Written by Fiona Sinclair Scott, Jacqui Palumbo, Leah DolanOscar Holland CNN
Between the war in Ukraine, the overturning of the 1973 Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in the US, extreme weather cases ā from severe floods to unprecedented heatwaves ā human rights protests in Iran and global economic uncertainty, the world was no less complicated in 2022 and art, fashion and culture were further solidified as both important avenues of expression and necessary distractions.
Scroll down as we look back on some of the yearās most memorable cultural moments and themes.
Culture in conflict
One of England-based street artist Banksyās seven murals featured a gymnast on the wall of an apartment building destroyed by Russian troops, Borodianka, Kyiv Region, northern Ukraine. Credit: Oleksandra Butova/Ukrinform/Future Publishing/Getty Images
When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the countryās artistic and cultural heritage was immediately under threat. Members of the public and cultural sector rushed to protect museums and monuments from attack, placing sandbags around monuments in cities across the country. Se
veral of Maria Prymachenkoās paintings, a 20th-century self-taught artist and icon of Ukrainian national identity, were thought to be destroyed after a museum in her native region of Ivankiv was attacked by Russian forces.
Speaking to CNN at the fair, Ukrainian art curator Maria Lanko said she believed āart has this symbolic potential to celebrate peopleās lives and to show that we are still here ā to show that Ukraine isnāt just a war victim.ā
Elsewhere in the world, artists utilized their craft to rebel against governments and their respective policies. In October, 28-year-old art school graduate, Zhisheng Wu,
took to Times Square in New York cocooned inside 27 layered hazmat suits to critique Chinaās relentless zero-Covid policy. āI want to use it as a metaphor for each Chinese individual being drowned in the political torrent,ā he said.
Eyes on Iran
Artist Alexandro Palombo created a mural depicting Marge Simpson cutting her hair in protest against Iran and the murder of Mahsa Amini in front of the Consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Credit: AGF/Universal Images Group
In September, hair became integral to political protest, as demonstrators all over the world cut theirs to speak out against the death of
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died in Iranās capital Tehran after being arrested by the countryās morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. The defiant act of cutting hair and burning hijabs on the streets directly questioned the regimeās oppressive rules for women, which include wearing a mandatory hijab in public.
In solidarity, artists responded in many ways, with illustrations shared virally on social media to a mural of Marge Simpson lopping off her famous blue beehive.
In December, Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park became the site of a
large-scale portrait of 16-year-old Iranian Nika Shahkarami, who was found dead after protesting in Tehran. Shahkaramiās face was reimagined on a cotton canvas, as more than 300 hundred demonstrators stood in waves to mimic her flowing locks. The installation was part of a wider series of art commissions under the title āEyes on Iran.ā
Motherhood as high fashion
A protruding baby bump was the hottest accessory in Adriana Limaās Cannes Film Festival red carpet look. Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
In January, Rihanna revealed she was expecting her first child with partner A$AP Rocky ā announcing the news with a photoshoot that captured the starās bump protruding from a vintage 1996 Chanel pink puffer coat and draped with Christian LaCroix jewelry.
Later in the year Rihanna, while
fronting the cover of Vogueās May issue in firetruck red lace bodysuit and stilettos, she was more verbal in her disdain for the elastic waistbands many expected her to adopt: āWhen I found out I was pregnant, I thought to myself, Thereās no way Iām going to go shopping in no maternity aisle. Iām sorry ā itās too much fun to get dressed up,ā she told Vogue. āIām not going to let that part disappear because my body is changing.ā
At the
Cannes Film Festival red carpet, Adriana Lima arrived in a black Balmain wrap dress with a cut-out detail that perfectly framed her pregnant stomach. Baby fever has also been felt on runways, from Olivier Rousteingās couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier ā which featured leather corsets complete with molded baby bumps ā to model Maggie Maurer using the
Nensi Dojaka Fall-Winter 2022 show to announce she was expecting.
Art and commerce
Andy Warholās āShot Sage Blue Marilynā painting, sold by Christieās, became the most expensive 20th-century artwork. Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty
Auctions returned in a big way, with some of the most expensive sales on record. In November, the art collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (featuring works by Georges Seurat, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cezanne) fetched over $1.6 billion ā t
he largest single-owner sale in auction history.Glitches in the metaverse
After Gucciās temporary Roblox experience saw 20 million visitors, the luxury fashion house built a permanent in-game shopping space, āGucci Town.ā Credit: Gucci/Roblox
After last yearās promise of futuristic virtual worlds on the horizon ā with the likes of tech companies, luxury brands and venture capitalists going all-in to the tune of hundreds of billions ā the metaverse had a rocky 2022. In May, t
he metaverseās first fashion week, hosted in Decentraland, attracted top fashion houses but was far from a smooth experience. Meanwhile gaming platform R
oblox has continued to draw in millions of visitors to its fashion and luxury activations, while Meta has struggled to make a digital world that people want to spend time in. With the world economic outlook souring, cryptocurrency crashing and tech layoffs en masse, the mainstream adoption of virtual worlds may not come together as quickly or as seamlessly as hoped. But with tech advances and boundless creativity happening within the space, eyes are on 2023 to see what happens next.
