Six Design Trends That Will Take Over in 2022

Sudden lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic confined people to their homes and left many feeling empty and drained. The result of that is that people now have taken to fashion to shake off the occasional darkness looming in their thoughts in the aftermath of the pandemic. They are longing to step out of their homes and itching to reconnect with peers and loved ones as early as possible.

Fashion experts are predicting a change in people’s mindsets after witnessing the adverse effects on their clothing habits over the last two years. Furthermore, they are far more aware of the repercussions of the industry, such as pollution and throwaway fashion leftovers. Fashion experts who keep a constant eye on the market are talking about six fashion design trends expected to take over in 2022:

1. Eco-aesthetics

With the pandemic’s restrictions still fresh in everyone’s minds and the pressing need for environmental sustainability, people are likely to see eco-aesthetics emerge as a massive design trend in 2022. This will permeate all elements of design to reduce the fashion industry’s carbon footprint.

One can anticipate the increasing use of environmentally-conscious clothing and packaging sourced from local dealers and minimal waste, wherever possible. Manufacturers have taken significant steps to produce biodegradable products and water-based inks. Designers, too, on their part, are deviating from the customary floral prints to more subtle natural colours and natural themes. It is now more about reconnecting with nature in approach, design, and practice. Pollution-detecting garments are now being invented with aesthetics in mind, and whether in the form of apparel or masks, these products concentrate on both function and employing fashion-forward designs.

2. Sustainable wear is on the rise

Last year’s design trends revolved around: 

• Luxury fashion 
• Fast fashion 
• Haute couture 

This year, there is a shift from the previous year’s design trends, where haute couture held the largest share, followed by luxury fashion and fast fashion.

It can be hard to buy sustainably-produced apparel on a budget. Sooner or later, the budget generally wins the battle. Cheaper-priced labels can be hard to resist even though fast fashion is a significant contributor to pollution.

A notable trend seen in online exchanges about fashion is related to practicality. Sensible, responsible clothes tended to fly off the shelves. The field of fashion has a path to follow when it comes to creating affordable, ethical, and practical clothes.

3. Fighting consumerism

Drawing on the eco-aesthetic design trend, fashion design – formerly considered a place of unwarranted excess – has begun to follow the drift of anti-consumerism and is embracing simplicity where it can. This drive down from selfishness, indulgence and over-consumption is leading to more enhanced, minimalist designs as people realise that happiness can not be derived from having more. Sense stimulation is another essential part of this design trend and a real drive for happiness and positivity. Connoisseurs can anticipate increasing numbers of fashion houses to begin engaging with consumers on an emotional level with client satisfaction as the singular point of focus.

4. Back in the 1990s

We’ve been through the 60s, the 70s, and a surge of the 80s as well. And now it’s time for a bit of reliving the 90s. With people now entering into the 2020s, we are flipping over to a dash of millennial reminiscence in all its glory. Crop tops, baggy jeans, sports jackets and caps are about to dominate the scene in 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic had people reverting to loose baggy pants and bucket caps, choosing comfort over the 2000s’ skinny jeans and tight-fitting clothes. Cardigans have found their way into both men’s and women’s wardrobes, with people sporting them as everyday jackets.

5. Vibrant typography

The massive shift to the digital space in the past years has made us feel much more connected to specific typography. The binge-watching, streaming culture has brought more TV shows into our lives, with the typography activating certain associated feelings. We can anticipate typography to get a further boost as we move into 2022, with flowing forms and pictorial shapes dominating.

Indeed, when we’re tempted to think fashion designers will run out of ways of reinventing the same letters and symbols, they manage to surprise us. For 2022, the fountain trends range from photorealistic to imaginative, soft to hard-edged, and nostalgic to experimental. Specifically, we anticipate more fountain styles that command attention through wide and thick handwriting styles. 

6. Work from home meant office-wear moved to casual

During the epidemic, wedged-at-home consumers prioritised comfortable clothes, triggering a shift towards further casual fashion design trends. People were all asked to re-imagine what a professional wardrobe should look like when 100% of all work was being done at home. But this does not imply everyday clothes are the only way ahead.

The discussion around office wear has gone up now compared to the volume of mentions in 2019. A piece describes how the WFH terrain doesn’t mean one has to settle for sweatpants and call it a day. Rather, the idea is to power-dress when at home to inspire positive feelings, spark creativity and simply feel good!

People want to look pretty AND feel comfortable. Fashion brands will hopefully play to this new order of style, showcasing a more elevated interpretation of the WFH-wear design trend.

Conclusion

The foreseeable changes in 2022 will be fashion design trends that celebrate comfort over style, while celebrating eco-friendly fashion. If you are a fashion designer or label, looking to produce a successful collection this year, consider working with Fashinza. We are a leading B2B apparel manufacturing platform. We work with clothing brands to manufacture their collections by connecting them with the right suppliers in the market. Our platform lets brands place an order, track it and receive daily production updates. Get in touch with Fashinza today and change your fashion game in 2022.