We may say this at every turn around the sun, but we stand firmly in the belief that 2022 was an epic year for celebrity style. On the one hand, things got extra nostalgic with looks that turned the clocks back to the early 2000s, while on the other hand, “weird” trends emerged from seemingly out of nowhere.
It was the year that Julia Fox (and her dramatic cat-eyes) became a household name. It was also the year of celebrity outfits becoming memes of their own right (looking at you, Miss Flo), and it marks the complete overhaul of pregnancy dressing thanks to none other than Rihanna. We also saw newer faces like Sydney Sweeney and Taylor Russell slice away at their share of the zeitgeist with a spate of dazzling looks that flex the relationships they’ve forged with Miu Miu and Schiaparelli, respectively.
Of course, how could we forget Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe’s dress to the Met Gala or Meghan Markle’s grand return to London? Before we dive into the New Year, we thought we’d take stock of the year in fashion, so continue on to see the looks we’re crowning the best celebrity outfits of 2022. One thing is clear: 2023 will have some big sartorial shoes to fill.
WHO: Kim Kardashian. WHAT: The 2022 Met Gala . WEAR: Jean Louis dress. We couldn’t believe it until we saw it, but the rumors that Kim Kardashian would wear Marilyn Monroe’s historic naked dress to this year’s American-fashion-themed Met Gala turned out to be true. Kardashian pulled the crystal-embellished number out of the archives, which Monroe wore to President John F. Kennedy’s 45th birthday party in 1962 where she famously sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”
WHO: Rihanna. WHAT: Dinner at Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles. WEAR: Miu Miu set; Balenciaga bag; Christian Louboutin heels. I’m convinced that Rihanna rewrote the rules of pregnancy dressing in a single outfit. While her maternity style was anything but boring, this particular look cemented the star’s ability to change the fashion game. Heading to dinner in L.A., she stepped out in a crystal netted skirt set straight from Miu Miu’s fall 2022 runway, complete with a blue satin lingerie set peeking out from underneath. The skirt set hadn’t left my mind since I first saw its runway debut, but once Rihanna wore it IRL, it was officially burned into my memory (in the best way).
WHO: Meghan Markle. WHAT: Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in London. The queen’s Platinum Jubilee marked the first time that Meghan Markle returned to London since making her new home in California, so it was a noteworthy occasion for more than one reason. Markle delighted us with her impeccably tailored ensemble for the event, which consisted of a belted A-line coat, classic pumps, and gloves in a coordinating ivory hue.
WHO: Zendaya. WHAT: The 2022 Academy Awards. WEAR: Valentino top and skirt. Just another day being Hollywood’s best dressed celebrity, I guess. For the Oscar’s this year, Zendaya eschewed a traditional gown for something much more unexpected. She paired a cropped button-down shirt—one of the last items we’d expect to end up on a red carpet—with a sequined floor-sweeping skirt. The star can pull off just about anything, and this look was no exception. 10/10. No notes.
WHO: Zoë Kravitz. WHAT: Attending the premiere of Batman. WEAR: CustomOscar de la Renta. Even when she’s wearing a custom designer gown on the red carpet, Zoë Kravitz always manages to maintain a certain air about her that’s classic, minimalist, and utterly cool. For the premiere of this year’s Batman, Kravitz translated that cool-girl aura into a very Catwoman-approved look involving a strapless plunging gown with cat-shaped cutouts at the bust.
WHO: Sydney Sweeney. WHAT: Euphoria season two photo call. WEAR: Custom Miu Miu skirt and top. When the star stepped out in this custom Miu Miu skirt set, it reverberated throughout the entire internet. Sweeney styled the low-rise look in the most elegant way possible, marrying opera gloves with an embellished floor-length skirt and matching strapless top. It’s fitting that she wore this to a photo call for the second season of Euphoria because her character on the show this season very much becomes a main character.
WHO: Anne Hathaway. WHAT: Attending the Michael Kors show in NYC. WEAR: Michael Kors. Sixteen years have passed since fan-favorite The Devil Wears Prada was released, yet Anne Hathaway’s homage to her character, Andy Sachs, is so spot-on that you’d think the movie aired yesterday. While attending the Michael Kors show during fashion week in September, Hathaway re-created the iconic “revenge” look in the 2006 rom-com (which was also by Michael Kors) and had our heads spinning.
WHO: Emily Ratajkowski. WHAT: W magazine’s 50th anniversary party. WEAR: Tory Burch dress; Fleur du Mal lingerie set. Emily Ratajkowski wore a complete sheer mesh dress, igniting her “revenge” era. The model’s Tory Burch number also happens to be a major 2023 trend involving sheer and shimmery fabrics, making Ratajkowski’s choice both daring and of-the-moment.
