Counting the clock back after seasons of more conceptual fashion, this year the fashion has returned to a style code with elegance at its core, shaped the capsules on the runway at Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019-2020. The first order of business is discerning the most impactful trends of the season: from artisanal crochet and graphic polka dots to a look at decades past via disco collars and ’60s wallpaper prints, couture feathers, hot pants, bold neons, and many more
History repeats itself and fashion certainly does the same. Through centuries fashion has twisted and turned so many ways as to change drastically and yet fashion keeps finding a way to repeat itself. Most of the clothing that we wear today is a version of something people used to wear in the past. This is mainly the result of fashion designers deciding to bring back old trends. Approximately every twenty years, we see a resurgence of a fashion trend that was once thought to have died out.
Counting the clock back after seasons of more conceptual fashion, this year the fashion has returned to a style code with elegance at its core, shaped the capsules on the runway at Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019-2020.
The first order of business is discerning the most impactful trends of the season: from artisanal crochet and graphic polka dots to a look at decades past via disco collars and ‘60s wallpaper prints, couture feathers, hot pants, bold neons, and many more.
The 1980s, including glitter and shoulder pads and night-club style à la Studio 54 or Palace sure indicates ye5t another sure revival of past trend. Here are some fashion trends that have come from the past to today’s runway:
70’s/80’s Bourgeois
Fashion is thinking of late 1970s and early 1980s bourgeois, refined silhouettes with skirt-cum-culottes, blazers, sharply pleated trousers, tailoring and trench coats. The key to this trend is creating coherent looks with precise cuts.
The Disco collar
The look is most impactful in jacket form—bonus points if it has a contrasting collar as seen on the Paco Rabanne runway.
Enter a silhouette that states loud and clear that its wearer is rebellious and inspired, carving her path with studs, boxy, androgynous designs and all of the style-tricks of punk, grunge and bondage, for a cool, detached style revival that defies tired convention.
Return of Disco
Disco is not just in the stories of the past generation’s memories anymore. The wide collar favoured by the Studio 54 set made a surprise comeback on the spring 2020 runways. Modernised on coats, jackets, and button-downs at Lanvin, Ferragamo, JW Anderson, and beyond, the look is often shown with contrasting colours to make it really stand out.
60’s/70’s Wallpaper print
Spare the ground breaking florals of different styles every year as this season the look is more of ‘60s and ‘70s wallpaper for your print fix. Retro prints ruled the runways—bringing both major colour and pattern to all the top collections. Serving up mod home decor realness, vintage wallpaper (and couch) prints were channelled in the form of suiting at Prada and Marc Jacobs. Christopher Kane opted for a more psychedelic wallpaper print in the form of spring dresses, while Etro and Alberta Ferretti delivered a more bohemian-print option.
Shoulder pads
The signature 1980s look possesses infinite architectural potential. Make the shoulders the focal point of creativity, whether square, sharp or shamelessly voluminous.
Polka Dots Returns
Designers are digging in their luxury heels when it comes to the almighty dot—simply put, the trend shows no sign of slowing. The innovative duo that is Dries Van Noten and Christian Lacroix found a place for the polka dot on a maxi skirt-and-simple tank pairing, topped off with a head feather, while Balmain embraced volume for the enchanting print, and Wes Gordon at Carolina Herrera went fitted, ‘90s, and sheer for one of his takes on dots.
Adding bright Neons
The neon trend lit up the runways this Fashion Week, drawing inspiration from the 1980s, rave culture and even the nuclear apocalypse as demonstrated at Marine Serre – bold colour-blocking is a given. It’s a blatant call for attention and reaction as Yves Saint Laurenteloquently once put, “What do I want? To shock people, to force them to reflect.”
Ruffles Galore
The ruffles have been around since the very last season and this 2020 it brings back those ’80s bridesmaid dress vibes. Ruffles are sure to pop up in myriad 2020 collections.