The new āitā girl
Eileen Gu (left) and Julia Fox (right) have both risen to for the forefront of pop culture this year.
But not all āitā girls need to appear as outlandish as Fox. This year Zendaya continued to cement her flawless red carpet reputation with the help of
award-winning stylist and partner-in-crime Law Roach. Now firmly one of fashionās darlings, the actor even redefined the term āhot-off-the-runwayā
when she wore pre-release Loewe in September. Chinese American skier
Eileen Gu, who had been quietly building her reputation in the fashion industry, became a luxury fashion superstar in 2022. Her bilingualism, athletic prowess at the Beijing Winter Olympics and her staunchly apolitical stances on topics considered sensitive in China were among many reasons she continued to appeal to both Asian and Western audiences.
Tributes to Marilyn Monroe went awry
Kim Kardashian made headlines when she arrived to the Met Gala in the historic crystal-embellished gown Marilyn Monroe wore when singing āHappy Birthdayā to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Credit: John Shearer/Getty Images
The too-short, turbulent life of Marilyn Monroe has provided endless fodder for film, TV, and fashion but two high-profile tributes this year made many reconsider how the actor and modelās memory should be treated. After months of teasing
Ana de Armasās uncanny transformation into Monroe for Andrew Dominikās film āBlondeā ā a fictionalized, somewhat surreal portrayal of her life based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates ā critics took aim at the trauma-laden, graphic film as being purely exploitative. But the other homage that gave pause was the surprise return of
Monroeās sheer āHappy Birthdayā dress on Kim Kardashianās body, which the reality star coordinated for her look to the Met Gala in May. Amid accusations that Kardashian had damaged the iconic garment, Ripleyās Believe It Or Not!, which owns the piece, insisted its condition was the same ā but many still decried the historically significant gown being worn at all.
BeyoncƩ declared it disco season
BeyoncĆ©ās seven album āRenaissanceā featured incredible visuals and outfits from AlaĆÆa, Gucci, Rick Owens and Schiaparelli. Credit: From Beyonce
Before BeyoncĆ© released ā
Renaissance,ā her long-awaited seventh album and follow-up to āLemonade,ā the Beyhive correctly predicted their queen would be serving up disco and house for the summer. Within 24 hours, she dropped āBreak My Soul,ā which sampled the 1990s dance staple āShow Me Loveā by Robin S., as well as a British Vogue cover shoot that teased her album cover. Both portraits of BeyoncĆ© on a horse were a direct reference to the image that became synonymous with New Yorkās Studio 54: Bianca Jagger riding a white mount inside of the famed nightclub. Working with producers including the Chicago-born house phenom Honey Dijon, and sampling iconic tracks such as Donna Summerās euphoric āI Feel Love,ā BeyoncĆ© provided an escapist, hedonistic soundtrack for the summer with opulent 1970s visuals to match.
Fashion world losses
Andre Leon Talley, who died on January 18, spoke at āThe Gospel According to Andrā Q&A during the 21st SCAD Savannah Film Festival in 2018. Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images
The fashion industry bid farewell to a number of influential figures. On January 18, A
ndre Leon Talley, the former longtime creative director of Vogue and industry trailblazer known for his maximalist style, died at the age of 73. Just days later, the iconic French couturier T
hierry Mugler ā whose archival designs can still be spotted on red carpets ā passed away, also at the same age. In August, Is
sey Miyake, one of Japanās most important creative visionaries, died in Paris at the age of 84.
Throwbacks, throwbacks and more throwbacks
Musicians Dua Lipa and Megan Thee Stallion recreated pop culture history when they wore the same Versace dress in a bit for the Grammy Awards. Credit: Cliff lipson/CBS/Getty Images
Out on the red carpet, archival fashion reigned supreme, too. At the
Met Gala in May, Emily Ratajkowski donned a 1992 vintage Versace beaded look, while YouTube star Emma Chamberlain stepped out in a
Cartier tiara made in 1911. And the fashion throwbacks show no sign of stopping. Just in November, Kylie Jenner made headlines when she arrived at the opening of the Brooklyn Museumās Thierry Mugler: Couturissime exhibition wearing 1995 Mugler couture.
