The Top Ten Runway Shows of '22

With the return of ‘in-person’ shows in 2022, there was an added air of excitement, both from the designers staging the shows, as well as the buyers, fashion editors and other industry professionals who attended. There have been hundreds of presentations since January 2022 with some being outstanding. Here are the ten best of the best.

1. Louis Vuitton

Season: F/W 22 menswear
Date: January 20, 2022
Designer: Virgil Abloh (posthumously)
Atmosphere: ‘Louis Dreamhouse’ - a staircase bounced up and down on hidden trampolines. An empty bed rested alongside a roof and chimney. On the wall above them a stopped clock read the time as eight. A live orchestra played a specially composed soundtrack by Tyler, the Creator.
The Collection: 77 looks that included sharp tailoring, logo covered jeans and a Jim Phillips-esque grim reaper graphic on athleticwear. Four all-white looks, some featuring wings, closed the show.

2. Prada

Season: FW22 Ready-to-Wear
Date: Thursday, February 24 2022
Designer: Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons
Atmosphere: Models from 20 years ago, including Erin O’Connor and Liya Kebede, walked the runway, which was a tunnel of lights; 'Leave in Silence' by Depeche Mode played.
The Collection: The fitted white tank with the Prada triangular logo above a just-below-the-knee skirt became an instantly iconic seasonal look. Strong-shouldered blazers were shown over ephemeral skirts while nylon bombers and shearling aviator jackets were blown up to ultra-oversized proportions.

3. Bottega Veneta

Season: F/W 22 Ready-to-wear
Date: February 26, 2022
Designer: Matthieu Blazy
Atmosphere: The first collection from Blazy and excitement from a slew of celebrities Julianne Moore, Jacob Elordi, Neneh Cherry and Raf Simons all backstage.
The Collection: 69 looks: What looked like a simple white tank top and jeans was actually all rendered in leather. An eclectic mix of tailoring, tuxedos and knitwear for both sexes. For women, sheath dresses and show stopping flared skirts with fringed hems. The new Kalimero bag was woven in one piece with no seams

4. Off-White

Season: F/W 22 Ready-to-wear
Date: February 28, 2022
Designer: Virgil Abloh (posthumously)
Atmosphere: ‘Spaceship Earth’ was shown at the Palais Brongniart with models circling an enormous chandelier. Jeff Mills aka ‘the wizard,’ was the DJ. Off-White’s parent company New Guards Group streamed the show in 100 storefronts across Paris installed with TV monitors for the occasion.
The Collection: 84 looks including 28 from a couture collection. Hoodies, cargo gear and letterman jackets and the brand’s iconic ‘quotes’ branding. The show ended with a pair of white flags printed with the phrase, ‘Question Everything.’

5. Givenchy

Season: FW22 Ready-to-Wear
Date: Sunday, March 6 2022
Designer: Matthew M. Williams
Atmosphere: A giant double-tiered light structure and a techno beat soundtrack.
The Collection: The show began with baggy layered street style looks on both male and female models walking to This was followed by passages inspired by the house archives including Audrey Hepburn’s pearls, which appeared not just as necklaces, but also on jeans, tops and cocktail dresses.

6. Burberry

Season: FW22 menswear and ready to wear
Date: March 11, 2022
Designer: Riccardo Tisci
Atmosphere: In London’s Central Hall Westminster, the audience stood in the dark, as models descended from above to pose on tables set with silver and crystal. A hundred-strong choir sang and an orchestra played.
The Collection: Two collections were shown, one for women, which included everything from the traditional check trenches to ballgowns and one for men that ranged from sober tailoring to kilts over pants.

7. Valentino

Season: Fw22 Couture
Date: July 8, 2022
Designer: Pierpaolo Piccioli
Atmosphere: Models walked down the 136 stairs of Rome’s Spanish Steps.
The Collection: Genders were blurred, with both males and females modeling a variety of looks in vibrant color mixes. This was followed by a group of styles rendered in black and white. The designer said that this was a deeply personal collection … all about the history of Valentino.

8. Gucci

Season: Cruise 2023
Date: May 16, 2022
Designer: Alessandro Michele
Atmosphere: Staged at Castel del Monte, a thirteenth century fortress in the Puglia countryside. The idea of “cosmogonies of constellations” was born after Michele read the German philosopher Hannah Arendt’s essay on Walter Benjamin.
The Collection: 101 men and women wore a myriad of looks that included historic and bondage styles.

9. Loewe

Season: Spring 23
Date: September 30, 2022
Designer: JW Anderson
Atmosphere: Anderson set out to explore the fake in nature and to that end, a giant fiberglass anthurium grew out of a hole in the floor. The ‘show before the show,’ included costume designer Sandy Powell, musicians Oliver Sim and Dev Hynes and actors Maude Apatow and Hari Nef.
The Collection: 53 looks, many of which included the anthurium motif; velvet dresses with panniers; oversized shirt dresses and sweatshirt dresses and romantic evening gowns.

10. Dior Homme

Season: Pre-Fall 2023 Menswear
Date: December 3, 2022
Designer: Kim Jones
Atmosphere: The Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World was the backdrop to the show.
The Collection: 75 looks, one for each year since the company was founded. Jones was inspired by the night sky, the stars and astrology which showed up on prints. There were utilitarian looks, gray half-kilts that were bias-cut and worn over narrow tailored pants and jackets in bright yellows and oranges.