This year, New York Fashion Week was announced as the most politically woke fashion week ever, and they did not fail to meet expectations. From the political statements of Prabal Gurung on the runway to inclusivity in the show’s castings—most of it credited to Rihanna and her lingerie line Savage x Fenty—we can plainly see in 2019 where the seeds for change were planted in the fashion world. With the taping of her lingerie fashion show for Amazon Prime, Rihanna made history, giving us an unprecedented event that she defined as a “fashion musical.”
With Victoria’s Secret Fashion show no longer televised, Savage x Fenty is filling the gap in a greater, more current revolutionary way where everyone is represented. Also, we noticed the influence of Rihanna in many other collections. Inspirations were drawn from various runway shows like Carolina Herrera to design nearly identical silhouettes seen previously from luxurious fashion brand Fenty, another of the many fashion ventures run by Rihanna. On another note, Tom Ford opened New York Fashion Week with an okay collection. Elsewhere, Marc Jacobs closed it with a bang, showing us how not to take fashion too seriously, instead, teaching us how to make fashion fun again. In between, we had some powerful runway shows with great collections like the one from Brandon Maxwell, who showed a lot of growth and is establishing himself as a designer to put on the favorite list. The way he included a menswear line and worked denim while introducing it to his collection, yet keeping the brand’s essence, craft and impeccable taste was very admirable and deserved to be awarded. The Row, run by the Olsen twins, was a solid collection because it showed steadiness in how they keep doing what we expect from the brand by adding a little refreshment at every new line. We also had Ralph Lauren Gentlemen’s Club, which was a fantastic show. Mainly inspired by gentlemen’s style and fashion, the looks coming out the runway were not “costume.” The models were elegantly feminine in their menswear-inspired looks. Ralph Lauren once again stayed true to its aesthetics while also reinventing itself every time. Pyer Moss gave us the best show setting that we could ask for in a fashion show. The collection, inspired by African-American music, celebrated this art field in the best way imaginable. From the music to the live choir and the selection of songs that were serving as the show’s background and the looks on the runway designed specifically to match the setting, creative director Kerby Jean-Raymond showed us how to honor the street style side of fashion while elevating it to couture level. African-American culture was never so well represented before on the main fashion stage as Pyer Moss did it. The best collection of New York Fashion Week for Spring and Summer 2020 was without a shadow of a doubt the one we got from Michael Kors. The collection was coherent with each look coming out of the runway. Everything was so American and political in a way so fashionable that it was impossible not to feel identified. Everyone could relate to it. The clothes, the silhouettes and even the models at that show were meant to be a reflection of what fashion needs to be now. We need more clothes that speak to us without the need to open our mouths. That kind of activism needs to happen right away, and Michael Kors set the tone with this loud, bold collection but at the same time, so light, timeless and stylish.