February felt like a blur maybe because January always seems longer than it should. But I’m more certain it’s because of the swing of fashion week.
The F/W 2020 collections were an exciting display of new visions and trends. There may have been a few adjustments here and there due to the Covid-19 outbreak but fashion persisted.
As usual multitudes of looks went down the runway from outrageous and outlandish to simple and sophisticated. Designers bent the rules until they broke. From the broken pieces, they put together a new way of configuring outfits.
This got me thinking about how we always go back to our standard outfits. Each person, no matter how experimental, has that one outfit combination that they rely on. It’s the one they turn to when there is nothing to wear. It’s the look that takes them from day to night and gives them all the confidence and compliments.
Every season, I never miss out on looking at the collection from The Row. If you’ve been reading my column, you’d know that it’s my favorite season after season. It’s not different this Fall/Winter 2020.
Model Gigi Hadid opening the show in a black suit signaled how The Row is unwavering in its belief of chic tailoring. Understatement was the luxury along with choice fabrics that feel good to touch.
Tibi is another favorite brand of mine and it too felt that simple is best for the season. The brand skipped out on the usual fashion show at New York Fashion Week and opted to have a showroom-style presentation. Fitting since the inspiration was designer Amy Smilovic’s trips to Port Chester, New York.
Travel inspired
The collection was inspired by travel but not the one with vacations filled with aplomb and attention. It’s more about connecting to the surroundings and the trips we take culturally not just physically. The jet-setting spirit was present in the deconstructed sweaters, coats, jackets, and other ensembles that worked for everyday chores but could also be worn to the airport at a moment’s notice.
If you need some color and excitement, then always rely on John Galliano. For Maison Margiela, he did what he knows best: maximalism. Sarah Mower of Vogue wrote: “Who else could pull off a palette that put tangerine next to brown and mustard, orange with pale mauve and electric blue, then could suddenly switch from odd pastels to an intense splash of red and deep shades of forest green? Cornflower blue, absinthe, loden green, turquoise, teal, primary yellow and brown bordeaux, running from fragile chiffon washes to punchy solids—it was painterly, masterful.” Though the fall-winter colors demand a somber palette, Galliano didn’t care. I always think you shouldn’t either. Fashion demands fun.
Continuing the fun was MSGM. The season’s collection drew inspiration from movies like Deep Red, The Cat O’ Nine Tails, Suspiria and Phenomena. The looks were all about the strong female with tweed coats offset by colorful shirts, and strappy shoes worn with socks. GCDS is what you need if you want casual but statement outfits. The brand went for cropped tops, colored bandeaux underneath flowy coats. Take note of the thigh-high white boots and the micro-bags: These are keys to update the usual.
