The 7 Biggest Trends to Know From the SS20 Season
Find out the looks you’ll be wearing in the coming months.
Amidst the chaos and crowds of optimistic onlookers, over 400 designers from around the globe gathered to show their Spring/Summer 2020 collections in New York, London, Milan and Paris. This season, the industry bore witness to a new decade as fashion houses left behind the predominant styles that defined the 2010s and formed a reimagined dress code inspired by the past, present and dedicated to the future. With intent that motioned towards a more modern construct of dressing, spring’s biggest takeaways signaled a surge of feminine tailoring, rethought outerwear and newly-devised daywear.
From Balenciaga’s authoritative take on power dressing to Louis Vuitton’s melding of both new and old, Spring 2020 exhibited there was more than one way to design for the modern-day woman. Ahead, find seven of the biggest trends to know from the SS20 season.
Not-So-Basic Black
For the SS20 season, designers presented a newfound appreciation for the color black. While working with just one color can be limiting for some, brands like Marine Serre, Y/Project and Supriya Lele transformed the noir hue into slick, futuristic, leather coats reminiscent of the iconic black costumes via The Matrix. In addition to long, sweeping coats, emerging labels like rokh reworked the color into various iterations of glossy leather separates like slit-hemmed pants and thigh-grazing skirts. This spring, dare to take a walk on the dark side in head-to-toe black.
In the Clear
Sheer, skin-bearing fabrics devised into fuss-free separates like breezy skirts and dresses have been percolating in fashion for several seasons now. But, leave it to designers like Sandy Liang, and Iceberg to match the gossamer material’s feeling of lightness with an unequivocal sense of female confidence. Sandy Liang mixed ‘90s-inspired, floral pedal pushers with feminine, ruffled dresses while, Supriya Lele drew upon minimalism with slit skirts and cropped, wraparound tops, and Iceberg offered a new approach on sports tailoring which was softened by a sheer netting of luminescent, neon yellow accents. With such a wide range of sheer iterations to choose from, that can easily be dressed up or down, it’s clear why this relaxed silhouette will be the trend to beat come next season.
New-Age Animal Print
Designers presented an impressive lineup of graphic, new-age animal prints that had clearly been devised with the 21st-century woman in mind. LaQuan Smith ventured into lingerie territory with a revealing, leopard-printed bra top that was clashed with a python-print skirt and coordinating cowboy hat, while Balenciaga continued to fetishize the ‘80s by ushering in a spotted, tailored coat that was defined by huge, padded shoulders and a structured silhouette. Marine Serre even cast her distinctive logo and a striking, yellow zebra print onto a body-hugging dress along with her signature second-skin leggings. No matter how you size up this trend, sporting daring animal-prints is the surefire way to command attention anywhere you go.
Suit Yourself
Clean, precise tailoring is no longer just a man’s game, as designers ranging from Pyer Moss to JW Anderson brought a renewed sense of focus to the art of suiting by blurring the lines between innovation and tradition. This season, experimental shapes and volumes, vibrant uses of color and subtle, unexpected detailing signaled that a new form of dressing championing the unconventional as well as feminine tailoring had been set forth. But whether you’re a maximalist at heart who prefers grand statements like wearing a brazen blue suit or a posh minimalist who appreciates the beauty of a slouchy, gray suit, the latest SS20 trend proves that a suit is the most indispensable piece in a woman’s wardrobe.
Neon Carnival
Color is back in a big way, as a neon-tinged color rush comprised of electric, brazen hues was an unmistakable force that dominated the runways. In past seasons, during the reign of Phoebe Philo’s sleek minimalism, designers turned a blind eye from such bold displays of color. But for SS20, rather than focusing on just one hue, fashion houses from Bottega Veneta to Versace and Balmain were drawn to a diverse palette of vibrant shades including DayGlo orange, acid yellow and slime green. Oversized, statement coats, feminine dresses and slim, sharply-tailored suits all received the color treatment, as designers both new and old offered their own distinct take on the citric-acid hues. For spring, venturing into neon territory and incorporating an electrifying dose of color into your everyday lineup is the simplest way to up the ante on your style game.
A New Knit Is in Town
Traditional knitted styles of the wide variety, like sweater dresses and crocheted tops, underwent a sartorial rebranding for Spring 2020, as art-minded designers hit the reset on the classic, woven fabric. This season, we saw a new class of knitwear emerge with Eckhaus Latta and Rejina Pyo, who each made their own statement by dreaming up a knit tank and flare ensemble, complete with an updated color palette and a modernized design motif. Fendi traversed through time to present a ‘70s-inspired, crochet top and skirt that was fashioned in on-trend shades of mustard yellow and classic camel. So rather than reaching for your tried-and-true spring uniform, bolster your wardrobe instead with the latest offering of revamped knitwear.
Statement Trenchcoats
Designers sought to introduce a newly-reinterpreted dress code by offering a practical way to make a bold, outerwear statement in none other than trench coats. Expressing a willingness to take on new ideas, emerging, London-based brand Charlotte Knowles tried its hand at shaping the look of present-day by introducing a fang-edged trench coat that was imbued with a shadowy snake print and punctuated with checked, flared trousers. At Junya Watanabe, trench coats were sliced, diced and deconstructed to form an array of masterful garments that displayed Watanabe’s technical skills like a classic, double-breasted trench that featured wide, dramatic sleeves. And at Burberry, Riccardo Tisci set a new house code into place for the heritage brand by imbuing his collection with reconstructed trenchcoats that featured silk panels, sculpted sleeves and crystal-ring piercings. With a fresh outlook on reworked outerwear, it’s finally time to revisit the timeless style and invest in a statement trench coat come this spring.
