As fashion houses in Paris are presenting their new designs for the Fall/Winter 2022 season, Whitewall is looking at the latest from Off-White, Issey Miyake, Chloé, and Nina Ricci.
Courtesy of Off-White.
Off-White celebrated the life and work of its late founder, Virgil Abloh, in the first collection since his passing. A massive chandelier sparkled at the center of the space, as models made their way around the expansive room in the season’s new designs, which included pieces like quintessential suiting, miniature hemlines in glistening fabrications, voluminous outerwear, and cargo pants with glittered bras. Abloh’s mark was present in the details, like a flag waving “QUESTION EVERYTHING,” and tiny annotations like “FACE” stickers on cheekbones and colorful tags on the sleeves of polished blazers. Nearly halfway through the presentation, Ian Isiah commanded viewers’s attention, smoking a cigarette as he signified a shift in attitude. The designs that followed were Abloh’s interpretation of a couture wardrobe, though the phrase “haute couture” was not one attached to the garments. Bella Hadid was the first to introduce the elevated silhouettes to follow, dressed in a white high-low ballgown with sneakers, a pair of chained pumps dangling from her hand like a clutch, and a lace-adorned baseball cap perched backward on her head. The runway show was completed with a star-studded cast of names like Karlie Kloss, Naomi Campbell, Serena Williams, Joan Smalls,and Cindy Crawford, who introduced the remainder of the 28 stunning, high fashion silhouettes.
Courtesy of Issey Miyake.
Issey Miyake’s cinematic presentation directed by Yuichi Kodama in “Sow It and Let It Grow,” featured the wild beauty of nature and its untamed life. The season’s colors were lively and the silhouettes irregular, expressed through several series of flora-informed designs. Seen in black and white, the Meander and Winding garments captured the twisting, curling roots beneath the earth’s surface in a fine ribbed knit, which created a sculptural effect on pieces like a strapless gown and a roomy blouse and pants pairing. The Rhizome garments took an asymmetric approach with cowled necks, single sleeves, and extra expenditures hanging from the body, just as stems and branches grow freely as they please. Bearing the house’s signature pleats were a series of Pods dresses, including a green tiered garment elegantly harnessing the shape of a sweet pea pod. Among the several other styles were vibrant coat designs with knitted patterns, elegant dresses with slouchy forms finished with a special dyeing process, and fluid pieces made to be worn in multiple ways.
Courtesy of Chloé.
Under the caring direction of Gabriela Hearst, Chloé continued its journey in earth-conscious fashion for the Fall/Winter 2022 season by looking at a climate solution called “rewilding.” Suggesting that the best way to repair nature is to let it restore itself, Hearst followed the advice of Isabella Tree (the author of Wilding—the Return of Nature to a British Farm), who states that the most effective way of dealing with climate anxiety is to live the solution. This lifestyle change is exemplified in the collection through partnerships with conservation associations and by using the garments themselves as a visual reminder. Made from lower impact materials than the year before, we saw lovely earthen hues imagining wearable-yet-beautiful silhouettes, outfitted with details like shoulder flounces, puffed sleeves, handcrafted buttons, and graphic knits detailing nature scenes—like a set in gray with an image of arctic tundra. This collection was accompanied by initiatives like a partnership for the benefit of Conservation International’s Indigenous Women Fellowship program, a continued collaboration with World Fair Trade Organization member and manufacturing partner Akanjo, and a project with nonprofit Nest and Gee’s Bend quilters, crafting from the house’s deadstock materials a series of artisanal textiles.
Courtesy of Nina Ricci.
Candy store colors and a spirited attitude updated wardrobe fundamentals in Nina Ricci’s Fall/Winter 2022 debuts. We saw classic silhouettes like trenches and blazers, fitted skirts and pants with widened legs, capes, knits, and A-line dresses, each infused with the feeling that nothing should be taken too seriously. This was achieved by design elements of multicolor prints, lighthearted color choices, unexpectedly utilitarian details, and accessories—like see-through vinyl bucket hats, big, quilted handbags, and large animal-shaped rings that covered the entirety of the wearer’s knuckles. Season highlights included a soft pink trench and army green trousers styled with matching pink footwear and a clear bucket bag, a knitwear set in a multicolored diamond pattern worn with bold yellow accessories, and a houndstooth cloak and skirt paired with tall green boots, a pink zip-up sweater, and a multicolored hair accessory.
