Milan, 1 March 2022 – The period we are living through is posing new challenges in terms of understanding the latest fashion trends. The pandemic is changing our values and our status quo, and technology is creating new worlds in which to dive, lose and re-find ourselves. In all of this, style turns to nature, drawing on its evocative power and suggesting new ancestral interpretations.

At MICAM Milano, to be held from 13 to 15 March 2022 at Fiera Milano Rho, Italian and
international exhibitors and visiting operators will find new inspiration through the F/W 2022-2023 trends identified, as always, by WGSN, which has broken this complex world down into three distinct themes offering an interesting snapshot of a glamorous yet evolving aesthetic culture: Supercharged Simplicity, Rerooted Nature, Awestruck.

Supercharged Simplicity
Supercharged Simplicity draws on a value-oriented approach, elevating everyday life through materials, colours, modular designs and durable products. This trend supports democratic design, with smart, durable offerings conceived to improve our lives. Comfort and quality go hand in hand, with products becoming new classics. And as the home continues to serve as a hub for work, well-being and play, consumers are starting to adopt a more careful approach towards the products surrounding them.

Everything, from fashion to food, beauty and interiors, will be assessed in terms of how it can integrate with and add value to a more fluid and interconnected lifestyle. Products will be modular, multifunctional and made to measure; they will ensure versatility
and adaptability, and celebrate the joy and ingenuity of DIY design. Colours and materials will also play a greater role, with designers using them to ensure continuity between seasons and collections.

In short, this optimistic macro-trend centres on solid foundations that add a touch of
personality and pleasure to everyday life. It celebrates the warmth of designer products that are sure to be appreciated in the long term, and the light-heartedness that comes from letting go and living with less.

Rerooted Nature
Rerooted Nature celebrates outdoor lifestyles, localism and respect for the environment.
Multifunctional designs, sustainable materials and artisanal details are key features that add value to the final product.

This macro-trend is an affirmation of the values that connect us – nature, heritage, craft and community – and an investigation into how they can guide us, even at a time when new roads seem to pull us apart. Nature has become the great unifier and healer at this time of upheaval, and this trend explores our symbiotic relationship with it. Nature is both something to protect, through the use of sustainable, regenerative processes, and something to be protected from, through outdoor friendly designs and comfortable, enveloping products.

It is something that should be explored freely and incorporated into our spaces and products. It is something that shapes design, through the practical use of raw materials, and that inspires, by focusing on patterns, fabrics and natural colours reinterpreted in a romantic key.

Earthy structures, low-impact local production, ancient traditions and rituals will inspire new developments in this trend, and the same is true for science and technology, particularly advancements in biophilic design and immersive experiences that bring us closer to the wild outdoors.

As we venture into new territories and create new connections in the coming years, the values of nature, heritage, craft and community will form the roots of renewal and sustenance, preparing us to be born again.

Awestruck
Awestruck brings together digital themes and ancient practices to add unique qualities to
accessories, footwear and jewellery, in which surreal, opulent designs strike the boundary
between physical and virtual reality.

Technology has reduced worlds and identities to screen-sized entities, but has it reduced our humanity? Awestruck celebrates a rebalanced world in which technology inspires wonder and science inspires emotions.

The disruptive force of the pandemic has accelerated technology both as a necessity and as a means of escape, but it has also offered us a taste of just how far technology can go. With designers forced to think digitally, a new creativity is emerging that transcends physical boundaries and further erodes the distinction between real and virtual, between ancient and futuristic. This is a new frontier that includes fantasy, science and the magic wonder of the metaverse.

Personal identity is moving towards more experimental, more extreme forms of expression, drawing inspiration from cyborg aesthetics and a surrealist style. User-friendly technology is taking on a more important role, encompassing everything from useful robots and AI assistants to increasingly intuitive touchscreen devices. Bold colours, opulent materials, smooth, silky surfaces and shapes will become essential in all product categories, with luxury metals and extensive embellishments fuelling a renewed desire to dress.

Whether on or off the screen, the F/W 22/23 season will centre on designs and technologies that expand our horizons, free our imagination and improve – rather than diminish – our humanity.

For the latest trends in the footwear sector, be sure not to miss MICAM, to be held from 13 to 15 March 2022 at Fiera Milano Rho.