2022 womenswear to forget Covid

by Zanita Careem

Will Sri Lanka be a key market for the global fashion industry in the years to come. Even though it faces various challenges of inequality, infrastructure, and market fragmentation; it is anticipated that the sector will exhibit strong economic growth, scale, and rising digital disruption. Collectively, these elements will make the Lankan market a global hub in the times to come. The Colombo Fashion Week has created a benchmark for local designers to showcase their creativity.

According to most of our designers sustainability is a major trend that will rule the fashion industry in the times to come. Consumers are increasingly becoming conscious about Mother Nature and this has been pushing the brands to adopt eco-friendly practices. While global designers and retailers have started adopting the sustainable route, others will soon follow suit. Using organic fabrics and natural dyes along with engaging in recycling and upcycling are some of the popular initiatives that the industry is undertaking to tread on the sustainability path.

Comfort is the new style Ever since the pandemic outbreak, consumers’ preferences have undergone a huge shift. They now prioritize comfort over fashion and it has emerged to be the new fad. COVID-19 paved the way for innovations and ever since then, the athleisure market has made its way in people’s lives and wardrobes.

Solar hues and stripes: The upcoming trend Along with nudes and pastels, solar shades are about to gain prominence in the year 2022. Hues such as gold, bronze, amber, marigold, etc. will rule the fashion industry next year. Amongst prints and patterns, stripes and floral prints will be making their way back into the wardrobes.

The current state of fashion is comfort, which means comfortable, casual-aesthetic clothing is becoming the consumers’ lifestyle now. Moreover, the modern consumer has also become more health conscious, and wants to look after their wellness, and athleisure is making it easier for them, notes a major global lifestyle brand.

There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. As sales are on the rise and people are returning to normalcy after nearly two years in the grip of the pandemic, designers are letting rip. Their 2022 collections are varied and colourful, a melange of eras featuring a 1990s and 2000s vibe combined with an infusion of lightness and joy that dips decidedly in the 1960s. Local designers said the the women’s ready-to-wear collections that will be showcased next year will be a kaleidoscope of sensations, colours and styles, emphasising an unabashed yearning for fun through an abundance of super summery, ultra sexy looks. Eshan Hasara, a leading designer said fashions may change to meet the challenges of Covid. She said Sri Lanka have become a fashionable and we are in keeping with the international trends . Talking about the latest trends she said

Mini-skirt suits  are still an essential item in women’s wardrobes, as shown by the vigorous return of the minis in international runaways. Especially combined with short skirts and even miniskirts, often with a 1960s vibe. Skirts reached just above the knee at Moschino, Chanel, Michael Kors and Christian Dior, the latter presenting a series of fun suits in bright colours. Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu was even more drastic, shortening the skirt to just under the buttocks with a savage slash of the knife.

Gingham materials steeped in a 1960s mood, designers have rediscovered gingham fabrics, with their deliciously retro small checks in pink, light green, orange, daffodil yellow and black. Michael Kors presented classic mini-check patterns in Vichy pink or black, while Carolina Herrera, Luisa Spagnoli, Prabal Gurung and MSGM went for larger checks to bolster volume.Snipped by scissors rather than a scalpel, designers have wielded good old-fashioned scissors with sadistic satisfaction this season, creating slits, gaps, notches, tears and more. As seen in drilled trousers, perforated coats, open-work dresses, macramé outfits and fishnet sets. They have played with transparencies and added plenty of slashes, manhandling garments and forcing them to become lightweight, to slip off the shoulders, leave the back bare and uncover the hips. Clothes reveal the body beneath with openings large and small, positioned on the belly or across the breasts. Some of the silhouettes have a lacerated look, others feature geometric asymmetries.

The colour violet  is definitely back in the summer 2022 season. Monochrome total looks are very much the order of the day, featuring intense, bright, vibrant hues, among which violet, at once chic and aristocratic, has pride of place. It is featured in all its shades, from lilac to lavender, mauve and purple, in a wide variety of combinations, from the freshest, lightest hues to darker tones.   Bare shoulders  are revealed thanks to rounded openings in jackets and dresses, and to sleeves that glide down the arms. Bardot-style scoop necks are especially popular. With necklines that lay bare the neck and shoulders, frilled dresses and tops with drop-down sleeves will be next summer’s must-have, uber-wearable items. A clear example of the sensual, romantic and summery mood prevailing on the catwalks, especially given the plethora of frilled outfits. Brigitte Bardot’s unique style has visibly inspired designers, resulting in a spate of country-girl dresses, asymmetric boho blouses and gingham outfits. Floral dresses have comeback with a bang.