The French capital cooked up a healthy serving of fresh fashion with its iconic flare. Paris Fashion week is the place to expect trends in new and inventive ways, and it did not disappoint. Its focus on garment details created many eye-catching looks to flatter all figures. Below are the key trends from PFW that have the masses talking.
Tops
Hooded Dresses
A few hooded styles got sprinkled into MFW, so this trend may gain more traction than I originally anticipated. In Paris, soft cowls/shawls like extra fabric attached hoods draped across the models’ heads in styles from catsuits, dresses, jackets, etc. The most wearable pieces appeared in dresses.
Cutout Necklines
Cutouts evolved into one-shoulder tops with an elevated twist. Some variations involved strips of fabric that attach to the neckline to show a bit of a collarbone and décolletage. This serves as a flirty way to off a bit of collarbone without baring it all in a plunging neckline. The Pepper Jumpsuit is one way to achieve the cutout neckline look.
Bottoms
Belted Looks
Belts, both big and small, served as the focal point for many looks. Adding visual interest to an outfit with a practical item like a belt helps to accentuate the figure and elevate the look. Think of a belt as the focal point instead of a finishing touch to help it achieve its truest potential.
Asymmetrical Hems
High-low hemlines trickled through each fashion week for the upcoming season. Asymmetrical hems from all directions found their way from one fashion week to the next for S/S ’22, providing a ton of visual appeal. Call it a train or a sideways mullet hem—There are no wrong answers.
Catsuits
The cat is out of the bag: The catsuit is in for spring. Paris experimented with sheer and sparkly fabrics for catsuits. This body-sculpting one-piece is typically a piece meant for layering. However, pairing catsuits with skirts and other garments is a new approach I haven’t seen before. Some designers added details to the catsuit for a unique look by incorporating keyholes or cutouts within the piece, which added a little extra spice.
Fabrics
Leather
Leather is seen most heavily in the fall season. As Paris would have it, that logic is out the door. Continuing with the recent moto/biker trend—The runways were loaded with leather pieces with an emphasis on leather bra tops.
Denim
The Canadian tuxedo resurfaced with a vengeance in Paris. Instead of typical denim-on-denim looks with jeans and a shirt, the ensembles got even more unique, including knee-length denim cargo skirts, denim accessories, and three-piece denim outfits complete with a denim trench and laser cut flair bottoms.
Sequins
Life is a celebration filled with sequins and high-shine fabrics. In the past few seasons, sweatpants and cozy clothes have been upstaged by statement clothing, and spring trends seem to be moving in the same direction. Expect sequins, metallics, and lots of fancy dress fabrics for the upcoming season.
Prints and Colors
Bold Colors and Florals
While one standout color or print didn’t show up continuously, bold colors and floral prints added vibrance to the runways. Models wore florals and vivid colors like yellow and orange in ensembles like suiting and other business wear-type pieces. Paris kept spring fashion bold and full of florals for S/S, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Paris had a nice blend of repeats and fresh takes when comparing one city to another. I found that Paris had a heavy focus on silhouettes. Meanwhile, in Milan, it was quite the opposite; There were fewer silhouette trends and more fabric and color trends to relay, yet all the cities worked in harmony, bringing both new and similar trends from one week to the next.
Which fashion week had your favorite looks? Leave a comment below.
