Feeling distressed? If so, you're right on trend for Fall/Winter 2022, which sees fashion brands of all stripes delving deeper into ragged, worn-out clothing fitted with raw hems and gaping holes.
Consider how your 'fit would look after a scuffle in the streets — that's apparently the vibe for the season, according to brands like Acne Studios, MM6 Maison Margiela, or Diesel.
This being the fashion biz, though, the imagined scene looks a lot less like Fight Club and more like a catty tug-of-war for the last piece of patisserie at Café de Flore, though there's plenty of wanton rips n' tears to go around.
But Vetements' sub-label VTMNTS took things a step further with its FW22 presentation, sending out roughed-up models with fake scars and choppy buzz cuts.
A reaction to the current state of the world? A rebuttal of the fashion industry's obsession with perfection? An edgy sentiment simply intended to provoke?
Perhaps all of the above.
But VTMNTS' battered models did speak to the destructive attitude on display throughout Fashion Month, even when it only surfaced through small accents.
Miu Miu's runway show was indicative of many FW22 collections: prim, refined wearables mostly free from overt deconstruction.
However, hidden beneath the deceivingly prim façade — literally, in terms of Miu Miu's extra-short skirts — lay a quiet riot of raw hems or ragged cut-outs.
Disguised by an air of elegance, a whiff of rebellion waiting to be uncovered.
At Botter, for instance, patched-together shirts and clutch bags fitted with brass knuckle-like grips lent a gently aggro edge to the otherwise lofty affair.
Similarly, all eyes were on Givenchy's slinky dresses, plush leather bags, and 3D-printed shoes, but the luxury label did send out some faded graphic T-shirts and jeans that affected an indifferent rocker air.
Some FW22 collections went further, displaying clothing that could've actually been worn by Vetements' battered models in their imagined tussles.
Specifically, Acne's torn knitwear and tattered denim layers looked like they'd survived a brawl.
Ribbed scarves, gloves, sweaters, and sock-shoes were riddled with holes and loose threads, sporting crystal studs in place of fabric pills.
Similarly shredded stuff cropped up throughout Glenn Martens' Diesel collection.
In between the fine leather layers and tech-y sneakers, Martens sent out shearling coats and leather shirts that flapped with asymmetric hems, sweatpants notched with peeling holes, and lots of artfully scruffy denim.
Had the models been sporting fake bruises in place of fancy metallic faces, the beatdown effect would've been complete.
Though Balenciaga FW22 was informed by a message of Ukrainian solidarity, it still delivered the well-worn clothing that partially epitomizes Demna's design ethos.
Distressed, faded sweaters and ripped jeans are nothing new for the luxury label but Balenciaga FW22 did show off some fresh techniques, like tape-laden logos, while doubling (or maybe tripling) down on distressed finishes.
Washed-out jeans and caps boasted frayed hems aplenty while one hoodie took distressing to a new level with the aforementioned tape detail, paint splotches, and seams that verged on utter destruction — zoom in on the zipper placket or ribbing and the hoodie looks like it was recovered from some hapless spring breaker who got on the wrong side of drunk frat dudes.
Suffice to say, you can keep wearing your big boots, latex bodysuits, and weed bags come next winter.
But, if you so happen to tear your sweater, rip your jeans, shred your skirt, or even get a black eye, no need to rush home and change: you'll fit right in with the rest of the faux-bruised glitterati.