WHO: Florence Pugh. WHAT: Attending the Valentino Haute Couture show. WEAR: Valentino dress, shoes, and bag. Amid all the rumors swirling this summer, Don’t Worry Darling star Florence Pugh proved just how unbothered she was by the drama while attending the Valentino haute couture show in Paris. Pugh stunned in a frothy concoction of tulle in the brand’s proprietary shade of fuchsia, Pink PP.
WHO: Taylor Russell. WHAT: The premiere of Bones and All during the 66th BFI London Film Festival. WEAR: Schiaparelli haute couture. Ladies and gentlemen, her. While in her press tour promoting her starring role in Bones and All, actress Taylor Russell swept the internet with a series of showstopping red carpet looks, each one more exciting than the last. Yet it was this one with the exaggerated corset shape and striking tailored jacket that was easily the star’s most memorable among them. With a sure-to-be-hit film and a recently inked deal with Loewe as its first U.S. brand ambassador, Russell has It-girl potential like no other.
WHO: Dua Lipa. WHAT: Attending the wedding of designer Simon Porte Jacquemus in Provence. WEAR: Jacquemus dress and bag. Dua Lipa broke nearly every rule of wedding guest attire there is, yet the sheer white dress that she wore to celebrated designer Simon Porte Jacquemus’s South of France nuptials was nothing short of perfection. Jaws dropped at first, but upon closer inspection, it appears that all of the guests were instructed to wear white, and Lipa herself was dressed by the designer.
WHO: Julia Fox. WHAT: Attending the Kenzo runway show during Paris Fashion Week. WEAR: Schiaparelli jacket; Carhartt jeans. No one could escape the Julia Fox influence this year. The Uncut Gems star made headlines while attending Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week this past January in more than one controversial trend (low-rise jeans, heavy black eyeliner, and boot-pants, to name a few), which have since become her style signatures.
WHO: Blake Lively. WHAT: The 2022 Met Gala. WEAR: Atelier Versace gown; Christian Louboutin shoes; Lorraine Schwartz jewelry. Blake Lively knows how to make an entrance, and this year’s Met Gala was no exception. The gala co-chair transformed her look right in front of our eyes when the bow on her skirt was untied, revealing a blue under-layer. She then removed her rose-colored gloves to reveal a matching blue pair underneath. The color swap was meant to symbolize the patina of the Statue of Liberty. Beyond that, the intricate beading of her gown was inspired by the architecture of the Empire State Building and fittingly so with this year’s theme of Gilded Glamour.
WHO: Bella Hadid. WHAT: Out in NYC. WEAR: Opening Ceremony Bonded Western Jacket ($502); Ugg Classic Ultra Mini Platform ($150). Leave it to Bella Hadid to singlehandedly influence a flock of TikTok users to go outside in what is essentially underwear and Ugg boots. The supermodel styled the brand’s buzzy new platform mini boots with scrunched-down socks and, yes, a pair of short shorts. She finished it all off with another fall micro-trend, a racing jacket, and in a matter of seconds sent the whole internet spinning.
WHO: Doja Cat. WHAT: The 2022 Billboard Music Awards. WEAR: Schiaparelli haute couture. Celebs usually bring out their top-tier looks for award shows like the Grammys and Oscars, but Doja Cat swept the carpet at this year’s Billboard Music Awards, where she was—I’ll just say—easily the best dressed attendee. Her futuristic Schiaparelli ensemble was a nod to the recording artist’s award-winning album Planet Her and was complete with dramatic darting curves and a gold-brushed Saturn-shaped bag.
WHO: Laura Harrier. WHAT: Attending the Khaite show in NYC. WEAR: Aimé Leon Dore x New Balance 550 Sneakers ($416); Khaite jacket; Levi’s jeans. Sometimes the genius of a fashion moment lies in its simplicity, and Laura Harrier is teaching a masterclass with this look. While attending the Khaite spring 2023 show during NYFW, the actress paired a leather flight jacket from the brand with relaxed jeans and sneakers and finished it off with a belt. She’s not reinventing the wheel here, yet it’s an approachable look our editors all raced to re-create.
WHO: Timothée Chalamet. WHAT: The premiere of Bones and All during the Venice Film Festival. WEAR: Haider Ackermann top, pants, and shoes. It wouldn’t be an end-of-year retrospective if we didn’t give a shout-out to our favorite stylish guy, Timothée Chalamet. Hardly shy to a fashion risk, he really turned up the heat when he stepped onto the red carpet in a fiery halter top and matching suit trousers. Fans both loved and hated it, but we’re just over here hoping this look ushers in a new era of male celebrities getting more experimental with their style.
