Gabriela Hearst’s autumn/winter 2022 collection offered a hopeful take on the period of transition the world is currently undergoing, with the designer, as ever, providing a more sustainable vision for the future of fashion. Below, we round up five key takeaways.
Hearst explored the idea of androgyny
This season, Hearst was looking at the idea of androgyny throughout history, as well as how it relates to the present day. “Androgyny emerges in the same periods that a new way of thinking happens,” she tells Vogue in a preview the day before the show. “It’s really a moment of hope that with this re-emergence in our civilisation [taking place], maybe this is time [for] thinking about how we change as humans.” The theme is reflected in new silhouettes that feature in this collection, created on a male form.
Optimistic brights feature throughout
There’s an air of optimism about Hearst’s autumn/winter 2022 collection, thanks to the pops of colour appearing throughout. From sunshine yellow (which matched the colour of the runway) to zingy orange and tomato red, the bright palette was created using botanical dyes, in keeping with the designer’s eco-conscious approach.
Half the collection is deadstock and recycled materials
Hearst first began using deadstock in 2017, with autumn/winter 2022 now made from 50 per cent leftover or recycled materials. Her goal for the end of this year is to eliminate virgin materials altogether, an already ambitious target that’s been made more difficult by an increased demand for deadstock. “This is a good problem to have as it means that it’s becoming common practice,” the designer says.
An artist collaboration reflects Hearst’s love of nature
In recent seasons, Hearst has often woven scenes from nature into her collections, with this season being no different. The collection features a collaboration with the artist Amo (Ana Martínez Orizondo) – who “paints the souls of trees”, Hearst explains – with the designer’s daughter also drawing one of the floral motifs for this season.
The sense of community remains strong
Social impact has long been at the heart of the brand’s ethos, with the idea of community pervading everything Hearst does (the designer worked again with female artisans in Bolivia and Uruguay on this collection). The set was created by Groundswell, an arts non-profit in New York that supports youth work, while the brand is also making a donation to the Ali Forney Center, which helps LGBTQ youth struggling with homelessness in New York.
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Editor
Emily ChanCredit
Photography: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