The death of a cultural icon
The Queenās immortalized image was inescapable during the days and weeks following her death in September. Credit: John Stillwell/PA Images/Getty Images
While it was a moment many members of the public, media and royal contingent had been bracing for, the announcement of Queen Elizabeth IIās death on September 8 was no less surreal when the news was delivered. Dominating headlines around the world during the days between her death and the royal funeral, her legacy was eulogized with a kind of depth and abundance reserved for a rare few historical figures. Her image, as it had been
immortalized by artists and photographers around the world, was impossible to escape. As Britainās longest reigning monarch and a symbol of steadiness, diplomacy and poise, she was celebrated for her rallying speeches, her support of the arts and culture, her sartorial diplomacy and much more. But, her death also surfaced painful memories of Britainās often violent colonial rule as critics of the old empire sought to inject context into the pages of praise for a woman who was also seen by many people as a symbol of oppression.
Art vs activism
Climate protesters took a different approach to demonstrations this year. In October, Just Stop Oil threw cans of tomato soup at Vincent van Goghās āSunflowersā at the National Gallery in London. Credit: Just Stop Oil/Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
After a visitor to the Louvre smeared frosting over the āMona Lisaā in early summer, 2022 became the year that no artwork was safe. Paintings by Gustav Klimt, Pablo Picasso, and Sandro Botticelli were among the many masterpieces targeted by climate protesters (some of whom also glued themselves to the frames).
Some of the protesters have since been sentenced to prison, and the stunts have proven highly divisive. Some critics believe the activistsā actions have ultimately hurt their cause by alienating the public. But
research suggests that, even if this were the case, reduced support for protesters has no impact on support for their demands.
All the worldās a stage
For the Coperni show during Paris Fashion Week in October, Bella Hadidās final look came out of a spraycan. Credit: Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty Images
From Heidi Klumās nightmare-inducing giant worm costume worn to her legendary Halloween party, to Olivia Wildeās āDonāt Worry Darlingā press tour that spiraled into a drama more enticing than the film itself, the red carpet and runway moments that set the internet alight this year were stranger and more theatrical than ever. Twitter, on the latter, became obsessed: Did Harry Styles really spit on castmate Chris Pine?
The return of the celebrity wedding
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attend the wedding of Peter Neal and Naomi Biden Neal, Saturday, November 19, 2022 on the South Lawn. Credit: Adam Schultz/White House
2022 saw the return of large-scale weddings and a lot of celebrity couples didnāt miss a beat in sharing their special day with the world.
We were treated to not one, but three nuptials from Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian ā the first being an unofficial affair at Las Vegas chapel in April, with a legal courthouse wedding in Santa Barbara the following month and finally a lavish, Dolce & Gabbana-themed
Italian ceremony in Portofino a week later.
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz
tied the knot in May, too, where Peltz wore a decadent custom Valentino gown designed by Pierpaolo Piccioli. Next was the hotly anticipated wedding between Britney Spears and Sam Ashgari, less than a year after Spears was released from her conservatorship. Spearsā Versace gown took over 700 hours to create. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck rekindled their ā90s romance and
got hitched in August. Lopez had three outfit changes for the occasion, including her wedding dress, which were all custom Ralph Lauren.
The American label suited another high-profile ceremony this year. Naomi Biden, the presidentās eldest granddaughter, married Peter Neal on the South Lawn of the White House this November in a long-sleeved lace number designed by Ralph Lauren.
The rise and fall of Balenciaga
Kanye West opened the Balenciaga show in October during Paris Fashion Week. West has since been dropped by the label following a series of antisemtic posts online. Credit: From Balenciaga
Balenciaga spent most of the year generating buzz through hotly anticipated runway shows, from Kim Kardashinanās couture debut to (pre-outburst) Kanye Westās appearance on a mud-soaked Paris catwalk. But 2022 turned into an annus horribilis for the Spanish label as it struggled to contain the
fallout from two hugely problematic ad campaigns.
First, the brand was forced to apologize for featuring children in a photo shoot cuddling teddy bears dressed in bondage gear. Then Balenciaga announced a (since-dropped) lawsuit against the production company behind another ad campaign, after paperwork about a Supreme Court ruling on child pornography was identified in one of the images.
Celebrity collaborator
Kim Kardashian condemned the teddy bear ads, saying that she was āre-evaluatingā her relationship with the brand. The industry publication Business of Fashion meanwhile announced that it had rescinded a major fashion award that creative director Demna, who goes by his first name only, had been set to be honored with.
