By Andie Chilson | Reporter
New York Fashion Week is a long-standing tradition, but this year the emergence of new sartorial trends created major shifts in the fashion industry.
Hundreds of designers and fashion labels debuted their fall and winter collections from Feb. 6 to 13 at New York Fashion Week.
Memphis, Tenn., senior Kennedy Johnson, an apparel and merchandising major, said some of the most prominent trends she observed during the week were exaggerated shoulders, Renaissance-inspired pieces, color-blocking and mixing patterns.
Renaissance-inspired garments are a popular theme among the collections of many prominent designers, such as Jason Wu, Ulla Johnson and Brock Collection. Designers executed these romantic styles with the use of high collars, ruffles and corsets.
Some of the more predictable trends that appeared on the runway this year included the resurgence of the grunge aesthetic, as well as the use of ponchos for layering and chains for accessorizing.
Another major trend that surfaced during the week was unrelated to the clothing on display altogether. A number of prominent designers opted to exhibit their collections at locations outside of New York – a major departure from years past.
Designer Tom Ford led the way when he announced that he would be showcasing his fall and winter 2020 collection in Los Angeles on the first day of New York Fashion Week.
Other big names like Jeremy Scott, Tommy Hilfiger and Baja East opted to follow Ford’s lead and show their collections in Paris, London and Los Angeles, respectively.
Still other designers either canceled their shows altogether or changed the medium in which they participated in fashion week, such as St. John, which debuted its collection over social media.
“I think it’s really interesting to see different shows in different places,” Johnson said. “And with social media now, different people can see what these designers are doing.”
Johnson said diversity of race and body type on the runways is another trend that is on the rise.
“It’s really cool to see [designers] being inclusive of everyone. I think that’s going to be a trend that we see a lot of people embracing,” Johnson said.
Some of the designers, known for their diversity in casting, include Tommy Hilfiger, Prabal Gurung and Michael Kors. This season, some of the labels that were praised for their inclusivity include Christian Siriano, Todd Snyder and Tadashi Shoji.
However, the avant-garde stylings of some of the designers at fashion week have been regarded as unwearable or impractical by some critics, but San Antonio junior Chloe Trollinger said fashion “is a really unique way for someone to express themselves.”
