FASHION MONTH FINALE: Entertainment Takes Center Stage

With editors, influencers, and celebrities back on the global fashion circuit after a long hiatus, this month’s most successful fashion shows were those that emphasized entertainment. From Telfar TV at Pier 17 in New York, Prada’s simultaneous cross-continental catwalks in Milan and Shanghai, to Rick Owens’ Palais de Tokyo outdoor presentation in Paris — this season was all about scooping noteworthy locations. In fact, with “Fendace’s” concert-esque show and Balenciaga’s red carpet runway, many of the Spring Summer 2022 events felt more like award ceremonies than they did fashion shows. But not everything was so celebratory. A glitchy phygital presentation from Issey Miyake, as well as 3-D silhouettes at Loewe, worked to transform our digital anxieties into intellectual beacons of hope; while at Hermès, all leather looks provided an unapologetic uniform for jet-setters in a hardened future. 

If there was anything the shows had in common, it was a penchant for branding. At Miu Miu, sexy workwear-inspired looks were punctuated by ultra-low waistlines and logo-adorned blue collar shirts, while at Chanel, the late 80s were back in full swing with wide shouldered jackets printed with the house’s classic double C’s. The PIN–UP takeaway? With rapid trend cycles and an influx of images in our day-to-day lives, it’s getting harder to impress fashion fans with original ideas. Instead, we’re seeing a competitive push and pull between elitism and memetic mainstream fashion. But who’s to complain? After nearly two years of hiding out we’re ready for the games to begin.