Have skinny jeans officially died a death? Is sprayed-on denim over, once and for all? The eternally influential Kate Moss may have attended the Richard Quinn spring/summer 2022 show wearing a distinctly retro bootcut pair, but if the runways are any indication, baggy jeans will continue to reign supreme for the foreseeable.
Read more: Spring/Summer 2022 Fashion Trends
Read more: Shop The 10 Key Autumn 2021 Fashion Trends
It was the Spring/summer 2021 collections that first hinted at fashion’s abandonment of skinny jeans. Designers championed loose-fitting shapes that appealed to onlookers who had spent a year in tracksuits. For spring/summer 2022, brands have maintained the relaxed approach, presenting louche jeans once again.
Demna Gvasalia kicked things off for spring/summer 2022 back in June, when he presented his futuristic “Balenciaga Clones” runway. The “audience” was fake, created digitally by video producer Quentin Deronzier, but the clothes – including an expansive collection of attitude-laden denim – were real. A cargo-style pair of jeans was emblazoned with acid-wash Balenciaga logo motifs, secured at the waist with a kitsch monogrammed belt. More muted pairs followed, in black and blue, then Gvasalia upped the alt-gothic ante with ballooning studded jeans, styled with an oversized puffed gilet and a head scarf.
Over in New York, the Olsen twins are sticking to their tried-and-tested (and wildly influential) minimalist aesthetic. They’ve truly mastered denim at their brand The Row: spring/summer 2022 was all about oversized polish, achieved with flowing trenches, suiting and a single pair of straight-leg light-wash jeans.
Peter Do’s first catwalk show didn’t disappoint, either. Some jeans were almost form-fitting, but others tapped into the baggy jean movement: one model glided across the sandy stage wearing rolled-up blue jeans, pristine white shoes and an embellished white wrap.
At London Fashion Week, Molly Goddard presented slightly toned-down versions of her signature smocked designs. Denim, too, was a key focus this season: as a new mum, Goddard said she was keen to design pieces that she herself wanted to wear – and that included trousers under dresses. The opening look, a breezy salmon-pink shirred top over blue baggy jeans, worn by Edie Campbell, epitomised the sweet yet effortless mood. (Look 9, an acid-yellow tulle top, loose jeans, stripy socks and ballet pumps, gets our vote).
Rejina Pyo’s presentation at the London Aquatics Centre also offered fresh jeans shapes for spring/summer 2022, crafted from organic denim. Amidst the vibrant swimsuits and intarsia knits, Pyo introduced denim made for the modern working woman. Look 14, a fabulously oversized trench, elongated baggy blue jeans (just seen peeping from underneath the coat), zebra pumps and a boxy green bag, was a highlight, and underscored the power of a great jeans-and-coat pairing.
It’s time to slip into a pair yourself.
