As you read this, Fashion Week is in full swing. London Fashion Week has just started and we’re still reeling from New York Fashion Week.
The Spring/Summer 2020 collection so far has shown off the usual fare of color, prints and color. I’m not complaining. There’s always a need for pastels and contrasting patterns for spring/summer.
This is the reason #NYFW got me talking about the basics. It’s easy to come up with the next big trend that will please the Instagram crowd, but it’s a real challenge to make the everyday interesting. I thought about this when I saw The Row’s collection.
I love almost everything the Olsen twins put out. This season, Mary-Kate and Ashley presented a collection of whites, beiges, blacks and blues. The neutral colors became the canvas for playing with visual texture.
The Row played up a nude illusion dress with circular patchwork-like patterns. Knotted and crinkled fabric gave the traditional sundress a chic feel.
Comfortable jumpsuits and skirts with exaggerated pockets spoke of doing your everyday errands in your Sunday best. The Row’s collection achieved that fabled word: relatable.
Real woman
I’m going to be bold and say The Row is at the forefront of what we will be seeing more of on our feeds. And this is because they were able to imagine the lives of the real woman outside the #ootds. She’s just naturally chic and well-dressed 24/7 for herself.
Tailoring is also key when you go for the basics, which was seen at 3.1 Philip Lim.
The collection spoke of Lim’s stand on diversity. Vests were made of two fabrics with a leather upper part and cotton bottom half. Raincoats had flowy silhouettes for a cool edge.
Asymmetrical tiered dresses in white straddled the line between business casual and semi-formal. The shoes were still on the ugly-pretty trend, with sandals and low-heeled boots, made for the woman on the go.
I agree with Vogue’s take on Lim’s collection: “His most intriguing proposition was a sleeveless, elongated vest with a detachable piece draped around the shoulders, sort of like a scarf; styled with matching trousers or a flow-y midi skirt, the combination was boundary-pushing without being too outré for a typical New York office. (Lim knows precisely who his customers are: working women across a variety of fields.)”
Don’t get me wrong, though: I’m not totally going colorless for spring/summer. I liked Jonathan Simkhai’s ice-cream dream colors and sweet pastels. Dresses in knits played with interesting cuts. Suits were done in lace and flowy fabrics that match a breezy sunny day to a T.
When I look at this collection, I think about baby showers and afternoon tea, activities that are a break from a full schedule. Since we all crave that work-life balance, I guess we need to apply that to our wardrobe as well.
Of course, New York Fashion Week won’t be complete without a collection inspired by NYC subways. Tom Ford did just that. It continues the narrative of the woman on the go. She could sport clean suits for meetings, but when she’s out for fun, she’s in a black jumpsuit and metallic shoes.
Ford’s collection was about how the truly fashionable woman can pull unlikely elements together and look good. It’s natural and real—she’s busy and always going somewhere so she’ll make do with what’s there.
