Once or twice a year, I like to check out the runway collections to update the inspo boards for my style avatars. The idea is to get inspiration for new colour combinations, new silhouettes, new ways to put together outfits that fit the parameters of my avatars. I didn’t do this last fall, when the Spring 2022 collections came out, because I was in the midst of a busy work/life season. Recently, some brands released pre-Fall 2022 collections, so I decided to check them out.

I don’t have a real sense of what pre-Fall is supposed to be, and I have to say that judging from the 2022 collections, I’m not a huge fan of whatever it is. Maybe it’s just this year, and these collections; there were very few “wow” moments for me, and even fewer things that I felt were relevant for my avatars. I saved only a few images for future reference, so let’s dissect them here.

[All images via Vogue.com]

Christopher John Rogers’ collection, overall, was interesting. I didn’t love it as much as some of his previous ones, but there were (as always) visually arresting moments that I really enjoyed. I saved this particular outfit because it reminds me a bit of my polka dot dress, and I was intrigued by the addition of the colourful stripe pattern (hard to see, a bit on the sides). I want to try to do something similar with my dress … perhaps add a rainbow geometric pattern as a layer.

This Alberta Ferretti look is probably my fave. Such a great inspo for my Diana Bishop avatar, but with a High Priestess crossover. I adore the silhouette and, strangely, the colour palette. Not my usual, but so inspiring.

This Giambattista Valli outfit immediately caught my eye because I *just* thrifted a pair of silver lame palazzo pants. This gave me a lot of idea for styling this pants (albeit I think the Valli outfit has sequin pants, but same difference).

The Tory Burch collection had a few outfits I liked, though nothing especially mind-blowing. The one thing that I did find innovative was the styling trick used here — gathering the (knit, I think) top layer with a brooch (I think) to reveal a contrast layer underneath. Very clever. Here’s another look at the same trick on a different outfit:

I am definitely going to try this at home.

As for my inspo boards, it’s back to the … well, drawing board. I think I am going to go back to the Spring 2022 collections (shown last fall) and see if I have more luck. Or wait till spring, when the Fall 2022 collections come out. Honestly, the fashion calendar is too confusing … and this is why I could never hack it as a proper fashion blogger, haha!

Details: Gap long sleeve top, Marimekko x Uniqlo tee, Ralph Lauren skirt, Anne Klein Caleche belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: Definitely one of my favourite outfits of recent weeks. I love a green/blue palette, and this skirt has inspired some killer ones over the years. I think this is one of them. I loved the idea of the Marimekko dots paired with the traditional plaid. Bishop sleeves are my current obsession and this was an experiment to see if I can use my Gap tops (I have the same one in white and this navy) to “add” them to other pieces. Result: yes, indeed.

Details: MaxMara sweater (via Poshmark), Gap top (thrifted), Amaryllis coat (retail, old), Frank & Pak pants (swap), Arnold Churgin shoes (thrifted)

Details: Babaton top, Wilfred cardigan (both thrifted), Acne skirt, Rafael Alfandary necklace (both via eBay), Prada shoes (retail, old)

Thoughts: I really exploring the use of art as colour inspiration, and this was one outfit that would never have happened otherwise — this is not a combo that sprang to mind. I love how well it turned out; it’s a very soothing palette, and springy too.

Details: London Kaye sweater, Amaryllis coat, Gap jeans (all thrifted)

Thoughts: A tonal palette can be fun too. I wanted to try pairing the sweater and coat, and then deciding to just go for “all blue” with the jeans and the socks. Using colourful socks to “finish” an outfit is one of the styling tricks I picked up recently, and it’s quite a lot of fun. I’ve been, ahem, borrowing my husband’s socks to make it happen, but I am on the lookout for more pairs to add my to own (permanent) collection.

Details: Rebel Sugar mesh top (gift), Zara top, vintage skirt (both thrifted), Zara shoes (retail, old), Rafael Alfandary necklace (via eBay)

Thoughts: I’m calling this “hygge-goth” — it’s a cozy with a gothic twist. My main goal was to avoid the obvious style direction suggested by the skirt (a vintage Heidi-esque, folksy vibe) and try for something different. When in doubt, juxtaposition! I thought the black leather and mesh would work (picking up the black accents in the skirt) but add some visual interest and “frisson” to the outfit. Ooh la la!

Details: Haute Hippie top, Minkha cardigan, Inc International pants (all thrifted), Rafael Alfandary necklace (via eBay)

Thoughts: This colour palette was a calculated risk; I never thought to pair magenta and hot pink before, but I was inspired to try by my recent obsession with sunrises (lots of pinks and purple showing up together) as well as the yarn colours in the cardigan. I liked how it turned out. A reminder to not be afraid to branch out, colour-wise.

One. Moonstone ring

I got this ring on Poshmark a few weeks ago, and haven’t stopped wearing it. Moonstones and labradorites are my favourite stones because they’re such chameleons, and I love their inner fire (the blue/green/purple flashes that show up in sunlight/at certain angles). They’re mysterious and gorgeous. Anyway, recently I have been obsessed with square-cut stones set in chunky, more masculine settings. I have a blue-flash lab ring that I got last year and is a favourite, so when I saw this moonstone one, I was immediately intrigued.

Two. Labyrinth/Mind Palace

This one will be harder to explain. I had a realization the other week which surprised me, and on which I am continuing to reflect. The longer I spend at home (and I have spent a lot of time here over the last 2 years), the more I love my home, the more it feels like an extension of myself. I’m like a snail, at one with my shell/house. And my house seems to grow larger, not smaller (despite its relatively modest 1,700 square feet) — I am constantly finding new corners and nooks to fall in love with. Some of it has to do with the fact that we often “update” parts of of our house, moving furniture around, changing the art, and so on. But part of it is a state of mind. My house contains a multitude of rooms, and houses — rooms I’ve seen, read about, dreamt about, all of which are reflected in some small measure (sometimes a very tiny sliver) in the things which ornament my house. So, I guess, in a way, my house is a labyrinth of my life, a physical representation of a mind palace if you will. I’m not sure I am explaining it very well, but there it is. By the by, there is a Paris Review article on “The Celestial Memory Palace” which sort of tangential to this idea, and which opened other intriguing avenues of contemplation. Any article that quotes Borges is a good article, in my books.

Three. An Outfit

This Alberta Ferretti outfit is currently living rent-free in my head. It’s not just the silhouette or the textures that I love, although those are fantastic; it’s actually the colour palette that intrigues me the most, even though it’s not one to which I would normally gravitate. I am pondering ways to interpret this in my own closet.

Four. Sunrises

It’s the time of year when I can catch the sunrise on my walk to/from school in the mornings. And we have been getting some beautiful, breathtaking ones. So much colour inspiration. I’m still not able to get outside as much as I would like these days, but these short walks and sunrises are helping to make me feel connected to nature.

Five. Stamps

When I was growing up in the Old Country, one of my favourite hobbies was stamp collecting. My parents did a bit of it too, when they were younger; I “inherited” their collections. These collections were some of the few mementoes of my childhood that I still have. My stamp albums have been sitting in a box in the basement for years, but recently I felt the urge to look through them again. I love the diversity of designs (from all over the world, through primarily other Communist countries because, duh, that’s all we could get) and have been thinking of turning some into embroidery patterns.