AW22 Trend Report: All the looks you’ll be wearing this autumn

This spring/summer's fashion trends might be in full swing, but it never hurts to look ahead and get excited about next season's wardrobe that will tick off all the autumn trends 2022. With February's fashion month back finally back to its former glory, we saw designers truly push the sartorial boundaries in New York, London, Milan and Paris.

The message was very clear: let's celebrate dressing up again, and if we are going the athleisure route, then it's going to be chic AF. Keep scrolling for all the looks you need to invest in come the colder months.

There will always be room for classic black, but for AW22, I'm loving the wash of blues that flooded the catwalk (pun intended). At 16Arlington, a poignant show paying tribute to late co-founder Kikka Cavenati, models transformed into mermaids thanks to the palest of blue sequins. In Milan, Giorgio Armani offered a bolder take on the trend with cobalt separates, a shade also loved by Elie Saab in Paris. Eudon Choi was somewhere a little in-between the two, with his standout deconstructed periwinkle trench.

On the other end of the colour spectrum, we have the colours of love: pink and red, which could veer towards the saccharine but instead feel incredibly edgy this season. For this, we have to thank Valentino's Pink PP collection, already seen everywhere on the red carpet, on everyone from Zendaya to Glenn Close. Other designers to fall in love with pink were Prada, Etro and Versace, while the red brigade included Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Sacai.

Yep, you read that right, we're burning our bras this season and showing off our nipples with pride. Sheer fabrics dominated the catwalk, whether it was at Supriya Lele, Poster Girl or Yuhan Wang, giving us a chic glimpse of what lies beneath. This is of course not an easy trend to pull off, but you can make it work for you nonetheless, by layering with an oversized blazer over your sheer top for a chic evening look.

The frenzy for all things late 90s and early 00s continues. For reference: 16Arlington's low slung belts, Conner Ives' crop tops and Nensi Dojaka's cut-out dresses.

We might have lived in athleisure during lockdown, but it has nothing to do with what we saw on the catwalk this season. Forget tracksuits, this is all about elevated - yet comfortable - staples that are better suited to sipping high end lattes than they are to gym sessions. Hero pieces included all of Roksanda's Fila collaboration, Max Mara's zip-up skirts and Mark Fast's après-ski attire.

If you're looking for one winter coat to invest in for AW22, make it the bomber. I quite frankly lost count of how many times I saw it on the catwalk during fashion month, which means it's a trend well worth backing. The great thing about the bomber is that there is a style to suit everyone, from glitzy florals (Elie Saab) to sporty (Prada) and timeless leather (Loewe).

Get ready to embrace your inner Scary Spice, because animal prints are back, in a big way. Whether you're into classic leopard, cheetah print or snake print, the rules are, there are no rules. Mix and match, wear it head-to-toe or just a single piece as a nod to the trend: the choice is yours. Look to Roberto Cavalli, Etro and Prabal Gurung for inspiration.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.

She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.