Let's go 2023! 2022 was a big year as fashion got back on its feet from the chaos that bestowed the past two years. We had red carpet moments that sent the world into orbit and hotly anticipated runway debuts. The supers made comebacks and Rihanna participated in one of the most viral pregnancy reveals in history. Valentino made an interesting move towards monochrome and the world fell in love with Glenn Martens while monumental exits closed out the year.
In short: we're anticipating more, more, more, in 2023. More revelations, more spectacle, more...thoughtfulness? One can only hope! Below, we look back on a year of the most viral, unhinged, excellent, and talked about fashion moments of 2022.
The rise of Bella Hadid and her Coperni spectacle
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The word nepo baby has been flung around a lot this week, but if there's anything we learned about Bella Hadid, it's that she's going to work. Following a season where she walked a staggering amount of shows, the supermodel closed out the season with one of fashion's most viral moments this year: Coperni's SS23 show where she emerged onto the runway in nothing but a nude thong and proceeded to be sprayed down with a fabric-like substance until it became a body-hugging dress. The demonstration reportedly garnered $26.3 million worth of coverage. Hadid went on to win Model of The Year at the Fashion Awards earlier this month.
Rihanna's pregnancy reveal
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There is only one person who could get us to cover a pregnancy announcement, and it is, of course, Rihanna. At the beginning of the year, our queen revealed that she was expecting to give birth to the coolest baby on the planet with A$AP Rocky, wearing a vintage Chanel coat and Christian Lacroix accessories, breaking the internet. I remember it like yesterday! Oh the joy.
Matthieu Blazy's Bottega Veneta debut
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When Daniel Lee's exit from Bottega Veneta was announced, the industry went into shock, but hope was restored when it was confirmed that Belgian designer, Matthieu Blazy would be Lee's successor. He'd done the rounds at Raf Simons’s Calvin Klein, Phoebe Philo's Celine, Maison Margiela, and worked under Lee at Bottega Veneta until now. For his Fall 22 debut, Blazy blazed the path forward for his impending era at the Italian house, and signalled to all who keenly tuned in that he wouldn't let us down.
Julia Fox
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Perhaps 2022's most polarising and dividing fashion figure this year was miss Julia Fox. She started off the year in some pretty bad company, but once she was an independent woman again, she became the DIY icon we all follow on TikTok. she was the main character on the red carpet multiple times in a row, and we've fallen in love with her passion for championing emerging and student designers. The people's princess!
The rise of Glenn Martens and the Diesel belt
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While the Diesel skirt belt was the most hotly debated internet moment for Glenn Martens this year, it was also somewhat of a breakout year for the Y/Project designer, who has recently revived 2000s Denim brand, Diesel, to the point where most items are frequently sold out online. He also was responsible for a seminal couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier, which saw people like Jada Pinkett Smith and Kylie Jenner wear the pieces, as well as Chloe Sevigny for her unforgettable ceremony dress, solidifying him as one of the most skilled and promising young designers of our generation.
Kim Kardashian's Met moment
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It was arguably one of the most controversial red carpet moments in history when Kim Kardashian stepped out in Marilyn Monroe’s “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” dress for the 2022 Met Gala. The dress was based on a sketch by Bob Mackie for Jean-Louis, and became famous when Monroe wore the see-through dress to sing happy birthday President John F. Kennedy on his 45th birthday in 1962. Because of the delicate nature of the iconic dress, Kardashian was criticised for re-wearing a precious piece of fashion history and putting its integrity at risk, while others condemned her dramatic weight loss in order to fit into the dress. In all, it was a conversation that plagued the internet for weeks before and after the moment was over.
Valentino's Pink PP debut
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Valentino has had an impressive year. Seminally inclusive couture collections, an iconic partnership with Zendaya, and the introduction of PierPaolo Piccioli's Valentino Pink PP collection, which saw an almost entirely hot pink runway debut for the brands FW22 collection. It confirmed that "Barbiecore" was definitely happening, and has been a defining moment for Piccioli's tenure at the brand, which is best known for Valentino Garavani's "Valentino Red". Now we have pink, and it's here to stay.
Timothée Chalamet's Haider halter
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For the Bones and All premier at Venice Film Festival, Timothée Chalamet knew exactly what he was doing when he revealed the small of his back to the rabid fanclub that is most of the world. Continuing his fruitful fashion relationship with Haider Ackermann, Chalamet wore a red suit ensemble whose top was a sort of halter top neck scarf situation. It brought folks to their knees!
Raf Simons shutters namesake brand
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No matter how much mom and dad (Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons) could have prepared us for this moment, nothing could have truly readied us for the shuttering of Raf Simons cult namesake label via an Instagram post earlier this month. If there is anything more Raf, we're yet to see it, and exiting at the height of his career is a move for the brave. Thank god we still have him at Prada.
Alessandro Michele leaves Gucci
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In news that barely anyone expected, together with Kering, Alessandro Michele announced his sudden exit from Gucci at the beginning of December after 7 years at the helm of the Italian label. Following his monumental, maximalist revival of the House, it is not yet clear what's next for Michele, but we are sure to find out in due time. Until then, Gucci's in-house design team will continue to produce collections until a successor is announced, and we will continue to speculate.
