New York state of mind: five sartorial lessons from NYFW

For the first time since February 2020, IRL shows were back at NYFW. Masked and double-vaxxed showgoers flocked to the frow to welcome back major US designers including Michael Kors and Carolina Herrera alongside newbies such as Maisie Wilen. Here’s all you need to know…

Dopamine dressing

After a year of bland loungewear, designers made the case for a more optimistic outlook. Mood-boosting hues burst onto runways, with fuchsia at Adam Lippes and Carolina Herrera, egg-yolk yellows at Jason Wu and Proenza Schouler, plus zingy greens at newcomer Peter Do, Brandon Maxwell and Tom Ford. Prabal Gurung and Tory Burch turned it up brighter by clashing colorways.

Bags of fun

Boring bags are out for spring 2022. Stuart Vevers, the creative director of Coach, paid homage to iconic NYC haunts through a series of merch; structured totes advertised hotspots including Zabar’s, a deli on the Upper West Side, the now-defunct artist mecca Pearl Paint, plus Eagle NYC, an iconic bar in West Chelsea. Meanwhile, it was all child’s play at Moschino. Its “Baby Lady” collection featured envelope clutches inscribed with alphabet block letters.

Minimalist vs maximalist dressing

The street style set fell into two distinct camps. On one side you had the minimalists who favoured muted tones of cream, charcoal and caramel. Roomy linen trousers, slip dresses and boxy blazers formed the cornerstone of their wardrobes. On the other side, the maximalists. Depop dressing dominated with clashing colorways and textures, patchwork prints and Y2K-inspired low-rise jeans and crop tops all trending.

Luxe leather

Given the humidity, celebs made a surprisingly sweaty choice by championing leather for their fashion week party looks. Gigi Hadid wore a tailored leather jacket at the 8th Annual Fashion Media Awards. Kendall Jenner transformed a skirt from Dolce & Gabbana’s 1999 spring show into a body-clinging dress whilst big sis Kim appeared in head-to-toe leather Balenciaga.

Move over, modesty

Legs, bums and tums are gearing up to be fashion’s favourite new zones, with high hemlines, plunging necklines and peek-a-boo cut-outs at Michael Kors, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, LaQuan Smith and Christian Siriano. But designers proved this trend isn’t just for gym bunnies: runways reflected a more inclusive offering with plus-size models Paloma Elsesser, Candice Huffine and Precious Lee all appearing.