Another year has flown by and with it, the entertainment industry provided more media than our short attention spans could handle. Highsnobiety recounts 2022 on-screen, highlighting the best style moments or, at the very least, ones that gave us something to talk about. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Wednesday’s Rave’N Dance look, Wednesday - Black may be fashion’s favorite color, but styling an entire wardrobe in the inky shade is no minor feat. Netflix’s Wednesday saw Wednesday Addams in a slew of black ensembles, including the season’s standout: her Rave’N Dance look. Costume designer Colleen Atwood dressed the protagonist in an all-black Alaïa gown cascading with sheer ruffles that accentuated her now-viral dance moves.
Portia’s Beach Club Fit, The White Lotus - From Daphne’s rich MILF resortwear to Lucia’s flirty party dresses, the wardrobes of The White Lotus season two gave Italian summer chic. Still, the outfits that made the biggest splash weren’t chic (in the traditional sense, at least): Portia’s Gen Z style was incredibly uncoordinated, but that was the point, according to costume designer Alex Bouvaird. Portia’s chaotic beach club ensemble — a zebra print bikini worn under color-blocked cardigan sleeves — elicited strong reactions from viewers, thanks to its overstimulating mix of prints, colors, and textures.
Julien in Theophilio, Gossip Girl - Continuing in the tradition of the original Gossip Girl, OG costume designer Eric Daman returned to the series reboot to style a new generation of Upper East Side nepo babies. Keeping his finger on the pulse, Daman updated the wardrobes of New York City’s upper crust with fashion’s buzziest emerging labels. A prime example: social media influencer Julien attends a party in a skintight jumpsuit by Theophilio, a refreshing switch-up from the typical labels of the rich and preppy.
Cassie’s Oklahoma! Get Up, Euphoria - Euphoria’s bedazzled makeup looks, club-ready classroom attire, and perfectly tousled hair have earned the show a style genre entirely its own. In the most recent season, all eyes were on Cassie — not for the familiar euphoric style, but for her delusional farmgirl look. Out of all of Cassie’s increasingly desperate attempts to capture Nate’s attention, her Oklahoma!' ensemble takes the cake as most unhinged. Costume designer Heidi Bivens and hairstylist Kim Kimble joined forces to curate Cassie’s meme-worthy look: a floral mini-dress paired with a picnic blanket-print shrug, topped off with gigantic Goldilocks curls.
The Sharmas’ Haldi Ceremony, Bridgerton - Season two of romance series Bridgerton found the characters in similar silhouettes to those worn in season one, but the attire in one particular scene stole the show. The fashion moment of the season shone through the vibrant color palette of the Sharmas’ gowns. Leading up to the wedding that never happened, the Sharma women held a beautiful traditional Haldi ceremony where it’s customary to employ bright, lively tones. Dressed in ballgowns of warm orange and pink hues with airy layers of sheer fabric and gold accents in their hair and jewelry, the three women looked like characters from a fairytale.
Eddie’s Rockstar Aesthetic, Stranger Things -The nostalgic wardrobe of Stranger Things aids in creating its immensely popular universe. Dramatic and high stakes like the rest of the series, season four introduced new storylines and beloved characters, including Eddie Munson (may he rest in peace). This outcast-turned-hero quickly became the internet’s heartthrob for his charm and signature look: long, shaggy hair, an edgy graphic tee, leather jacket, and distressed denim jeans. Eddie’s style brought some contrasting flair to Stranger Things’ more classic throwback looks by embodying the ‘80s metalhead.
Anna’s Valentino Cape, Inventing Anna - For those of you who kept up with all the chaos that was the Anna Delvey case, you know that high fashion was a key factor in her charade. To sell her story, Anna had to look the part, leading costume designer Lyn Paolo to create thousands of costly looks for her fictionalized counterpart, though Paolo revealed that some of the looks worn by the show’s Delvey were more “elevated” than the wardrobe of real-life Delvey. Of all the carefully polished looks, the Valentino cape, accompanied by opera gloves and a red Lady Dior bag really sold the chic image by displaying an effortlessly expensive look fit for NYC’s elite.
