The Buzziest Moments To Know From New York Fashion Week Spring 2022

And just like that, New York Fashion Week’s IRL return has come to a close. The six-day string of Spring 2022 events was, well, a lot — 90-plus runway shows, as well as events, parties, pop-ups, and a little thing called the Met Gala. (Oh, the 2021 MTV VMAs happened, too.) Clearly there was a lot of lost time to make up for, as fashion weeks went mostly digital for the past 18 or so months.

Much like any NYFW, there was everyone’s fair share of celebrity appearances, street style, must-watch emerging brands, and a meme-worthy post that seemed like it was pulled straight out of an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Luckily, we recapped all of the buzziest happenings and collections that you need to know about, from Peter Do’s fashion week debut to Azealia Banks on the runway. Read more about the can’t-miss fashion moments from New York Fashion Week Spring 2022, below.

Collina Strada Kicked Off NYFW On A Brooklyn Rooftop

What better show to kick off the first IRL New York Fashion Week after a long and dreary 18 months than Collina Strada? Designer Hillary Taymour’s colorful, kooky, and eco-friendly approach to clothes served as the perfect setting for a group of new-to-socializing-again fashion folks. Set on a sun-drenched rooftop garden in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, an A-plus casting of diverse models debuted Collina Strada’s Spring 2022 collection, including a delightfully chaotic mix of ready-to-wear, a Levi’s collaboration, recycled jewelry, and sustainable swimwear. The refreshing experience left even the most jaded creative into a dizzy spin of optimism. — Maria Bobila

Peter Do Made His Runway Show Debut

Emerging luxury designer Peter Do’s runway debut was one of the most anticipated shows at NYFW. Industry insiders and friends of the brand since its launch in 2018 arrived on the rooftop of a building in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint and each was given a handwritten letter from Do himself, according to Vogue. For Spring 2022, the mysterious and press-shy designer, who has had stints at Derek Lam and, most notably, Céline under the creative direction of Phoebe Philo, turned to his Vietnamese roots and old family photos to help inform his signature tailored designs, incorporating those details into his work. At the end of the show, Do and his entire team, which he continues to spotlight in rare interviews and even his namesake brand’s latest campaign, arrived on the runway for their final bow together. — MB

Gigi Hadid Returned To NYFW With Proenza Schouler

For Spring 2022, designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez were inspired by “the newfound freedoms and absolute optimism for all that lies ahead,” and featured must-have outerwear, bright prints, and lots of fringe detailing.

Our favorite supermodel mom Gigi Hadid returned to NYFW, a year since giving birth to her baby daughter Khai. (She actually found out she was pregnant during NYFW in February 2020, the day before she walked the Tom Ford Fall 2020 show.) For Proenza, Hadid strutted down the runway wearing a blue-and-yellow ensemble with a black cropped vest.

Model (and stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris) Ella Emhoff also appeared in the Proenza Schouler show for the second time in a row, wearing an all-black windbreaker gown with leggings peeking underneath. Weeks after signing with IMG back in January 2021 after her viral appearance at the presidential inauguration, Emhoff made her fashion week debut with the brand back in February for its Fall 2021 collection. — India Roby

Moschino Ditched Milan Fashion Week For New York

One thing about Jeremy Scott is that he doubles down on his fashion inspirations, and he made that loud and clear this season. Though Scott is a Milan Fashion Week regular as the creative director of Moschino, the designer and Making The Cut judge brought Italy to New York in September.

For his Spring 2022 collection, Scott hosted the show at Bryant Park, paying homage to his early fashion years in New York back in the ‘90s, according to Vogue. Moschino served us nursery rhymes and Upper East Side fantasy with preppy and playful pieces that incorporated imagery of adorable animals, including poodles and cotton-candy butterflies. If “Mary Had A Little Lamb” were a runway collection, it would be this one for sure.

“I am so excited,” Scott told NYLON in a previous interview in July about showing at NYFW. “I’m very thrilled to be bringing my Moschino women’s collection for the very first time to New York, to be sharing it stateside on my home turf. I'm looking forward to the connectivity of everyone together. I’m looking forward to the energy of that. I think the live show is something special and unique.” — IR

LaQuan Smith Made History On Top Of The Empire State Building

Leave it to LaQuan Smith to take his sexy going-out designs to the next (and literally highest) level. The Queens designer presented the first-ever fashion show at the top of the Empire State Building for his Spring 2022 collection, which consisted of slinky gowns, super-short party dresses, and high-cut bodysuits.

“Showing at the Empire State Building this season is a huge moment in fashion, not only for the brand but it holds a very special place in my heart,” said Smith in an official statement. “I am born and raised in New York and to be able to show my Spring 2022 collection at the icon of New York City really feels like a full-circle moment for me. The Empire State Building celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, and I will be the first designer in history to host a show there. The timing just felt so right to celebrate not only its 90th anniversary but also a revival of fashion and live runway shows in New York City.”

His history-making runway show brought a celebrity-studded front row, as well, including Kylie Jenner, who arrived in New York upon the recent announcement of her second pregnancy with Travis Scott. Jenner wore a black lace catsuit custom-designed by Smith and inspired by one of his Spring 2022 looks, modeled by Barbara Palvin on the runway. — MB

Batsheva Cast Some SNL Stars (And More)

Serendipity3 wasn’t the only Hollywood-famous name at the Batsheva Spring 2022 show. For designer Batsheva Hay’s latest collection, which took place at the beloved frozen hot chocolate spot, a slew of pop-culture faves modeled the new looks on the runway. Saturday Night Live stars Chloe Fineman, Heidi Gardner, and Ego Nwodim made their catwalk debuts, as well as Busy Philipps (and her daughter Birdie Silverstein), Rory Culkin, Lauren Servideo, and more.

