A fashion trend is a phenomenon that affects the direction of fashion, i.e. a tendency in which fashion is changing. Unlike the 20th century, people these days have different trends and they do not have uniform preferences or easily assimilate into other people’s fashion. However, interest in Newtro (new+retro) fashion, which recently reinterpreted 20th century fashion as nostalgia for the past, has been rising.
Generally, a season of fashion starts with a high-end brand usually called a luxury brand. High-end brands will showcase their fashion shows through ‘Pret-a-porter’ in Paris and Milan two to three times a year. The 2020 S/S season collection was held last fall and I would like to introduce a new trend through brand collections that I have impressed.
Louis Vuitton showed a new retro at the Spring-Summer 2020 Fashion Show. It featured a number of mini dresses reminiscent of the 60’s, showing minimal cute with a fit silhouette and shape, and reenacting the sensibility of the 70’s by richly mixing colorful patterns. Although it was an untidy style expressed in unbridled maximalism, I could feel its humorous charm and subtle beauty.
CELINE’s creative director, Hedi Slimane, recreated the 70’s retro. The coordination utilizing various jackets stands out and the ivory, black, beige, brown and indigo blue colors shows a stable style. And through mannish jacket and wide-bottomed trousers, he reenacted the unisex look of the 70’s, highlighting the restrained luxury image. I think he made great luxury collection that simultaneously shows a chic and traditional image of Celine.
So what is the 2020 S/S fashion trend? While countless influencers competitively suggest trends through various channels, it is never easy to find one of these answers in a fast-changing fashion trend. Above all, in the countless fashion trends that are produced endlessly, individual are choosing a trend for themselves, which adds to their individual personality and becomes a new trend. After all, the latest fashion trend is the height of diversity that is no longer uniform or predictable.
Diversity is also expressed in Gucci’s 2020 S/S collection. In this collection, some chicness is felt in the pattern of being organized and simple elements in silhouettes, details and etc. than in last season. The genderless, based on the spirit of Gucci, still emphasizes the futility of modern fashion distinctions between men and women. Gucci’s message is “respect the diversity of fashion.” I think it brought the beauty of the world into one place and showed a new beauty with a fantastic composition.
How will fashion come around in 2020? The existing criteria for defining beautiful things will collapse, individual diversity will be emphasized more than ever, and the standards of beauty will also change. I hope readers will remember that their individuality is more valuable and respected than any other aesthetic standards. Fashion that expresses itself confidently will become my own concept and content, which will soon become a new trend.
Kim Seong-yeon
(Adjunct Professor, Organic Materials and
Fiber Engineering)