Lee Na-Yeon’s Shoe Game, All of Us Are Dead - Lee Jae Kyu’s zombie-filled horror series All of Us Are Dead follows a group of high school students, all of whom are sporting school uniforms but find room to express individuality through their footwear. Classics like Nike’s Air Force 1, adidas’ Superstar, and Vans’ Slip-On inform the show’s roster of sneakers, along with an unexpected standout: Lee Na-Yeon’s pink adidas Sambaroses, which match her signature pink cardigan.
Tár’s Tailored Suits, Tár - The sartorial standout of psychological thriller Tár? Pant suits, lots and lots of them. Master composer and conductor Lydia Tár’s collection of perfectly tailored suits reflects her obsessive drive for success and recognition. Through Tár’s styling, costume designer Bina Diageler teaches a master class on how great pantsuits can look when they’re properly fitted. Diageler explained in an interview that Tár’s pricey wardrobe was meant to portray both status and practicality.
Yaya’s Runway Moment, Triangle of Sadness - Ruben Östlund’s Palme D’Or winner Triangle of Sadness, a dark comedy about money, beauty, and power, offers plenty of commentary on class and social currency. Appropriately, one of the film’s protagonists, Yaya, is a model and influencer. Early in the film, we see Yaya opening a runway show in which the theme is irony, clearly: the fictional fashion label paraded models around a wasteful and cost-ineffective catwalk while preaching about sustainability. In this instance, we’d argue that the noteworthy fashion moment lies in the underlying message, rather than the clothes.
Suburban Chic at the Dinner Table, Don’t Worry Darling - Don’t Worry Darling was one of the most talked about films this year, though perhaps more for its behind-the-scenes drama than the actual movie. While you were following a possibly imaginary feud between Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde or alleged romance between Wilde and Harry Styles, you may have missed the movie’s noteworthy costuming. Arianne Phillips set the stage of this suburban dystopia with classic American ‘50s style wardrobe, the primped and poised aesthetic of Victory’s inhabitants was essential to the eerie illusion. Dressed to compliment the picture-perfect neighborhood, the residents arrived to Alice’s dinner party in pencil dresses, sharply tailored suits, pearls and brooches, with all the women flashing classic red lips.
Waterproof Warrior Gear, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Bringing together the influences of precolonial Africa and Mesoamerica, costume designer Ruth Carter expanded Black Panther’s costumes from Afrofuturism to add what she describes as “Latino-future” style. With Carter creating over 2,100 styles for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther sequel, it’s hard to choose just one to talk about. One of the more exciting pieces is the waterproof attire worn by antagonist, Namor. With a great deal of innovation and detail, Carter’s team made Namor’s wardrobe completely waterproof down to the feathered headpiece (appropriate attire for the Indigenous king of the sea).
Goth Jobu, Everything Everywhere All At Once - Heartfelt sci-fi comedy Everything Everywhere All At Once delivered action, valuable life lessons, and conversation-worthy fashion. The stand out of this genre-bending film was Joy (AKA Jobu)’s eclectic array of multidimensional fashion. A favorite from Jobu’s closet was the Goth Jobu look: showcasing one of Jobu’s many sides, this version’s modern take on gothic style included accessories from costume designer Shirley Kurata’s own personal collection, bringing personality to Goth Jobu’s mix of textures, spikes, and platform shoes.
Gen Z Core Style, Bodies, Bodies, Bodies - Halina Reijn’s slasher comedy found its stars in casual, “effortless” (but it’s really a lot of effort) looks with subtle flares of individuality like Emma’s Miu Miu heels and Bee’s skater attire. With the Gen Z aesthetic anchoring the girls’ personalities, costume designer Katina Danabassis made sure to dress them accordingly. Danabassis wove this generation’s obsession with trends into each outfit with direct influences from Y2K, normcore, cybercore, and schoolgirl-meets-fairy core, just to name a few. Rounding out the styles with accessories, the girls had mismatched earrings, glow stick jewelry, and of course, Pete Davidson, one of the most buzzworthy accessories any girl can have on her arm.
