PRE-FALL 2022: HIGHLIGHTS

An Ode to All Things Bright and Beautiful:

There were Rainbow Colours, Technicolour Shades and Plenty Subtle Hues in Abundance at Pre-Fall 2022.

Image Credit Participating Designers and Vogue

We know that Fashion is a brilliant barometer for society. And ‘brilliant’ is indeed the operative looking at Pre-Fall 2022 and its vibrant collections. Over the past two years we have experienced various ‘waves’ of fashion responses by global designers, offerings that ranged from demure, understated, comfortable, cover-all loungewear at the start of lockdowns, to super short, tight-fitting, sexy clothing – baring all, a season ago. And we’ve seen just about every other presentation in between these extremes as designers try to capture and express the public’s fashion zeitgeist.

Looking at the Pre-Fall 2022 shows as a whole it seems that this time around many designers have opted for the overt and wonderfully unapologetic use of colour: from bright primaries and crayon-box block colours (Moschino and Prabal Gurung for example) to subtler and ‘well-behaved’ pastels (but with the injection of some sharp accents of colour – the likes of Thom Brown and Balmain for example). Human Psychology tells us that strong, bright and neon colours serve to grab our attention, affect our mood, and can most certainly energise us. It’s therefore not surprising that many designers have turned to colour in these Pre-Fall collections to send a message of positivity and hope.

We got up close and personal with some of the trendsetters on the global fashion circuit to get a feel for what’s on offer Pre-Fall 2022. It’s indeed a visual feast, a celebration of colour, texture and shape. Enjoy the offerings, and be inspired by all this fabulous colour therapy!

Crayon-box colours with lavender as the key player – at Moschino

MOSCHINO

Creative director Jeremy Scott’s bonanza of primary-shade colour-blocking verges on pop-art bondage. It’s a place where toy tin soldiers and Sixties Barbarella meet for a dress-up parade to show off their multi-coloured uniforms.

Sharply tailored double-breasted circus master jackets and pea coats with their oversized covered buttons, frogging and animated pleats on neat little skirts, dresses and coats rubbed shoulders with liquorice Allsorts stripes on trouser suits, metallic fish scaled patterns and chevrons on dresses and coats … all in a mad but perfectly balanced technicolour mix of lavender (Pantone colour of the year), tangerine, turquoise, shocking pink and sunshine yellow. Bowler hats, balaclavas, stiletto boots and little matchy-matchy bags completed a particularly colourful picture.

Watch Moschino Pre-Fall 2022 here:

Oversized plaques and buttons – at Moschino

Tin box soldiers – at Moschino

Animated and artful contours – at Moschino

Frogging on the coat, fringing on the boots and zips on the bag – at Moschino

Psychedelic discs on a shapely dress – at Moschino

Modular pleats on this maxi dress – at Moschino

Liquorice Allsorts stripes on this trouser suit – at Moschino

Psychedelic fish scales on this mermaid dress – at Moschino

A nod to all things military – at Moschino

Leather gets lavender accents – at Moschino

Bondage drum-majorette – at Moschino

ETRO

Veronica Etro’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection, although characteristically free-spirited and bohemian, somehow felt particularly young-at-heart this time around. Perhaps it was the abundance of midriff-skimming tops – some with a hood attached, that gave the flavour of youthfulness in a in a collection that also featured its fair share of ‘more serious’ floor-sweeping maxi dresses, tailored pants and wrap skirts.

As ever, the brand’s prints were inspired, and so was the use of colour throughout. Lots of layering pieces – ponchos, capes, pyjama suits, robes and blankets – added a certain cosiness to this collection whereas the intarsia and crocheted knitwear touches gave the loungewear-inspired ensembles a sophisticated craftiness. An Etro staple colour, burnt orange, worked beautifully well as an accent colour to lift the browns, charcoals and neutrals. This collection truly makes one want to visit the likes of exotic Marrakech in the Fall!

A comfy poncho with tassel details – at Etro

Jacquard knits and floral pattering – at Etro

Burnt orange in this empire-line babydoll dress – at Etro

Sunray pleats in this maxi dress – at Etro

Fringing on this housecoat – at Etro

A turban completes the look – at Etro

A midriff-baring top underneath a quilted jacket – at Etro

BALMAIN

Olivier Rousteing’s gritty, grungy, eclectic collection for Balmain Pre-Fall 2022 came with the brand’s characteristic faux fur, leather, vinyl, Breton, intarsia and ripped jeans, amongst others.

Exaggerated shoulders and shapely silhouettes were grounded in stilettos with heels that protruded from the hollow of the foot rather than the heel. Street style – hoodies and ripped jeans – rubbed shoulders with impeccable tailoring, elaborate embroidery and crafty applique. We particularly like the oversized houndstooth-print pieces.

