Lori, Somi, Ella and More—Meet the 12 Style Stars Set to Make 2022 Exciting
By now, everyone knows Lady Gaga and Zendaya can put together a great outfit, but they aren t the only stars worth paying attention to. The celebrity fashion stars we’ve come to love remain endlessly watchable, but there’s always room for new blood. When it comes to fashion, 2022 is off to a promising start. On the red carpet, there are several new faces worth watching. From chameleonic pop stars who’ve just embraced a new look, Olympic athletes with style to spare, and gothic Almodóvar muses that break every rule on dressing up, these are the women to watch going forward.
Kevin Winter1/12Jessica Henwick
When it comes to fashion films, it’s hard to compete with the original Matrix trilogy. Still, as Bugs in the newly released The Matrix Resurrections, Jessica Henwick brings something fresh to the table. Her blue-haired heroine Bugs is just as stylish and dangerous as Neo or Trinity, and Henwick gives the character boisterous energy. If you’ve taken in a blockbuster franchise or sci-fi fantasy television show in the past few years, you’ve likely seen the English actress before. Front and center in everything from Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Netflix’s Marvel series, Henwick has become a fixture in fan-favorite media.
In 2022, Henwick is poised to have a breakthrough moment thanks to multiple projects, including the sequel to Knives Out and the Russo Brothers’ big-budget spy action flick, The Gray Man. In fashion circles, she’s generating buzz for her love of artsy fashion. Henwick gravitates towards pieces that could hang in a museum—a wet look Di Petsa gown at the Unforgettable Gala in December, sculptural David Koma to take in No Time to Die’s London screening, layers of Greta Constantine ruffles at the Matrix’s San Francisco premiere.
Marc Piasecki2/12Lori Harvey
If you’ve opened up Instagram lately you know all about Lori Harvey. The model-turned-influencer-turned-entrepreneur’s presence on the platform exists both on her personal account, where she’s followed by millions, and on the stream of daily outfits where imitators do their best to try and recreate the looks that she and stylist Maeve Reilly come up with. Harvey’s unique blend of luxury staples and sultry eveningwear have made her a standout online, but she’s been steadily crossing over into the mainstream thanks to her impeccable wardrobe, highly publicized date nights with boyfriend Michael B. Jordan, and the launch of her skincare range SKN by LH in December.
A true glamour girl, Harvey follows in the footsteps of her couture client mother Marjorie and never steps out with a hair out of place. A typical outfit will see her toting a coveted handbag—Hermès or Chanel—as she injects a little sex appeal into pieces from the latest collections and designer archives. At the AmfAR Gala in Los Angeles back in December, she looked back to Roberto Cavalli’s spring 1999 runway by pulling out an acid green slip dress that was impossible to ignore. Equally impactful was the crystal studded denim look she chose to wear in the front row of Mix Miu’s spring collection, where she took the girliest of labels in a grown up direction and stole the show.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin3/12Ella Hunt
The 23-year-old star of Dickinson has a knack for wearing high fashion. Fans of the Apple+ series know Hunt for her portrayal of trailblazing poet Sue Gilbert, but Hunt pulls off labels like Saint Laurent and Celine with ease when she isn’t in period dress. On Instagram, you’ll find her posing in Anthony Vaccarello’s latex leggings and velvet dresses or tailored suits designed by Hedi Slimane. She and stylist Sarah Slutsky have an affinity for edgier fare, but Hunt is a true chameleon. At the premiere of Don’t Look Up in December, she showcased a whole new side of her fashion persona in a one-shouldered mini-dress from Versace covered in reflective palliates. Ultra-glamorous yet modern, the look was a red-carpet win.
Anyone who can stand out at an event where Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jonah Hill are all present and dressed to the nines has the It-factor, and in 2022 audiences will be seeing a lot more of Hunt. Set to star opposite Regina Hall and Talia Ryder in Mariama Diallo’s film Master and appear alongside Emma Corrin in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre’s adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Hunt has a busy year as an actress. Having just released her debut E.P., Triptych, in December, she’ll also be present on the music scene, all of which means plenty of opportunities for the multi-talented star to shine.
David M. Benett4/12Dina Asher-Smith
Olympian Dina Asher-Smith has already made her way into the history books as the fastest British woman on record. After taking home bronze in the 4 x 100 relay in Tokyo last August, she’s made her way into the front row. During London Fashion Week, Asher-Smith looked radiant at buzzy shows like Nensi Dojaka and Richard Quinn. Her momentum continued into Milan, where she fit right in with Hollywood celebrities in her transparent sport-tech crop top and logo-mesh pencil skirt.
As one of the female athletes who enlivened the runway at Virgil Abloh’s spring 2019 show for Off-White, Asher Smith’s relationship with fashion is multi-faceted. Already a cover star for British Vogue and spokesperson for cosmetics brand Lancome, she’s joined the ranks of influential athletes like Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, and David Beckham whose style is as praised as their accomplishments. Currently training for TK, Asher-Smith has kept her social media presence chic, updating with glimpses of her Prada and Louis Vuitton-filled wardrobe.
Aldara Zarraoa5/12Milena Smit
Milena Smit is impossible to miss. The 24-year-old Spanish star doesn’t waste time with trends. Instead, she fully embraces what she loves. A fan of high platform boots, indie designers, and head-to-toe black, Smit brings a gothic sensibility to the red carpet. A former model, Smit takes the wildest looks from the runways and brings them life fearlessly. Most people wouldn’t make their festival debut in a completely transparent Givenchy gown that revealed their back tattoos, but Smit did just that opening night at Malaga’s fest. Likewise, her turn at March’s Feroz Awards in archival Jean Paul Gaultier with feathered spikes was arresting.
2021 saw Smit enter the big leagues with a role opposite Penélope Cruz in Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers. Throughout the film’s press tour, the two selected fashions which played beautifully against each other. Cruz went Old Hollywood in Chanel Haute Couture while Smit kept things edgy in pigtails clashing Prada prints or custom Balmain. The contrasting looks echoed the the themes of their film, and with four separate projects to promote in 2022, Smit is likely to find equally inventive ways of making a statement.