportunity to provide fashion lovers with a better understanding of the upcoming trends that will transcribe from the runway to the streets. A combination of notable designers came to the frontline to premiere their collections – some of them groundbreaking, while others were slept on.
Fashion month was also operating against the dark cloud of the Russia – Ukraine war, which officially broke out at the time of Milan Fashion Week. With some shows operating as normal, others jostled with various tributes to Ukraine, donations and calls to action. It seems that the industry-wide shift into favouring darkness and distress was conceptualised before the invasion occurred – but its prevalence on the fashion scene will now take on a more visceral and sombre meaning.
Here are our CULTED’s predictions for the upcoming trends of next season, fresh off the catwalks of fashion month.
The Influence of Ye
It’s no secret that Ye has become a core influence on the fashion industry. His forward-thinking vision for high fashion and streetwear has led the rapper to collaborate with major brands like Louis Vuitton, Nike, Adidas, and Gap. With his high involvement and years in fashion, Ye holds a powerful influence on how those choose to dress.
With this season though, Ye has been stepping out in many bold looks. The rapper arguably is signalling the return of Yeezus, circling back to dressing in plenty of masks, dark makeup and mostly dim-shaded attire – perhaps in correspondence with the recent release of DONDA and DONDA 2. Ye’s influence is so large, he convinced a wide range of his fans to also partake in the wear of the Balenciaga Croc boots, or at least something that replicates the sort-of-style. Icykof hasn’t taken his pair off for the past month, and during the DONDA 2 listening party a frenzy of fans arrived wearing this style.
It may not be a stretch to give Ye some credit for the increase of dark-tones, extravagant masks, heavy makeup and Balenciaga Crocs boots on and off the catwalk, which are predicted to see even more of in the coming season.
Oversized Sunglasses and Bin-Bag Bags
Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia called on his personal experience as a refugee to dedicate this season’s collection to Ukraine. “The war in Ukraine has triggered the pain of a past trauma I have carried in me since 1993, when the same thing happened in my home country and I became a forever refugee,” wrote Demna in the show notes.
As models walked through a harsh blizzard setting, Balenciaga debuted its AW22 collection. The show-stoppers of the evening were the catsuits, gigantic sunglasses and bin-bag bags. Two of the industry’s top female influences – Kim Kardashian and Alexa Demie – are testimonies that these trends will begin to transcribe in upcoming attire.
Ye’s deep appreciation for Balenciaga combined with the monumental runway show increased public trust in the brand, which arguably encompasses the zeitgeist in fashion. This leads to our prediction of an increase in Balenciaga-wear, which includes alien-looking sunglasses, futuristic attire and plenty of bin-bag bags in the approaching months.
Damaged Leather, Belted Mini Skirts and Denim
Glenn Martens debuted his first physical runway show for Diesel’s RTW AW22 line in Milan last month. Models stomped down the red carpeted catwalk dressed head-to-toe in denim and damaged leather designs from Martens’ sexy and electric collection. The collection saw denim or leather catsuits, oversized long jackets and plenty of mini skirts – one made up of denim layered belts. Waistlines and hip bones were exposed, as this collection successfully traced some of Y2K’s most provocative trends.
Diesel’s collection was undeniably a showstopper, as it debuted an exciting collection that is encouraging fashion lovers to reach for all-things denim, leather while resurfacing Y2K-themed attire. Social media went into an immediate frenzy over Diesel’s line and saw a major increase in users sharing their Diesel vintage purchases and attempting to recreate the shows looks. The fashion forecast also predicts an increase of wear in layered belts and mini skirts in the upcoming seasons.
Bold Shoulders and Trailing Sleeves
Rick Owens set the bar high with the brand’s AW22 show at Paris Fashion Week. At the Palais de Tokyo inside a boomerang-shaped warehouse, Owens’ models walked through a series of fog machines while premiering the futuristic, dark-themed collection.
Owens’ line included strong-shouldered coats, shearling jackets, trailing sleeves, voluptuous parkas, fur, long skirts, and capes. The attire was eye-catching, but what stood out the most was the bold shoulders and trailing sleeves that replicates some wardrobe pieces seen in Blade Runner (1982), solidifying the notion that collection can be considered futuristic. The experimental, yet eye-catching show proved the American designer’s creative mind is sitting at the height of its power, as Owens attire is about to translate into the upcoming direction of fashion.
With layered belts, leather and a distinctly futuristic style, it seems fashion is entering its Blade Runner x Matrix era. The runways saw plenty of futuristic attire, combined with dark-tones, bug-eyed shades, bin-bag bags, heavy makeup and more which will no doubt appear en masse as the collections hit the stores later this year. However, fashion’s preoccupation with darkness will also continue to mirror the ongoing war in Ukraine.
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See also: PUT THAT PEDAL TO THE METAL: DIESEL’S MILAN AW22 COLLECTION WAS A REVVED UP DENIM DEDICATION
See also: THE BALENCIAGA SHOW WAS MEANT TO BE AN UNCOMFORTABLE VIEWING EXPERIENCE
