See All the Best Looks – W

Although New York Fashion Week spring 2022 technically began on September 8th with a stacked roster of shows including Ulla Johnson (which turned its runway into a hall of mirrors inside the Brooklyn Botanic Garden), Willy Chavarria, and Proenza Schouler, it was Collina Strada designer Hillary Taymour who set the scene the day prior for the first IRL NYFW since February 2020. Collina Strada’s show took place on the rooftop farm at Brooklyn Grange; as the late afternoon sun set, models including Jazzelle Zanaughtti aka Ugly Worldwide, and the musician Hawa frolicked down a stone path surrounded by tomatoes, jalapeños, and arugula growing in planters. They ran, skipped, and danced wearing Taymour’s spring 2022 collection titled “Snail’s Pace”—which consisted of cheerful prints done in orange, pink, sky blue, and upbeat florals. The buoyant mood was echoed at shows for Maryam Nassir Zadeh and Proenza Schouler (which held their standout presentation at Little Island overlooking the Hudson River), and felt by all who attended the shows. After a year and a half of isolation, designers wanted to convey a happy lightness, and their love for fashion on a real-life runway. Although NYFW spring 2022 is still happening during the pandemic, brands at all levels are taking precautions, only allowing in vaccinated folks, hosting shows outdoors, requiring masks, and limiting attendance numbers. Although it’s a “new normal,” out-of-the-ordinary kind of fashion week, the camaraderie is still potent—plus, we’re seeing a ton of killer clothes. Below, scroll through our favorite looks of the season from Peter Do, Alejandra Alonso Rojas, and more.

Sergio Hudson has become synonymous with expertly tailored suits (most recently seen on Blake Lively) and while they were on full display at his spring 2022 presentation, there was a pronounced focus on bold, colorful vacation-ready clothes. For inspiration, he looked to icons of the big and small screen—namely Cher Horowitz from Clueless, Whitley Gilbert from A Different World, and Lisa Turtle from Saved by the Bell and imagined what they might wear on safari. The answer: a decidedly sexy mix of form-fitting day dresses, slinky silk gowns, statement leopard print blouses, and smart jackets and mini skirts in a candy shop’s worth of pastel hues. The show itself was an homage to the ‘90s with an elevated runway upon which models including icon Beverly Johnson and Veronica Webb—vamped and twirled for the cameras. For the grand finale: a Swarovski embellished gown topped with De Beers Talisman drop earrings, a glamor girl’s camouflage at its finest.