FASHION MONTH 2022 HIGHLIGHT MOMENTS

This year was the year of the gimmick in Paris, London and Milan. New York steered clear, however, bringing moments of awe to the lips of audience members with stunning settings and sensational atmospherics.

Tombogo traumatized many audience members by forcing them back into a highschool classroom. Though no frogs were dissected, the theme came through in the looks, with pencils and cargo pockets galore. And as if the setting wasn’t enough, the models themselves took part in a nightmarish skit: the class photo. “Please Rise,” rang true through the clothes all the way to the steeple at Marble Collegiate, up in Flatiron. Unbashful blasphemer Willy Chavarria had his opening model carry a crucifix down the runway, as a helpful reminder to anyone present who’d already forgotten the theme.

Though Marni hasn’t ever shown New York, they clearly were in-the-know enough to have their show over the river, through the woods and under the Manhattan Bridge (we went), giving all the Grunge Vibes DUMBO could offer in 2022 (very few). To contrast the grit of the cobblestone street, CD Francesco Risso elevated the event with the music stylings of Brooklyn’s String Orchestra.

Rebecca Minkoff showed off her new eco-line with an incredible Chelsea spectacle: imagine a group of models up on pedestals decorated with dazzling projected images, switching vertiginously to and fro between the jungle, to the city. The studded-denim-clad eco-models looked bravely into the middle distance.

Though Givenchy didn’t show in New York this year, they did launch a SoHo store and asked Matte to throw them a party. As the olympian-size models stalked around Dimes’ Sq., Givenchy’s party was safely underway several stories above, at Nine Orchard’s rooftop. If you missed it, Jordan Clarkson showed up with his s/o Maggie Lindemann and Bloody Osiris took a champagne shower. ‘nuff said.

Khaite pulled off the ‘it’ show this year in the Meatpacking district; Khatie’s looks drew a star studded crowd, featuring Kendall Jenner and Hannah Bronfman. Kendall, Hannah and others watched models stream by, clad in what TZR summarized as: “downtown-girls-all-grown-up essentials.

Meanwhile, Proenza Schouler projected an enormous waterfall onto all the walls of the Hall des Lumières. At the center of the waterfall, models paraded wearing what could be considered a crossover between city wear and vacation garb. True to the fictitious waterfalls, the models were made to look damp.

According to many devoted attendees, London is the grittiest, most DIY of the four major fashion weeks; to those who don’t, it’s a footnote. Perhaps only for Fashion Week, London retains, or remembers, its Punk heritage. This year did not disappoint, with a spooky show from Dilara Findikoglu, in what looked like a Deep-BK techno venue from the late 90s, or modern day Detroit. Perhaps spurred on by the spookiness, Kylie Jenner was seen rocking Dilara’s look the following week.

Jonathan Anderson took us to the grungiest place of all with his show: Las Vegas. The tiny room pumped with frenetic and vaguely sweaty energy, as models cascaded by, adorned in clothes bespeckled with the detritus of 90s tech. It was a late-stage-capitalist’s dream(worst-nightmare)come-true; when the Mirror Ball Orb dresses came out, several wrists were severely sprained while hurriedly pulling phones from bags, as it was the ultimate fusion of many audience member’s favorite things: exclusive clothes and a view of themselves.

Though London is known for its grit, British local SS Daley gave his show in great style at the St. Pancras. His venue was fitting to his theme, which sought to engage with Colonial motifs. Audience members were brought to attention with great ringing bells, as Models wearing a new take on Colonial garb paraded down the aisle with candles, an homage to queer women, living in a [more] patriarchal era [than this one].

This year was so busy in Milan that they asked for the sky to open up and grant them another day. No such respite did they receive.

This year’s Milan week was jam packed with tabloid moments; consider Moncler’s flash mob in the Piazza Duomo, where 1000 models dressed in all white Downy-Moncler-gloriousness, which reminded us fondly of SoHo, whenever it drops below 70 degrees.

Tod’s hosted their show in the contemporary art gallery née actual hangar, Pirelli HangarBicocca. Tod’s models walked among giants, the iconic and precariously stacked houses that compile Anselm Kiefer’s permanent exhibition: “The Seven Heavenly Places.”

While AVAVAV’s show took place in a more conventional venue, models were instructed to strut in a way that was anything but. Near the middle of each model’s walk, they all dropped to the floor (rather convincingly) as a tongue-in-cheek way of ‘dropping’ the season’s look.

Paris, as always, was the center of all the fashion drama this year. From Kanye’s latest antics to a show hosted in literal mud, it left us all excited for the following week’s twitter treatment. Thom Browne waxed playful on the runway, per usual, this time with a model paraded down the catwalk in a pink cadillac, borne by model pallbearers.

Off-White’s show was typically cerebral, this year posing a difficult question: where will the brand go, without Virgil at the helm? It was a poignant display of Ibrahim Kamara’s expansive imagination, brought to life with live music and dance troupe.

It is difficult to say who stole the show; was it Coperni, finishing with nearly-nude Bella Hadid, who posed while she was dressed by spray gun?

Or could it have been Balenciaga, who staged the already notorious and groundbreaking Mud Show, where they convinced a slough of hyper famous celebs to dress up and trudge through literal mud? One thing is for sure: Guy Debord would have been proud of his Paris, which was yet again, the spectacle center at the eye of the creative storm that was SS23.