8 Trends to Watch at Paris Fashion Week Spring 2022

Paris Fashion Week’s spring 22 season is over. With it, most of the spring previews for ’22 have ended. All of these gave a clear look at the year ahead in a period of uncertainty.

Although there is still some ambiguity in the real world, fashion gave us a better idea of what the next spring and summer might look like and what we can look forward to. Fashion seems to be moving away from restraint towards freedom, frivolity and hedonism, overall.

We take a closer look at eight trends that dominated Paris Fashion Week and the spring 22 season.

• The miniskirt

After years of wearing midi, maxi, and nap dresses, hemlines have finally risen. Although New York Fashion Weeks and Milan Fashion Weeks both hinted at the mini, the silhouette was solidified in Paris. Minis at Miu Miu were both short- and low-rise. This reminded us of the denim skirts of our teenage years. Valentino paired simple white minis with gladiator sandals, and full-length organza shirts to create a tweed skirt suit that was shorter at Chanel. On the runways of Lanvin and Givenchy, a full-skirted mini was seen, proving that everyone can find something in a shorter hemline.

• Surrealist heels

This season’s footwear was a great example of creativity, both in accessories and ready to wear. Shoes were an inspiration for us all. From Loewe’s crack eggs and nail polish bottles as heels to Schiaparelli’s striped platforms and gilded feet to Gherardo Felloni’s entire short film ouevre, Roger Vivier’s creative director, shoes are a reminder of the strange world we live in, and fashion is here.

•  Fluted heels

Although Amina Muaddi did not invent the fluted heel, her predecessors included everyone from Louis XIV and John Fleuvog. The designer’s martini-shaped heels on modern footwear are irrefutable. Chanel was inspired by the designer’s martini-shaped heel. Chanel added mid-height, fluted heels to her two-strap sandals. Roger Vivier debuted a new, groovy mule in mixed media and fuzzy wool soles. Other architectural shapes were also popular.

•  The low rise

The mini skirt and the low-res, which were popular in the early aughts, made a comeback at Paris Fashion Week. The minis of Miu Miu were lower rise than Abercrombie & Fitch used to have minis in denim, while Givenchy and Chanel used peek-a-boo underwear underneath.

•  Fringe + cutouts

Paris’s collections had plenty fringe, echoing New York Fashion Week’s best shows. Spring ’22’s fringe wasn’t the traditional, bohemian style. It was futuristic instead, as was shown at Stella McCartney, paired with cutouts or artisanal as Gabriela Hearst demonstrated at Chloe. It was both at Givenchy.

•  Gladiator

This trend, which began at Milan Fashion Week last year as a micro-trend, is set to grow into a bigger one next year. The gladiator is back, from Valentino’s Rockstud lace-ups that are large and bulky to Roger Vivier’s bejewelled sandals.

• Minidresses

Dresses also featured super-short hemlines — a departure from the many midi, maxi, and nap dresses that have dominated the trends for the past few years. Minis are all about fun, with everything from babydoll silhouettes, to bra-detail, off-the shoulder, and cutout styles.

• Saturated color

Bright and bold colors will be a major part of the spring and summer collections next season, including lime greens, sparkling azures, and pops in citrus orange and yellow. This is both a nod and a shock to post-pandemic optimism.