With about 100 women's and men's collections in all, this pre-fall season is the smallest we've covered on Vogue Runway in nearly a decade. Our pre-fall coverage has previously taken our critics all around the world. With Omicron at an all-time high this year, some businesses are attempting to make the best of a bad situation, while others are opting to skip the season. "Sometimes carrying on with reckless stubbornness is not as smart, wise, or bold as pausing and thinking," observed independent Milan designer Marco Zanini.
Pre-fall has always been a stop-gap season, more about selling than new ideas, even in the best of times. However, after two years of epidemic, even the concept of selling garments has become a figment of the imagination. What do shoppers desire or even require at this point? The ideas presented here are based on the concept of a helpful, uncomplicated beauty. The season's primary storylines include warm textures, sunshine hues, and a lot of seductive, essential black apparel, with a dash of kitsch and fun added by the prolonged Y2K revival—now for the boys!—and a renewed interest in deconstructed denim and weird layering.
These clothing will become the backbone of our spring and summer wardrobes, enhanced by the guaranteed to be large, outrageous, and quirky concepts on the autumn 2022 catwalks next month, if history is any guide.
Denim that has gone insane
This season, companies like Diesel, Balenciaga, and R13 are blowing up jeans to new sizes, resulting in a denim renaissance. Others, like as Louis Vuitton menswear and MM6 Maison Margiela, are radically reimagining denim, employing trompe l'oeil techniques to evoke denim's structure on cosier fabrics.
It Can Be Sliced
Donatella Versace, Kim Jones, and Olivier Rousteing are reviving the hot girl LBD, which was pioneered by LVMH Prize winner Nensi Dojaka. Michele Ochs of Et Ochs has a different idea: the sexy female jumpsuit.
Toss in some puff and fluff
Pre-fall is all about fuzzy and fluffy textures. Jil Sander and Proenza Schouler have used them in their pants and slip dresses, while Christopher John Rogers and Gucci have created show-stopping dresses and jackets that expand out beyond three dimensions.
For the Boys, Y2K
In womenswear, 1980s nostalgia has reached a fever pitch. Low-rise jeans, skater chains, oversize shirts, and even beautiful tiny cardigans are now available for men, courtesy to Kim Jones at Dior Men and Demna at Balenciaga. So, do you dare, boys?
The Rainbow in Your Mouth
Color theorists have demonstrated that wearing a bright garment can truly lift your spirits. While Moschino and Christopher John Rogers are always bringing the colour, Tory Burch is getting in on the game with a cheerful madras that will lift your spirits to new heights.
A Smidgeon of Tweed
For pre-fall, magnificent tweed jackets coupled with loose skirts or leather trousers have replaced the two-piece suits we've seen recently. Consider it the working woman's hoodie—comfortable as a sweater but refined enough for a trip to Paris.
For Zoom or Parties, a Knotty Look
In 2020, portrait necklaces and collarbone detailing were hot, and any feature visible on a Zoom call was crucial. With knotted and draped silhouettes, designers like Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen of The Row and Maria Cornejo are discovering twisted new ways to bring volume and elegance into a video call frame (and real life!)
Plaid can be trusted.
Death, taxes, and the everlasting charm of plaid are all certainties. Pre-fall collections from Dior, Roberto Cavalli, and Jil Sander feature a plethora of punk, prep, and sophisticated plaid prints that can be worn in a variety of ways.
And then there was nothing... The Ball Skirt Is Back in Style
It may be difficult to imagine black tie events returning—especially now that the Grammy Awards have been put on hold indefinitely—but whenever the red carpet is rolled out again, expect to see full-skirted silhouettes that evoke '50s glamour, like these Erdem, Prabal Gurung, and Oscar de la Renta looks.
Jacket, Shirt, Skirt, and Pants, to Name a Few... Wear them all at the same time!
Men in skirts? That's a relic of the past. The new look is less about the skirt and more about what you pair it with. For a longline silhouette with a whimsical flair, Louis Vuitton, Balmain, Roberto Cavalli, and Thom Browne have all layered four—or more—garments into their menswear designs.
A Novel Type of Book Bag
The reappearance of the book bag—not a backpack, but a bag meant expressly for transporting printed matter—is another surprise from the pre-fall season. Olivier Rousteing of Balmain ventured to address the media's most dreaded question—"Do you still purchase magazines?"—on a zine-shaped tote, while Kim Jones of Dior Men designed vintage leather book belts. It's time to give up the Kindle in favour of your neighbourhood bookshop or magazine shop.