If the fashion month sped by before you could even process all of the beautiful collections, you’re not alone. Filling the senses, bright colors and new cuts and silhouettes for fall and winter really took charge. However, in the case of the fall 2022 print trends, it seemed that designers chose to hold back. Using the rich hues that were popular and delicate fabrics with a few details seemed to be the choice of many, with color blocking in outfits being how most stylists organized their collections.
Of course, there were still some old and new patterns to get excited about. The return of cow print, for instance, or the rise of florals for fall! So, don’t expect a boring season (or article, for that matter) just because a step back was taken when it comes to eccentric print trends.
So, settle in with a cup of coffee and get ready to discover all of the fall/winter 2022-2023 print trends that you’re about to see everywhere. I have a feeling that you’ll love them all!
#1. Ode to Georgia
Flowers for spring will always be expected, but flowers for fall? Now that’s a happy surprise! Many designers seemingly gravitated towards a resurgence of flora for the colder months this year by enlarging floral prints to create a brand-new fall 2022 trend. Richard Quinn, Dries van Noten, and Preen embraced using fabrics with oversized flowers. Other brands took the 3D route with large flowers placed onto the garments, giving a very early aughts look. This was seen crucially at Blumarine, Roberto Cavalli, and even Saint Laurent!
#2. Running for the Cheetah
Speedy and chic, the cheetah pattern was used as a muse for designers once again. It seems that it’s been a few seasons since the cheetah’s spots were last popular, but they’ll certainly never change as far as print trends go. At Alice + Olivia, cheetah prints only played a small role in the elements of the collection. However, at Roberto Cavalli, they sat at the top of the food chain.
#3. Let’s Get Groovy, Man
Designers got groovy this year with twisting swirls and abstract designs, creating a sophisticated ode to ‘60s fashion. While no one would be shocked by Anna Sui delving once more into this print trend, finding soft swirls throughout the Ulla Johnson, Altuzarra, and Etro collections was another story. Even Coach seemed to embrace this trippy sense of chaos by creating clothing that was coated in graffiti!
#4. Cue the Victrola
If you know me, you know that I can never quite resist a nod to the 1920s. Thankfully, it seems that this year I don’t have to work too hard to find that flirtation with the past decade, as designers wanted to worship the scrumptious print trends from this time period as well. At Dries van Noten, the classic angular style of feathered fans came back in a metallic top. Anna Sui also reached into this decade for a layer of inspiration. But the designer that surprised me the most by taking a wrong turn and ending up in a car back in the ‘20s was Roberto Cavalli. In his collection, rich velvets and sequin details provided the sense of nostalgia we all needed.
#5. Get Ready in Gingham
From Ulla Johnson to Thom Browne, gingham checks became a subtle print trend that captured the mind and bodies of designers. The pattern used on picnic blankets, it’s rarer to see this print enter the fall – not that we’re complaining! To give a bit of a winter tone to the print, one of the color blocks was often thinner than the rest: this was something that could very much be seen at Thom Browne.
#6. Taking Tartan to Task
Houndstooth became the plaid that took a true hold over most designers, however, tartans in the fall are a classic if there ever was one. Preen took it upon themselves to combine the two fall print trends in a pleated tennis skirt, with each panel swapping to a different design. Over at Chanel, this print found a friend in Virginie Viard, who used it as the primary print in her tweed-inspired collection for the house. Kate Spade and Roberto Cavalli also stepped up to the plaid plate and certainly hit a homerun for creating some stylish suits.
#7. The Hounds Are out
“As other preppy trends have returned, I was betting it was only a matter of time before houndstooth made a resurgence, and the fall/winter 2022 collections proved me right.” Jasmine Fox-Suliaman wrote in her article for Who What Wear and considering the massive resurgence of this print trend, I’d say that taking her to Vegas would also be a safe bet. From a coat at Ami to oversized suiting at Botter and eclectic takes on houndstooth at both Versace and Coach, this classic pattern is certainly coming for everyone in the fall.
#8. Simply No Pattern at all
As I teased in the introduction of this article, many designers simply chose not to give us a pattern at all. With each item of an outfit in a different color, this color blocking effect held a prominent sway with designers such as Alice + Olivia, Saint Laurent, and Fendi. While the designers for each of these three brands still continued to place small details on the clothes – and create some items with print – other designers dropped the ball entirely on patterns. This can be seen with the exclusively pink collection that Pier Paolo Piccioli created for Valentino, along with Matthew Williams’ black designs for Givenchy.
Photos via Vogue
