The Hypebae Best: The Top Fashion Brands, Designers and It Items of 2022
The hottest fashion moments of the year.
Moving on from the WFH-ready sweats and slides of 2020 and 2021, the world looked to more colors, patterns and silhouettes in 2022, using fashion as a way to feel somewhat normal in a turbulent world.
We’re back with the latest edition of our year-end series Hypebae Best, where we round up some of the biggest moments in fashion this year, according to our editors. Miu Miu was undeniably one of the hottest brands of the year thanks to the surge in balletcore and ultra-mini trends, as was Jacquemus with its buzzy Nike collaboration. Surrealism was a key theme in Jonathan Anderson‘s collections for Loewe, while Glenn Martens continued to break fashion norms at Diesel and Telfar rolled out successful collaborations with Eastpak and Moose Knuckles.
We’re also spotlighting five exciting up-and-coming names in the fashion space, including Miaou, Beate Karlsson and A. Roege Hove, which saw buzzy moments on social media, the streets and on the runway. As for It fashion items, our outfits throughout the year wouldn’t have been complete without accessories like the viral 1DR handbag, Apple‘s AirPods Max headphones or the Miu Miu set.
Continue scrolling to see the top fashion brands, designers and It items of the year, and stay tuned for more from our Hypebae Best 2022 roundups in footwear, sex and dating, music and film.
BRANDS
Diesel
Diesel
Glenn Martens revived Diesel as one of today’s hottest brands ever since he was appointed creative director in 2020. Throughout his time at the label, the designer has created multiple viral moments including the constantly sold-out 1DR handbag as well as a Guinness World Record-breaking inflatable at his Spring/Summer 2023 show. The brand also made its presentation open to the public as an effort to make fashion more accessible, while releasing unexpected collaborations with brands like LELO on sex toys.
Jacquemus
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images, Jacquemus
2022 was a big year for Simon Porte Jacquemus. Aside from his beautiful, star-studded wedding that took place in Provence, the designer birthed numerous fashion moments to remember. He kicked off the year by opening a new 24/24 pop-up in Milan while bringing the fashion crowd to Hawaii to showcase his off-calendar “Le Splash” collection. He then announced his rumored Nike collaboration consisting of co-branded apparel and Air Humara sneaker, which made their runway debut in the Fall/Winter 2022 “Le Papier” presentation. For the first time since launching, Jacquemus handed over his CEO role to focus on designing collections, while opening the brand’s first-ever boutique in Paris. The cult-loved label finished off a strong year with its SS23 “Le Raphia” runway.
Loewe
Loewe
Surrealist garments and footwear were a mainstay for Loewe in 2022. Jonathan Anderson created viral pieces for the house, including squished balloons (approved by Emma Corrin, Kendall Jenner and many more) and lip-shaped bustiers on dresses. The brand additionally joined forces with On to create performance-focused apparel and sneakers while launching campaigns starring Kaia Gerber, K-pop star HyunA and more. For SS23, Anderson grew real-life grass on shoes and coats, and launched buzzy accessories like inflated sunglasses. In September, the designer featured on the runway everything from pixelated T-shirts to the lily flower dress — pieces spotted on multiple fashion editorials throughout the season.
Miu Miu
Miu Miu
Thanks to its viral low-rise ultra-mini skirts and ballet flats, Miu Miu was the hottest brand of 2022. The label recorded a 49% increase in searches compared to the previous year as reported by Lyst. Aside from its coveted fashion statement pieces, the house showcased much talked-about runway collections, including the SS23 edition that featured Emily Ratajkowski, FKA twigs and Bella Hadid on the catwalk. Celebrities such as Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney also wore the brand while Rihanna embraced her baby bump.
Telfar
Telfar
Following a successful year in 2021, Telfar continued to roll out new colorways of its signature Shopping Bags while diversifying its catalog with new styles like the Round Circle Bag. While releasing collaborations with Eastpak and Moose Knuckles, the label broke the internet with a major rainbow sale online and announce that it would open a new flagship store in New York City.
UP-AND-COMING DESIGNERS
A. Roege Hove
A. Roege Hove
A. Roege Hove is a knitwear brand based in Copenhagen. Founded and helmed by Royal Danish Academy alum Amalie Røge Hove, the label is loved for its form-fitting designs with semi-sheer detailing. Aside from showcasing size-inclusive looks throughout the year, A. Roege Hove was announced as one of the eight finalists of the 2023 International Woolmark Prize.
