New York Fashion Week Runway Looks to Social Media Trends
February 26, 2022
New York Fashion Week 2022 brings on the looks of the season with a twist, incorporating more influencers, young designers, and sparking inspiration among students on campus.
This year ran from Feb. 11-16, and the shows brought a wave of influencers joining the high fashion ranks — popularizing runway trends and transforming the fashion scene for younger generations.
Social Media Influencers and Trends Take the Runway
The rise in popularity for trends and styles stemming from TikTok and Instagram has inadvertently brought mainstream online influencers into the fold with household names in the industry. Fashion moguls like Anna Wintour and Nicolas Ghesquière have both done collaborations with social media influencers like Emma Chamberlain and Devon Lee Carlson.
Looks on the runway transition seamlessly into the pop culture world, demonstrating the innovative fashion on display at this season’s New York Fashion Week. With brighter colors, more glitz and glamor, models walked in bolder pieces, leaving nothing up to the imagination. Sparkles, sheer materials, leather, florals and feathers are the moment, creative outfits that give endless inspiration to take high fashion into everyday.
Young Designers at New York Fashion Week ’22
Younger designers like Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta, founders of the brand “Eckhaus Latta,” take avant-garde fashion to the next level, with sheer and shiny unisex clothing. In different, but wearable styles including button-downs, vests and long dresses, the designers take on more subtle hues, but unconventional materials.
Maisie Schloss, a 27-year-old designer, utilizes the digital age in designing her futuristic line for this year’s runway. Having some ’70s psychedelic prints, alien looks and fun patterns and colors, all looks were virtual, leaning more into the future of fashion shows. Bringing back styles reminiscent to the 2000s and early 2010s, Schloss’s work went in the direction of the popular fashion dolls, Bratz. Mimicking the Y2K appearance with mini skirts, crop tops, fitted clothing and party dresses, the LA Designer kept the ball rolling with looks applicable to the trends currently, showcasing elevated pieces that are out of this world.
Implementing fashion focused within sustainability, Emma Gage, a new designer in the Fashion week lineup, experiments with textures, colors and knitwear. All looks meant to be gender-neutral, the New York-based designer created her brand called Melke during the pandemic and creates her pieces keeping in mind the environment and ethical practices. Using recycled materials like beetle wings and old fabrics, the young artist solidifies her brand and looks with a touch of flare in knitted pieces, matching sets and fun dresses with all types of silhouettes.
Impact on Everyday Fashion for Young People
As the pandemic has derailed a lot of luxury and high fashion practices, the fashion shows this time around bring inspiration to the masses, putting the fun back in fashion.
Off the runway, people are affected by Fashion Week, even those on the University of Utah campus. In many forms like leather, knitwear, florals and sequins, all are accessible at different price points and seen on students around the school.
The fashion demonstrated by designers and models to those here at the U exemplifies the significance of self-expression and the need for artistry in the fashion industry.
