2020's biggest fashion trends reflect a world in crisis
Written by Fiona Sinclair Scott, CNN
Dita von Teese walks the runway during a Jean Paul Gaultier show in January, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic brought physical fashion shows to a halt around the world. Credit: Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images |
For Shefalee Vasudev, founding editor of India's Voice of Fashion magazine, this year has heralded "the great unmasking" of fashion. "The unseen other side of what we bring back home as a beautiful garment or product was revealed," she wrote via email from Delhi. "Migrants walking back to their homes in villages, disowned as they were by the cities and their employers, was among the most poignant images that surfaced from India."
A protester holds up a sign during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of the US Embassy in Vienna, Austria on June 5, 2020. Credit: Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images |
Functionality
A face mask by Burberry Credit: Burberry |
Some labels went a step further by marketing new accessories -- and in some cases, entire clothing lines -- as having antimicrobial properties. While experts say it is difficult to assess whether antimicrobial treatments can protect wearers from Covid-19, the concept of protective fashion is itself a defining trend. We also saw high-fashion riffs on the idea, including Kenzo's fetching beekeeper-inspired looks presented during Paris Fashion Week in September.
Comfort
Anna Wintour shocked the fashion when Vogue posted a photo of her wearing sweatpants to Instagram. Credit: From Vogue Magazine/Instagram |
Reflecting a shift in both reality and mindset, loungewear replaced office attire, and floaty "house dresses" -- comfortable enough to take you from home office to daybed -- rose in popularity. The term "cottagecore," an internet trend encapsulating the spirit of cozy, rustic living, generated huge buzz as TikTok users showed off their attempts to channel the aesthetic at home.
From Big Hit Labels/YouTube |
Statements
A protestor wears a T-shirt reading "I can't breathe" during a Black Lives Matter rally in Marseille, France. Credit: Clement Mahoude/AFP/Getty Images |
According to Lyst data, searches for terms including "vote" were up 29% week-on-week in the US the month before the presidential election. And when When Michelle Obama wore her now famous "VOTE" necklace, designed by Chari Cuthbert, demand for the item skyrocketed.
Pre-election, Instagram was awash with celebrities posting selfies in hot pink power suits thanks to a campaign launched by workwear brand Argent and advocacy group Supermajority, encouraging women to exercise their voting power and further bolstering the power of pink to signal strength and female solidarity.
Whether intentional or not, Savannah Guthrie's choice of pink suit (not by Argent) to interview President Trump during the NBC town hall did not go unnoticed.
Savannah Guthrie pictured during an NBC News town hall event in October 2020. Credit: Evan Vucci/AP |
Conscious
Digital
The future
Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2021 collection presented in Shanghai Credit: Louis Vuitton |
Bohan Qiu, founder of Shanghai-based creative and communication agency Boh Project, said he can already see more exuberant fashion displays emerging in China as the country returns to some semblance of normalcy. "I feel like people are actually going more vibrant, more experimental, more interesting rather than going more conservative," he said via voice message. "And you can really see on the streets or at parties or at events in China, or at shopping malls, all the brands are displaying really colorful patterns, prints and embellishments. I feel like that's really coming back, it's like we're celebrating."
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