Beate Karlsson/AVAVAV
Federico Pompei
Swedish designer Beate Karlsson marked multiple highlight moments this year, including a viral show at Milan Fashion Week where every model fell on the runway. The creative, who created “wearable bums” last year, gained attention for her over-the-top fur boots and “ugly monster shoes,” which she highlighted later in the year at a solo exhibition in Stockholm. Björk and Doja Cat were just a few of the celebrity fans who wore Karlsson’s creations.
Miaou
Miaou
Becoming the It girl brand of the year, Miaou gained much traction this year thanks to Maddy’s blue dress in Euphoria Season 2 while continuing to roll out corsets and mini skirts loved by Gen Z. In addition to its cult-loved designs, the brand continued to push for inclusivity by launching a size-inclusive collection in collaboration with Paloma Elsesser. The label opened a new era with its Paris Fashion Week debut.
Ottolinger
Ottolinger
From strappy separates to motocross jackets, Ottolinger was at the forefront of some of the buzziest trends of the year in fashion. Designers Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient fully embraced the rise of the “ugly-chic” style, showcasing bulky outerwear, deconstructed knits and more for their FW22 collection. With futuristic shows, as well as its influencer and celebrity-favorite denim pieces, the brand proved itself as one of today’s most exciting brands with a focus on the digital world (the label showcased its FW22 collection at an Esports arena). For the fall season, Ottolinger additionally joined forces with Camper on a footwear collaboration.
Paloma Wool
Paloma Wool
After making its runway debut last year, Barcelona-based Paloma Wool focused on global expansion this year. The cult-loved fashion label kicked off a “World Tour” series in Paris to bring its collection to fans all around the world, followed by pop-ups in San Francisco and New York City.
IT FASHION ITEMS
Apple AirPods Max Headphones
@dualipa, @bellahadid
These are not your typical fashion accessories like a handbag, sunglasses or a belt, but were surely seen in countless fits this year. Apple’s AirPods Max headphones were in almost every other influencer’s fit pics to the point where people seemed to be less interested in their functions and more in the looks they served. Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Kylie Jenner were just a few of the celebrities wearing the headphones, accessorized with caps, sunglasses, Y2K-inspired fits and more.
Diesel 1DR Bag
Diesel, @theestallion
The 1DR was one of the most coveted handbags of 2022. As noted by Lyst, the purse — which blew up thanks to Glenn Martens’ revival of Diesel — skyrocketed in searches by 317% after It girls like Megan Thee Stallion and Julia Fox were seen wearing the accessory. Aside from its statement-making “D” logo and practical shape, the 1DR has been loved for its price point ranging from $325 to $550 USD, making it relatively affordable in comparison to styles such as the Balenciaga Le Cagole. With the ongoing popularity of the style, the 1DR continues to roll out in a variety of iterations ranging from metallic finishes to embellished and frayed versions.
The Exposed Thong
Bryan Steffy/Wireimage, Gotham/Gc Images
Yes, another Y2K look that served throughout the year 2022 — the exposed thong. Throwing it back to Tom Ford‘s time at Gucci when he showcased a double-G-string on the runway for Spring/Summer 1997, the trend returned with stars like Kim Kardashian wearing Matthew M. Williams‘ design for Givenchy. With low-rise pants and skirts reigning supreme, the exposed thong became the perfect fashion accessory.
The Miu Miu Set
Miu Miu
Love it or hate it, the Miu Miu set was one of the many Y2K-inspired looks that dominated 2022. Having first debuted in October 2021 during the Spring/Summer 2022 edition of Paris Fashion Week, the ultra-cropped top and ultra-low mini skirts and trousers made their way onto our social media feeds, thanks to celebrity style moments, campaigns, Halloween costumes and many more. Following the SS22 runway, Miuccia Prada followed up with more of the look in her Fall/Winter 2022 presentation, which was later accompanied by a campaign starring Emily Ratajkowski. The low-rise trend, combined with the surge of balletcore, made Miu Miu one of the hottest brands of the year.
Prada Cleo Bag
Prada
Raf Simons brought back the cult-loved Cleo bag for his debut Prada collection in 2020 and it has been one of the Italian house’s bestsellers ever since. Originally released in the 1990s, the handbag has hit the runway in a variety styles, including airbrushed iterations and designs fully embellished with crystals.
