YOUR ULTIMATE AUTUMN/WINTER 2022 TREND REPORT

Words by Lesego Ntsime | Images : Getty + Supplied

This may be the most jubilant Autumn/Winter season we will experience yet. The air reeks of optimism and the runways and streets are catching on. Prepare yourself for a colour, texture, and all-around fashion battle as we redefine winter drip.

We’re leaning into a wardrobe that isn’t characterised by loungewear and stay-at-home attire and I don’t know about you, but that’s got us excited to be draped in our favourite winter essentials again.

However, for us Southern Hemisphere people, April is the neither here nor there season - warm enough to show some skin but cool enough to throw on a light coat - which makes it the most apt time to explore transitional dressing for those “somewhere in between” days. If you’ve been looking for an excuse to pair your fave LBD with an oversized blazer or coat, the moment has arrived. 

We’ve rounded up a few trends to help you transition into the season of cuddles as you bid farewell to sunny days, post-pandemic dressing style.

LIVE IN LEATHER

Albeit timeless in jackets, leather has made an aggressive fashion comeback courtesy of the '90s and Y2K revival. We’re channeling our inner The Matrix star in body-hugging dresses, coats, pants, and even two-piece suits. 

The Y2K frenzy on the runways shows no signs of subsiding with designer brands such as Loewe, Hermés, and Louis Vuitton sending daring looks that resemble the early aughts futurism. 

The future is unknown, but it has always been ours to define and it looks like we’ll be doing it á la Kim Kardashian - in seemingly impractical head-to-toe leather looks. Who needs practicality when you’ve spent two years in loungewear anyway?

Plus, leather’s gone green, even more reason not to hold back.

STYLE TIP:

Go all out! Few things make a statement like a head-to-toe leather outfit. Pair two-piece leather suits with barely-there heels or leather mini dresses with knee-high boots for the full Y2K effect. If you’re not feeling that adventurous, pair leather items with classics such as denim or crisp white shirts to balance the flavour of your outfit. 

POWER UP

Power suits are back like they never left. A mainstay in designer collections season after season, this time around they arrive with sharp tailoring with an emphasis on the silhouette of a woman’s body at Versace, Lukhanyo Mdingi and Thebe Magugu

Transitioning from WFH to more frequent visits to the office means all eyes will be on us once again. Why not claim your The Devil Wears Prada's Andy moment in a suit that says “I mean business, but I’m fashionable about it"?

Ever evolving and imbued with infinite memories, power suits take on a different meaning for us at this moment. We are taking our power back from a time that obscured our hope and possibility for the future one power suit at a time. 

STYLE TIP:

Let the suit speak for itself. Button up the jacket or wear it with a peek-a-boo camisole and then pair with heels or loafers and be on boss mode. And for casual days? Pair with slides or Birkenstocks and pay homage to Phoebe Philo’s Céline era. 

MICRO MINI

Are we bringing sexy back? The answer is yes a dozen times over and local fashion designer Rich Mnisi, agrees. And designers such as Diesel and Miu Miu. The whole world is still mesmerised by the micro-minis Miuccia Prada sent parading down the runway last season and this season more designers followed suit. 

This modern configuration of mini skirts is designed for workwear, nightlife, and everything in between. 

Another one of those Y2K-suffused trends, micro-minis speak to our desire to release our inhibitions and embrace the present and our bodies and get this... even when the temperatures are dropping. In the words of the one-and-only Paris Hilton; “Skirts should be the size of a belt.”

STYLE TIP:

Let your torso shine. Pair your micro mini with a crop top, cropped jersey, or blazer and go super preppy with ankle socks because class is definitely back in session.

ALL THAT SHIMMERS

Sparkle is the fabric of the hour. And rightfully so. After years of being cooped up in our cocoons, expressing ourselves is at the top of the agenda. At LaQuan Smith F/W ‘22 sequins came in exhilarating golds, blues, and reds on jumpsuits and mini dresses and if that doesn’t say “I’m ready to party” we don’t know what does. 

It may be getting cooler outside, but we can’t shake off that feeling of going out and being the centre of attention and there’s no better way to do that than in sequins. 

Once eerily quiet, the streets are growing vibrant again. Dressing up has always been synonymous with nighttime attire - a fashion concept we’ve been most unacquainted with since the beginning of the pandemic. It’s time to make your girls' night-out dreams come true. 

STYLE TIP:

How bold can you go? While there are no limits to the amount of shimmer you can adorn, you can play it safe with bold accessories. A dazzling bag or shoes go a long way. Take it a step further and make your face the ultimate accessory with metallic makeup. 

SPORT ON

Athleisure is going nowhere. Already asserting itself as a growing trend prior to the pandemic, it has mutated into the go-to casual look for the office, at home, and even for those Saturday morning brunch catch-ups. 

On the runway, Tory Burch approached this hybrid of activewear and casual wear with a post-pandemic dressing approach with elevated textures, silhouettes, and bright 'look-at-me' colours. 

To athleisure or not to athleisure is no longer the question at hand. Whatever your style tribe kicks, sweats and tracksuits will inevitably find themselves in your wardrobe this season and we can’t complain about that because who can say no to comfort and coziness? 

STYLE TIP:

Take things up a notch. It’s easy to let comfort do its thing but we’ve been deprived of dressing up for some time so elevate your sporty looks. Think heels with active leggings, blazers, and vests with tracksuits, and sweaters with formal pants.