Yes, I realize I’m beyond late to be recapping last month’s shows. BUT. Given the circumstances we’re all in right now, I think I deserve a little bit of slack. Thank you.

Punctuality (or lack thereof) aside, I find that in such a time of social distancing and quarantine, Fashion has once again become a form of solace for me. I did find that amidst all the chaos of preparing pieces for the MODA show, I actually found myself distancing quite a bit from the cycles of shows that presented through February. Obviously, here and there, I heard about the standout shows from each country’s respective fashion weeks, but I found that I began to see fashion in a much more different light this season. In some ways, I feel like my dialogue with fashion changed while I was working alongside so many blossoming designers for this year’s MODA Show. Understanding the special relationship that these artists have with their work and the layers of identity that are fused and created through sketches, construction, fittings, and show was something that I hadn’t thought so much about in seasons prior, and I think it actually gave me more appreciation for creative considerations that are often unacknowledged.

CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Winner, Christopher John Rogers showed a technicolor collection of dramatic, shimmery gowns as well as cocktail dresses and workwear. Image via

I noticed that this season, both in the fashion month cycle and through the MODA show process, designers really enjoyed playing with that line between costume and clothes, with pieces ballooning to incredible sizes and others crossing into the world of cosplay and theatre. It’s no surprise that CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund winner Christopher John Rogers put on an outstanding show with an unbelievably diverse cast of models, hair and makeup and stylists, and I was amazed to see the gowns that he sent down the runway in brights shades of emerald and magenta plaid.

I found that overall, many designers were engaging with that interesting hybrid of personalities between their own artistic vision and that of their models. This was something that I really took notice of when designing my own collection this year, as each outfit kept changing depending on which model wore it; those hybrid identities created by the combination of model, designer and garment is something that I hope more designers will think about as they design for their respective clientele. It was particularly inspiring to see Miley Cyrus walk the Marc Jacobs show for the first time and also to see the trio of Hadid’s (Bella, Gigi, and Yolanda) strut down the runway at Off-White, and I have faith that we’ll see more designers featuring more of their friends and family in shows to come, as much of that connection is likely embedded into their collections.

And finally, it was so wonderful to see designers really having fun with fashion and shows in ways we certainly haven’t seen in a while. I must absolutely mention Stella McCartney’s fabulous finale of mascot-costume clad models, both as a statement on sustainable fashion practices, but also just to give those fashion week front rowers a good laugh. And mirroring that, I also loved Thom Browne’s forest of woodland creatures in suits and skirts and those impossible looking shoes that consumed the poor models feet; it was all just whimsical, amusing and fun, which I think is something I’ve craved for so long in fashion. At the end of the day, fashion and fashion shows, while commercial inherently, also have a profoundly artistic effect on those who consume it. Fashion really has the ability to transform, to be political, to make people laugh or cry or dance. I feel like whether a designer is designing for fashion week or whether they’re designing for a University Fashion show, that focus on expressing what clothing can do is something that should always be emphasized.

Furry (and fashionable) friends also made the rounds at the shows of Stella McCartney and Thom Browne. Images via

So, in this time of staying at home and engaging with the world from a distance, I am here to bring you my take on the Seven Trends that dominated the Fall/Winter 2020 runways. Enjoy.

Dark Romance

Romance took a decidedly dark turn this season, with many houses drawing inspiration from the world of macabre and horrifying. Dramatic silhouettes with feminine touches like lace, ruffles and florals created haunting visions of contemporary women. I could see many young startlets adopting this trend on the red carpet, and I could even venture into imagining Billie Eilish presenting her version of this trend for some of her upcoming Music Videos. For houses where dark Romance is such a major part of their DNA, like at Sarah Burton’s Fabulous Alexander McQueen Collection, I noticed that we saw both innovative and consistent takes on the codes of Romance, but I also enjoyed the unexpected visions of this trend like at Paco Rabanne this season. Though one of my absolute favorite shows of the whole season was the amazing wedding show at Rodarte in that candle-lit church; I gasped when Megan Roche walked out in that giant train that went on forever, it was everything I could have asked for from them.

Plaid Baddies

Plaid is a print that seems to be in constant circulation around the world; if I’m not mistaken, we saw the trend in Korea not too long ago, and now it’s made another rotation around the world through this season’s runways. With a strong association to creeds and Scottish Tartan and togetherness, Plaids, to me, have always been symbolic of family, and community and coming together through the crossing of everyone’s individual personalities, which we saw much of in the emphasis on Brand identity at this year’s show. I was pleased to see so much plaid at the house of Etro who put on a very smart and heavy, but still relaxed collection with many a plaid coat (one in fringe that I absolutely adored!), which was a big surprise after such an airy spring show. I loved the red plaids that merged into wigs at Noir Kei Ninomiya this season as it reminded me of the flamboyance of punk mixed in with a very royal vibe à la the Queen of Hearts. And I also liked the practicality of the red plaid at Marc Jacobs, amidst a more chaotic fashion presentation, it all felt very unified, which was a pleasure to see.

