From the decade’s most booming fashion houses to miniscule designers, countless brands featured glitter in their Fall 2022 collections. For many, glitter evokes memories of itchy princess costumes or disastrously messy crafts-a material they would want nowhere near their designer clothing pieces. However, this is not the gaudy glitz of our youth, but rather modest shimmery accents that serve to elevate an otherwise matte ensemble.
Maison Margiela, whose iconic Tabi shoes have lauded the brand to the status of a widely observed designer, used glitter in opera-style gloves throughout the looks. The silver gloves are paired with rustic, almost tattered looking clothing, and straw bucket hats obscuring the faces of the models. Creative director John Galliano aimed to experiment with conceptions of bourgeois clothing this season, using the gleaming gloves to emphasize the simplicity of the other garments. The opera glove silhouette, extending past the models’ elbows, evoke imagery of high society both in name and appearance, further juxtaposing the accessories with the rest of the look.
Of course it was all eyes on Margiela, but small-scale houses like 16Arlington, founded in 2017, played into this trend of subtle sparkles as well. 16Arlington again paired muted colors and simple silhouettes with glitter creeping in along the sides of the garments. Pictured is a classic neutral toned look: high-neck tank top and mini skirt, effortless as always. Upon closer inspection, iridescent beads seem to be dripping towards the middle of the skirt, placed without clear uniform or pattern. The beads on the top are even less pronounced, blending in with the soft cream fabric. While understated, the sparkling accents define 16Arlington’s Fall 2022 collection as far from simplistic.
Miu Miu’s collection was highly anticipated following the soaring success of their Spring 2022 collection. Creative director Miuccia Prada maintained many of the same motifs in their recent collection, including belted skirts apparently made of cut-up trousers, with delicate underwear peeking out above the waistline. Overall the collection ascribed to a fairly typical fall color palette, dark leathers, tan plaids, cool-toned browns, and splashes of white. But one shade stood out. A dazzling diamond overlay laid atop delicate pastel undergarments signified Miu Miu’s participance in the emerging glitter craze. The construction of Miu Miu’s glittery garments reference the well-known shapes of fall knitwear, replacing plain yarns with lustrous gems.
Giambattista Valli combined black, white, aqua, and red into an inventive collection of fall colors. The clothing ranged from layered tulle skirts to mod mini dresses, but one accessory remained consistent-a platform heel sheathed in silver glitter. Valli proves that glitter can always be political, symbolizing a glimmer of hope from the historical Parisian turbulence of the 1960s, as well as today’s humanitarian horrors in Ukraine. Seeing as the stark contrasts within the collection reflect real-world conflicts, the shimmering shoes can be understood to indicate a common condition within us all.
Featured image courtesy of Armando Grillo / Gorunway.com