Tactile surface embellishments and vibrant colours – at Balmain

‘Ripped’ effects, pearl-esque embellishments and stilettos with a twist – at Balmain

Oversized houndstooth – at Balmain

The standout piece of the collection – at Balmain

Houndstooth, ripped denim shorts and bucket boots – at Balmain

MISSONI

Creative director Alberto Caliri’s Pre-Fall 2022 offering for Missoni was a somewhat less flamboyant affair than we’ve been used to seeing at the brand. Dresses were figure-hugging and flimsy, trousers simple and neat, there wasn’t much layering to speak of and even patterns were slightly more demure than usual. Colours, however, were bright and cheery, and bolts of turquoise beautifully accentuated the rusts, burnt oranges and tangerines in the palette.

Burnt orange and sky blue in this jacquard-knit cardigan – at Missoni

Powder blue stripes lift the contours in this body-conscious dress – at Missoni

Gauzy, sparkly teal in this hooded dress – at Missoni

PRABAL GURUNG

Nepalese designer Prabal Gurung’s Pre-Fall offering was colourful – that’s for sure! Yellow ochre, mustard and shocking pink were juxtaposed with powder blue, leaf green and navy. Monochromatic pieces sat comfortably beside multi-coloured patterned, printed and tie-dyed ensembles. Tiered, frilly skirts gave a lot of drama to the collection, but equally the plainer pieces – body-hugging dresses and tailored trouser suits – were very covetable.

A belted yellow ochre multi-tiered dress – at Prabal Gurung

A symphony in shocking pink and mustard – at Prabal Gurung

Much drama in this printed pink off-the-shoulder tiered dress – at Prabal Gurung

Simple red makes a sweeping statement – at Prabal Gurung

THOM BROWNE

All the shades of sage green – from subtlest pastel leaf to the milkiest shade of emerald – were the stars of Thom Browne’s extraordinary show of modern modular layering pieces.

Elegant capes, old-school duffles, boxy bubble coats, fluffy teddy coats and every other form of traditional tailoring imaginable – including his trademark piece, the kilt – long and short – were seen in this collection. Preppy cricket jumpers over mini shorts rubbed shoulders with

sheath dresses, and hats – beanies, bucket hats and fedoras – finished off these gorgeous ensembles. We love the lobster touches but really, everything in this collection – from colours to shapes – is terribly covetable!

Milky emerald shades work well with the houndstooth – at Thom Browne

A chestnut brown teddycoat – at Thom Browne

Quirky red lobster motifs embellish this ensemble – at Thom Browne

Japanese-inspired jacquard knit and fabric prints – at Thom Browne

Preppy and nautical at the same time – at Thom Browne

ERDEM

Erdem Moralioglu’s Pre-Fall collection is wonderfully nostalgic, tactile and as ever, verged on the vintage. Although much of it was black or white or a combination thereof, a substantial number of pieces were in rust, mustard and yellow ochre. The textures were inviting to the touch and ranged from satin to sequins, faux fur to fluffy polkadot appliques embossed on surface textiles. Our favourite piece of the collection is without a shadow of a doubt the mustard/gold Fifties-shaped satin dress with its belted silhouette – just magical!

Vintage-inspired slubby dress – at Erdem

Rusty sequins in this puff sleeve dress – at Erdem

A stunning Fifties-inspired ballgown – at Erdem

SIMON MILLER

Creative director Chelsea Hansford’s Pre-Fall 2022 collection for Simon Miller was filled with the boldest of Eighties-inspired colours, prints – most notably the stripy rainbow-inspired prints – and textures. Bold and brash, these pieces need sunshine to work best! Bright green, chartreuse, tangerine and stripes take holidaying in Miami to another level. Add the stripy platforms and shades, and some attitude, and voila!

Rainbow stripes extend to the platforms – at Simon Miller

Wrapover palazzo pants in the boldest of orange and green – at Simon Miller

Bold emerald in a comfy ensemble – at Simon Miller

Simplicity in this striking skirt and tiny top set – at Simon Miller

CAROLINA HERRERA

Wes Gordon’s sculptural collection for Carolina Herrera is inspired by dance. The pieces are striking in their boldness – ruffles, flairs, bows, dramatic drapes, sweeping trains, exaggerated silhouettes and the inspired use of colour make for a collection that is theatrical and dramatic in every sense. An unforgettable creation in this collection is the purple and yellow tulle cocktail dress.

A striking colour and texture feast – at Carolina Herrera

Sculptural simplicity – at Carolina Herrera

A royal blue frilly cocktail dress – at Carolina Herrera