God Save the Queen

As far as style icons go, many a designers seemed inspired by women of Royal heritage this season, evoking grand Victorian (perhaps almost saloon-ish) silhouettes and very intricate lacework and beading at this year’s shows. Perhaps as a result of a little nudge from Dame Anna Wintour herself as this year’s (postponed) Met Gala theme is Time’s Up, many designers seem to be embracing the anachronistic quality of such a notable fashion silhouette. The reigning purveyor of this trend had to be Richard Quinn, who put on an AMAZING show of studded morph suits in black leather and spikes and gems and beads and pearls below ballooning gowns with high hips and heavy hems. I especially loved the back of one of his leather coats that read ‘God Save the Quinn’, as someone who also enjoys engaging with a bit of fashion wordplay here and there. Cate Holstein took an industrial and quite sexy approach to the trend at Khaite, without an ounce of raunchiness (perfect for a queen), and I especially loved the rust colored prints of gears and tools on navy dresses, which I can see many women wearing to work or perhaps emblazoning onto throw pillows in their houses. And of course, there is no other King of Queens than Mr. Jeremy Scott at Moschino, who let us all have our cake and eat it too at his Marie Antoinette themed collection that showcased the endless potential and excess of spectacular fashion presentation. Needless to say, I will be bowing down to such legends for a long time.

Green Meanies

Fresh with an undertone of Sustainability messaging, Green is the color of the fall season. No questions asked. Head to toe green outfits absolutely dominated on the runways this season, and I can see why. I think many houses looked to the streets for this particular trend as green in its many shades can often be found on today’s (or perhaps yesterday’s) streetwear lovers. Not to sound like a broken record, but I must suggest that perhaps the influence of Style Icon Billie Eilish, had something to do with the purveyance of the trend in some way or another too. Highlights included the amazing cocktail dress at Versace on Bella Hadid, that fabulous gown that occupied the whole runway at Christopher John Rogers, and the earthy, tie-dyed take on the trend at the house of Marine Serre.

Caped Crusaders

It’s all about Drama this fall, as one of my personal favourite trends has come back into fashion. Yes, it is the return of the cape coat for fall and it is back with a VENGEANCE. A super fun way to stay warm this season, while serving major royal energy, the cape can instantly add drama to any regular outfit, while remaining sophisticated and powerful. There was a very adventurous take on the trend in the opening look at Brandon Maxwell on Mayowa Nicholas, which set the tone for a very powerful collection at the American Museum of Natural history. I also liked Rick Owens’ version of the cape in neon padded down, almost resembling fabulous sleepingbag capes, which was wonderfully imaginative and quite childlike in its execution. And finally, I really appreciated Olivier Rousteing’s very powerful collection of drapey caped gowns at Balmain; I think the looser, more liquid silhouette didn’t take away from the strength of any of the models striding down the catwalk at his show, and it’s a technique that I hope the house employs more because clearly, it looks just as fabulous as the tight, short dresses that the brand is so well known for.

Horses in the Back

Tailoring took a much more equestrian turn at this season’s shows. Naturally, many brands in the fashion month cycle find much of their heritage in equestrian wear like Gucci, and Hermes, I was thrilled to see it so modernized and fresh for today’s woman. I absolutely must credit the work of the burgeoning house of Self-Portrait in New York, led by the fabulous Han Chong, who sent out an amazing collection of beautiful tailoring and high boots with fabulous black riding hats, that I could just as easily see on Bella Hadid or Meghan Markle. I also loved the fitted silhouettes at Victoria Beckham, who also released an amazing set of technicolor latex-ish boots that seemed to go all the way to the models navels, very fresh and quite adventurous for the house, which I certainly love.

Two (or Three)-for-One

Finally, perhaps not as much a fashion trend as a runway trend. I was very pleased to see so many designers organizing models in pairs or groups down the runway. Perhaps not the most conducive to social distancing, I was happy nonetheless to see designers embracing messages of solidarity, togetherness and love down this season’s runways. It takes me back to the era of the supermodel when houses like Versace would stage runways where battalions of models would march down the catwalk in slinky matching dresses. I think many designers are in fact designing now for groups of people rather than just one fabulous ensemble, like at Thom Browne, who showed an amazing, whimsical collection where every look had an equivalent twin look. I also loved the sets at Chanel, which looked like they could have very easily been mixed and matched for different body types and skin colors. And I loved the boldness and fun at the Issey Miyake show, where multiple models walked down the runway in one look, culminating in that amazing five-model train in beautiful vibrant hues. Needless to say, while this trend may be harder to employ amidst the pandemic, it is certainly a fun take on promoting more togetherness on the runways of the world.

Those are our top seven trends of the fall/winter 2020 cycle, we hope you enjoyed and let us know if there are any we forgot!

Featured image via

All Runway images via Vogue Runway