The Inspiration Behind Spring 2022

Spring 2022 considers 100-Year cycles. One hundred years ago, the Spanish Flu receded, and the Roaring Twenties made its spirited debut. People embraced a newfound vitality. One hundred years later, we see light shafting through at the tunnel’s end. It winks and glitters, growing brighter and brighter until we arrive in Spring 2022. While we all do our best to protect ourselves and others from Covid, what awaits is still to be determined, but our hope for this season is a return to parties.

Time will tell. We’ve been reminded, especially during Covid, that time is a construct. Reworking and reimagining silhouettes is a way of interpreting time: a Robe de Style with a pannier-inspired form and shoulder cutouts, 1920s arced and crisscross piecing to create shaping, sequined fringe to exaggerate fluidity and movement. It’s something old, something new, where a long-sleeved, tulle-skirted wedding dress has a plunging keyhole. Styles are designed to exist in the beauty of a moment, captured like lightning in a bottle. But the bottle is uncorked and champagne is flowing. Flute glasses clink. There are joyful and playfully razzing toasts. There is the uncorking of more bottles and laughter and dresses cut in a cosmetic palette of stone fruit cocktails served after midnight.

With parties forthcoming, let’s not forget the anticipation. It’s seeing a black surreal-lace gown hung on the door eagerly waiting for the clock to strike ‘get ready,’ or a pulling a step-into dress with flutter sleeves and a cinched waist from a garment bag followed by a quick shake, steam, and a zip. It’s getting out of the rideshare, or riding the elevator up, or strolling a hotel hallway, elbow hitched with another.

Time is concentric, like ripples formed from tossing a penny into a wishing fountain. This season, our wish is a return to parties and glitz and glamour.