In a word, 2022 is the year of the cutout, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing the various iterations from Jonathan Simkhai’s iconic waist cuts to Happiness-esque WOOD pants. This year, what the ablations reveal is just as important as the ablations themselves—thus I’m naming this growth of trend “negative space.” While cuts mean something is taken away, negative space trends focus on what fills the void. Whether it’s a vignette of the human form or an interesting grid of shapes created through layering, this trend tricks the eye, often leaving you with more questions than answers.
Many refer to the development of these ablations as overthrow, drawing on the tradition of Rick Owens and others, who broke with the industry’s notion of beauty to create something beautiful themselves. It feels very continuous in this tradition while also expanding the market options arena to include beautiful traditional versions of trends, so there really is something for everyone.
Keep scrolling to see six of my favorite ways to stay on trend. Trust me—you’ll understand why every designer is involved.
