Fringing
Milan Fashion Week declared fringe as this season’s biggest trend with Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Jil Sander dedicating their AW20 collections to the spirited tassel motif. Daniel Lee and Miuccia Prada interpreted fringe as modern, longline silhouettes, sometimes made with heavier materials such as shearling and deconstructed pleats, that moved beyond the classic ‘20s swinger look. At Jil Sander and Hugo Boss, full-length fringe dresses appeared with minimalist elegance while delicate silk trims adorned shoulders and hems at Givenchy, Paco Rabanne and Dries van Noten.
Red and Black
Back to black was the decisive move for many of this season’s biggest designers, but only to set up the stage for valiant shades of red. Valentino, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga opened their AW20 shows with a series of all-black outfits that later became the canvas for bold pops of strident red, appearing both as full outfits or accompanying accessories. Givenchy and Alexander McQueen married black and red on grand silhouettes, while Pierpaolo Piccioli and Daniel Lee presented slinky red sequin dresses with long sleeves and turtlenecks as points of inflection for their latest collections.
Statement Sleeves
Puff sleeves are even bigger this AW20 season, both literally and figuratively. Fendi celebrated the curve with statement tubular puff sleeves that appeared on everything from fur coats and knits to sheer dresses. Signature voluminous sleeves were abound at JW Anderson, as well as on structured coats at the designer’s Loewe collection, while Victoria Beckham integrated the billowing motif for the first time into her sleek design language.
The Church
From the black-clad priests at Balenciaga and the cross-bearing pilgrims at Gucci and Paco Rabanne, to the women in mourning at Simone Rocha, the Church was a very present theme on the AW20 runways. While pious robes and Catholic references gave the industry’s best storytellers a rich narrative, cult labels such as Jil Sanders also presented stoic, all-black ensembles as their way of advocating for the Church of minimalism.
Plaid
Plaid, tartan, checker print — the perennial autumn/winter staples — made a resonant return to this season’s runways with re-energised colour and unapologetic maximalism. Usual suspects Burberry and Dior presented their heritage patterns in a parade of styles ranging from streetwear to tailored suiting; Miu Miu dedicated an entire section to statement skirt suits and mix-and-match separates; Dries Van Noten supercharged his already vibrant collection with an electric blue plaid; and British designers Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney turned the heritage pattern into this season’s go-to silhouette.
Editor
Joanna Fu
