This week in New York, fashion houses have been presenting their collections for the Fall/Winter 2022 season. Here, we’re sharing details on the latest debuts from Helmut Lang, Reese Cooper, Khaite, Tia Adeola, and Jason Wu.
Courtesy of Helmut Lang.
A concept of beautiful-yet-useful has informed the Fall/Winter 2022 debuts from the New York-based maison Helmut Lang. Acknowledging the escapism we’re all aching for in the present moment, the collection’s elegant hues and gorgeous fabrications—like wool gabardine, Toscana shearling, and stretch silk satin—offered a moment of everyday romance through wearable silhouettes that deviate from sartorial stereotypes. Sets and dresses recalled an early 2000s attitude, like sleepwear-reminiscent button-ups and slips layered over fitted turtlenecks or left open on the sides and worn over pants. Suiting took a new approach through cut-outs and unexpected silhouettes, seen in looks like a militant jacket in winter white with a layered front that created a ruffled effect, a blazer with sections left open at the torso, or a set that saw a button-up top with suiting pockets replacing a full sleeve with a thin spaghetti strap. The collection also featured a suite of shaggy shearling pieces, including furry vests and jackets, lined hoods and collars, and a tote bag.
Courtesy of Reese Cooper.
Reese Cooper adopted a DIY frame of mind brought about by a year of the unexpected for its Fall/Winter 2022 collection, “one step back, two steps forward.” This yielded a collection of classics infused with a twist, styled with the brand’s recognizable chicly blasé aesthetic. Genderless cuts and ample layering saw streetwear pieces like joggers, letterman jackets, and windbreakers intermingled with garb from the professional realm, like wide-legged trousers and oxford shirts with ties. While archetypal wardrobe staples made up the bulk of the collection, each piece warranted a second look with specialized details like hand-drawn, screen printed patterns, pine tree camouflage featuring a logo etched into the tree, utilitarian pockets added to smock dresses, and more.
Courtesy of Khaite.
Khaite toyed with juxtaposing elements like reality and illusion, and restraint versus decadence for its newest collection, “In Parallel.” The comfort of nostalgia and the ever-changing nature of a globalized city worked in tandem to create garments that are made with today in mind but maintained an air of timelessness that ensured they’ll be cherished for years to come. Simpler silhouettes were made special through fabrication and embellishments, offering a suite of form-accentuating feminine looks alongside roomier, androgynous styles, like a pair of silver trousers layered with a button-up and a leather jacket. A few styles we can’t get out of our minds include a cream off-the-shoulder dress with gathered details and sections of shirring, a lavender skirt and bra top styled with an antique-looking blouse and cat-eye shades, and a long-sleeved crocheted gown covered from neck-to-hem in Swarovski crystals.
Courtesy of Tia Adeola.
Tia Adeola’s 35-look collection for the Fall/Winter 2022 season concurrently posed a modern renaissance for the digital age and responded to the End-Sars movement in the designer’s home country of Nigeria. A palatial backdrop was fitting for the maison’s signature ruffles, which were seen this season on a suite of playfully daring looks that the designer created amid a women-led movement to end police corruption. Employing her apparel to reflect her unhindered attitude during the political commotion, the runway was filled with unapologetic styles accompanied by sensuous details like silk and sheer fabrications, ruffles adorning sleeves, necks, and hemlines, and feathered or sequined embellishments. Highlights included an astonishing feathered gown in cream, a suite of pieces featuring the brand’s Black Jesus motif, and barely-there pants and top set in glittering silver lattice.
Courtesy of Jason Wu.
A glamorous attitude filled with ruffles and bows was the basis of Jason Wu’s latest debuts, which paid homage to American couture by looking to fashion illustrations from the 1950s. Dedicating the collection to the designer’s cat in a celebration of life, the Fall/Winter 2022 debuts employed eye-catching prints, bold hues, and gorgeous fabrications like ottoman taffeta and soft organza. While notes of the decade were certainly present in elements like skirt suits, tea-length hems, and pencil trousers, the collection was made undeniably contemporary through updated details. We saw a remixed take on tweed prints, pops of color appearing in footwear or under shirts, and exaggeratedly voluminous details—seen on looks like a ruffled gown in blush with evergreen heels, a cropped tailored blouse styled with bow-front trousers and orange sandals, and a taffeta gown in orange with a large folded bow on the bodice.