Hay’s cottagecore and prairicore-adjacent dresses (which were a hit well before these aesthetics took the internet by storm) were naturally the core pieces of her Spring 2022 offerings, but she updated the quarantine-ready wardrobe into major fashion statements now that we’re all out and about again. — MB

Theophilio Brought Jamaica To New York

Theophilio is going to be a hot ticket at NYFW for seasons to come. The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist made its fashion week debut last year as one of Teen Vogue's Next Generation Designers, and now founder and creative director Edvin Thompson presented his first-ever runway show for Spring 2022. Titled “Air Jamaica,” the Brooklyn-based designer highlighted his Jamaican heritage, showcasing Rastafarian colors and pulling design elements from the Caribbean island’s airline for inspiration. The 28-piece collection, comprised of men’s, women’s, and unisex ready-to-wear apparel, will likely show up throughout the New York City party circuit this summer, especially a sheer striped catsuit with a full open back featuring Theophilio’s logo on a G-string. — MB

Chromat Went To The Beach To Celebrate The Queer Community

Unlike other brands that held runway shows at city landmarks and building rooftops, Chromat took its Spring 2022 collection to the beach at historically queer-friendly Jacob Riis Park in Queens. Known for creating vibrant silhouettes with inclusivity in mind, Chromat’s Becca McCharen-Tran makes fashion fun again and this year was no exception. The designer teamed up with artist, activist, and Guggenheim fellow Tourmaline to create a swimwear line that celebrated the queer community, specifically trans femmes, girls who don’t tuck, non-binary people, and intersex bodies. Tourmaline and McCharen-Tran were inspired by the all-red swimsuits of lifeguards, and created new styles, as well as updated older Chromat swimsuits, to make an inclusive collection for future beach trips and summer vacations.

“When I nervously slipped on the one-piece, made with a pouch for people who have penises, I thought of all the times I had to hide and pretend that I had a body that wasn’t mine,” recalled model Xoài Pham, who walked the Chromat Spring 2022 show, in an essay for Elle. “This time, I was given permission to not only come as I am, but celebrate myself and those who share my experience. I was asked to let myself breathe and take pleasure in just being me, alongside my community.” — IR

Telfar’s Press Conference Unveiled A New Bag

Rather than presenting a proper runway show, Telfar turned fashion week on its head and hosted a press conference at South Street Seaport. Designer Telfar Clemens announced the launch of his new platform Telfar.TV, a “public access channel” that will showcase videos and photos submitted by his brand’s tight-knight community. Along with the new platform, Telfar also revealed its new Duffle Bag, a follow-up to the coveted Shopping Bag. Unlike the brand’s usual (and always sold-out) drops, the Duffle Bag will only be available via “drips” on Telfar.TV, where viewers will be able to scan a QR code from the platform for a chance to cop the must-have bag. — IR

After Four Years, Thom Browne Came Back To NYFW

It’s been four years since Thom Browne showcased in New York and his return was very much welcomed by the industry and his growing celebrity fans, from athletes and artists to actors and, yes, TikTokers. Browne’s penchant for tailored skirt suit sets and a gray color palette has turned him into a mainstream fashion icon, so the timing seemed perfect for the American designer, along with the Met Gala happening just a few days afterward.

“I decided to return to New York to support Andrew [Bolton]’s upcoming show at the Met,” Browne told WWD in an interview. (FYI: His partner Bolton is the curator behind the Met’s Costume Institute exhibition, In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.) “I think it is so important that all American designers recognize the importance of Andrew’s vision. This celebration of American fashion will be such a great showcase of the true talent that exists here in America.”

Browne usually shows at Paris Fashion Week, which means that he’ll likely return to the French fashion capital for future collections. Until then, we’ll enjoy as much of it as we can. — MB

Larry David Was Meme Material At Staud

Inspired by the glistening Mediterranean, Staud’s nautical-inspired collection featured spring and summer’s next “It” pieces, like flowy ensembles, fruit-printed pieces, and the cutest lemon disco ball as the runway’s center showpiece. Sitting right in the front row was not only fashion week’s most memeable guest, Larry David (who may or may not have been having the best of times by plugging his ears), but newly famous TikToker Victoria Paris. The 22-year-old influencer took us through a day in her life, filling us in on the Staud experience, spotlighting her OG Gossip Girl-inspired ‘fit, and more. — IR

Azealia Banks Made Her Runway Debut At Kim Shui

For Spring 2022, Kim Shui is giving us something a bit different from her namesake hot-girl-going-out brand, incorporating its signature techniques and silhouettes, like colorfully printed mesh fabrics, but with a Western-wear twist, like corduroy cutout bottoms and dragon-embroidered cowboy attire. And, of course, what is American fashion without an ode to the glitz and glam of Y2K with bedazzled tops and lace-up corsets?

At the end of the presentation, rapper Azealia Banks made her surprise runway debut, wowing the audience in a hot pink floral corsetted gown and, we have to admit, she was definitely a showstopper. — IR