New York Fashion Week provided a first look at the new ideas and concepts designers are bringing to life in their Spring/Summer 2022 collections. Though there were fewer denim pieces on the runway compared to prior seasons, the looks that made it onto the in-person catwalks and presentations echoed the trends driving denim’s new lease on life.
Color denim elevated jeans from a basic to a style statement. Alice + Olivia amplified the intensity of its emerald flare jeans with a matching sequin cardigan and heels. The brand explored the entire color wheel by adding painterly strokes of red, blue, orange, and green to white jeans with distressed details. A pair of bleach-splatted blue jeans mimicked the appearance of fluffy white clouds.
Neon zippers and taping added a jolt of surprise color to Nihl’s jeans. Colorful floral embroidery added a feminine flair to Cinq à Sept’s dark-wash workwear-inspired jeans, while Eckhaus Latta experimented with green-and-black overdyed jeans—as well as transparent pants—in a skin-baring collection. Gray satin added a glimmer of shine to Private Policy’s gray denim sets. Carter Young duped the appearance of animal furs on black-and-white denim.
Destroyed denim was a central to C+Plus Series’ collection. Known for its “unorthodox way of cutting and use of materials, deconstruction and fabric development,” the brand lived up to its reputation by using distressing techniques to create pinstripe and diamond-shaped patterns on denim vests, jackets and jeans. The brand also layered laser heart prints onto wide-leg jeans.
Wide silhouettes, in general, was a common theme across collections. Peter Do’s debut runway show paired cuffed jeans with perfectly tailored jackets and crystal-covered vests. Back-to-basics black denim anchored Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s collection. Relaxed-fit jeans and knee-skimming shorts were styled with tees and undone button-down shirts.
Coach, however, was the week’s biggest advocate for loose fits. In a collection that referenced iconic pieces by Bonnie Cashin as well as NYC institutions like Serendipity 3 and Pearl Paint, the heritage brand delivered patchwork vests, cropped wide-leg jeans and ’90s-inspired baggy jean shorts.
