If fashion is a reflection on society, then this year’s biggest fashion moments certainly demonstrated a tumultuous and polarized world. From controversial campaigns to revolutionary fashion moments, this year was packed with note-worthy events in fashion, and there’s no doubt that we have plenty to look forward to in the next year. But that’s a topic for another time. In the meantime, take a look at the biggest fashion moments that shaped 2022!
Rihanna’s Maternity Wear
rihanna’s maternity street style looks so far pic.twitter.com/buHDu4Ureu
— m ✨ (@PRADAXBBY) January 31, 2022
This year started off with a bang, when Rihanna and A$AP Rocky announced that they were expecting their first baby together in January. Aside from bringing another beautiful life into the world, Rihanna also brought us some iconic maternity styles. This year, she gave us a masterclass in dressing with a baby bump, and she served a trimester’s worth of fits that had us speechless. From endless crop tops to a sheer black jumpsuit that showed off her curves, she redefined maternity wear in her own way, one outfit at a time.
Kim Kardashian Wearing Marilyn Monroe’s Dress
Met Gala — In America: An Anthology of Fashion
I am so honored to be wearing the iconic dress that Marilyn Monroe wore in 1962 to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. It is a stunning skintight gown adorned with more than 6,000 hand-sewn crystals by Jean Louis. pic.twitter.com/o9auAd2tF8
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) May 3, 2022
Kim Kardashian paid homage to the blonde bombshell and fashion icon, Marilyn Monroe at this year’s Met Gala, which was themed “American Fashion”. She wore a bejeweled, nude dress worn by the actress during the infamous moment when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. However, during a fitting a month before the event, the reality star apparently realised the gown was too small for her, and proceeded to embark on a highly restrictive vegetable-based diet and lost more than 7 kilograms in three weeks. Unsurprisingly, her decision to wear the dress received a lot of backlash. Some criticized her for wearing the dress and putting the historical piece in potential damage, while others blasted her for glamourizing fad diets.
Bella Hadid In Coperni’s Spray On Dress
Though there were a lot of note-worthy moments during this year’s Paris Fashion Week, Bella Hadid’s closing for the French label Coperni’s Spring-Summer collection takes the cake. The supermodel walked onto the runway wearing nothing but nude underwear before Manel Torres – the creator of Fabrican, an instant spray-on fabric technology – and two other scientists sprayed on a misty liquid that instantly transformed into a wearable material. This went on for 10 minutes, and Charlotte Raymond, Coperni’s head of design, walked onstage and manipulated the neckline and cut out a dramatic leg split. Without any seams and hem, the fabric moved with ease, with a gentle texture that resembled water droplets.
Patagonia’s Founder Gives Away His Company
For nearly 50 years, @patagonia has held people and planet at the core of their operations. Yesterday, founder Yvon Chouinard 'gave away' his multi-billion dollar company, making Earth Patagonia’s only shareholder #BCorp #Patagonia #PeopleandPlanet pic.twitter.com/yClRozC0Z2
— B Lab (@BCorporation) September 15, 2022
Founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard made the decision to give away his company in September. Worth $3 billion, Chouinard gave away his sportwear brand to a uniquely structured trust and non-profit organization, which were created to ensure that all the company’s profits are used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land. “As of now, Earth is our only shareholder,” the company announced, “ALL profits, in perpetuity, will go to our mission to ‘save out home planet’.”
Harry Styles’ Tour Outfits
MSG NIGHT 7 @gucci pic.twitter.com/sHd3NZedfQ
— harry lambert (@harry__lambert) September 2, 2022
Harry Styles finished a 15-night run at Madison Square Garden in New York City, yet it was Harry’s style that took over the internet. The singer’s stylist, Harry Lambert, would share his tour outfits every night on Twitter, and it usually involved a custom Gucci look paired with a colourful pair of Adidas Sambas. As expected, the internet went crazy over every look, and TikTok’s For You pages were dominated by close ups of his ensembles.
Alessandro Michele Exits Gucci
When Gucci announced that creative director Alessandro Michele would be leaving the brand after nearly 20 years at the company. With his fantastical, logo-heavy style, and eye for attention-grabbing collaborations, Michele made Gucci one of fashion’s most sought after labels in his seven years of direction, also making it a go-to for celebrities like Harry Styles, Jared Leto, Billie Eilish, and Beyoncé. Though it is not clear what direction he will take next, considering his massive success at Gucci, his future in fashion definitely looks promising.
40 Designers Honour Alber Elbaz
Gucci, Alexander Mcqueen, JPG and Schiaparelli for the AZ Factory spring 2022 “Alber Elbaz Tribute Collection” pic.twitter.com/8KvObS37A2
— Gabriela (@blondiejpg) October 5, 2021
Known for his big heart and lively designs, designer Alber Elbaz passed away in April 2021 due to Covid-19. He was the biggest fashion cheerleader, always seen attending friends’ runway shows and supporting emerging talents and students. To honour him, 40 of his peers staged a show for AZ Factory (Elbaz’s label launched in January), with looks inspired by his most celebrated pieces. Designers like Alessandro Michele, Jean Paul Gaultier, Sarah Burton, and many more created looks that reminded us of Elbaz’s vivacious spirit.
Balenciaga’s Outrageous Ad Campaign
So apart from parents and some conservatives,why is there no outrage against this evil campaign ad by #Balenciaga?
Where are the fashionista liberals?
Hollywood stars?
Pop stars?
Supermodels?
All those who actually love these designer brands!We are witnessing a #CulturalPigsty pic.twitter.com/FUdHkhTodB
— Obianuju Ekeocha (@obianuju) November 23, 2022
Though many brands thrive under controversy, this one might have just taken a step too far. Balenciaga dropped its holiday ad campaign in November, featuring children holding handbags shaped like teddy bears that are dressed in BDSM gear, and another one with images of what appears to be documents related to child pornography laws. Both campaigns quickly sparked many criticisms and conspiracy theories, suggesting that Balenciaga was promoting child exploitation. Chief executive Cedric Charbit and Demna have since released statements apologizing for the images.
Gigi Hadid And Other Models Donate Fashion Week Earnings To Ukraine
In March 2022, just weeks after the war in Ukraine began, Gigi Hadid released a statement on Instagram explaining that she would be following fellow model Mica Arganaraz’s footsteps and donate all of her earnings from the Fall 2022 fashion month to aid those suffering from the war in Ukraine, as well as those affected by the war in Palestine. Other models, like Vittoria Cerretti, Kaia Gerber, and Bella Hadid have also followed Arganaraz’s example.
Ye’s Controversial Surprise Yeezy S9 Show
— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 3, 2022
During the Paris Fashion Week this fall, Ye staged a YZYS9 surprise show where he sent shirts that read “White Lives Matter”, a slogan created by White supremacists to co-opt the Black Lives Matter movement, down the runway. This resulted in some showgoers such as Jaden Smith walking out of the presentation, as well as endless criticisms online. One of the most notable criticisms came from Vogue editor and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, calling it “insensitive, given the state of the world.” Ye responded by posting a photograph of the stylist on IG, stating that “This is not a fashion person”. He also made a series of anti-Semitic comments days after the incident, leading to the end of his relationship with Vogue as well as collaborations and partnerships with Balenciaga, Gap, and Adidas.
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