With COVID-19, the whole world suffered a major setback, making 2020 a year to remember. It affected most of the industries, including the fashion and apparel businesses as well. From fashion shows getting postponed to designers stepping up for those in need, people getting crafty with style in quarantine to celebrities being honoured for their positive efforts in fashion, the industry has gone through a rollercoaster ride of major highs and lows. Here’s a roundup of all the fashion moments and trends that defined 2020.
1. DIY Tie-Dye
The lockdown life got us crafty, and the tie-dye trend made a huge comeback with everybody dying their old sweatshirts at home.
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2. Going #VocalForLocal
Owing to the economic downfall caused by the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to support small and local businesses. The #VocalForLocal campaigned became massive thanks to social media with tons of people sharing Instagram pages of emerging businesses. This helped a lot of new and upcoming fashion labels who suffered a major loss.
3. Designers Turned COVID Warriors
Fashion designers from all over the world stepped forward to help the frontline workers when the pandemic was at its peak. While Anita Dongre set up a medical fund for her employees and artisans, the Fashion Design Council of India came up with a COVID-19 Support Fund to aid small businesses. Labels like Karleo and Limerick donated masks to government hospitals, Ekaya and Sabyasachi offered paid leaves to their employees and luxury fashion giant LVMH gave free sanitisers to French hospitals.
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4. Digital Fashion Shows
Everyone had access to fashion weeks in 2020 as physical events were replaced with virtual ones. Digital fashion shows became the new normal, season-less and gender-fluid trends gained momentum. It was exciting to see what each designer brought to the table as they were pushed to explore their creativity on a different level.
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5. Fat Tax: From Becoming Aware Of It To Cancelling It
When fashion watchdog Diet Sabya brought the issue of fat tax (designers and stores charging extra for plus-size clothes) to the surface, it struck a massive conversation between designers, models and people alike. A wave of change came through, starting with Gauri & Nainika. The designer duo shared that they would no longer be applying a surcharge for extended size clothing, adding that this was always an uncomfortable conversation but one that was necessary. Additionally, fashion houses like Nikasha and retailers like FUEL followed suit, reiterating that they will no longer be charging fat tax.
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6. Kamala Harris’ White Pantsuit
The whole world rejoiced when Joe Biden became the President-elect this year, but much of the spotlight was on his running mate, Kamala Harris who made history by becoming the first woman, the first Black and also the first South-Asian as the Vice President-elect of America. When she came on stage to make her acceptance speech, her white pantsuit made headlines as it was a nod to the suffrage movement—a fight for women’s voting rights. “All the women who worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century: 100 years ago with the 19th Amendment, 55 years ago with the Voting Rights Act and now, in 2020, with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard. Tonight, I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision — to see what can be, unburdened by what has been. And I stand on their shoulders,” said Harris in her acceptance speech.
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7. Loss of Fashion Legends
The fashion industry lost legendary design maestros this year like Indian fashion designer, Wendell Rodricks, Japanese designer and founder of Kenzo, Kenzo Takada and Italian footwear designer, Sergio Rossi. While this is a huge loss for the industry, these designers will always be remembered for their stunning creations.
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8. Priyanka Chopra And Zendaya Scored Big
PeeCee and Zendaya have been on a roll this year. Weeks after winning an Emmy, Zendaya received the Visionary Award at Green Carpet Fashion Awards, which recognises trailblazers who have led the way for sustainability, equality and diversity in the fashion industry.
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On the other hand, PeeCee was appointed as the ambassador of positive change by the British Fashion Council (BFC).
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9. Lady Gaga’s VMA’20 Looks
Even in the middle of a pandemic, Lady Gaga nailed every look at the Video Music Awards 2020. From her epic face masks to futuristic outfits, her looks set the tone for the event.
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10. Beyoncé’s Black Is King Album
At a time when the Black Lives Matter movement had gained immense attention, Beyoncé released her passion project, Black Is King. Originally filmed as a companion piece to The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, the 1-hour 31-minute visual album is filled with iconic imagery and breath-taking outfits. It celebrates the beauty of African culture in a time more relevant than ever!
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11. Chain-Link Necklace Trend
A versatile accessory trend (apart from the face mask) gained momentum in 2020 and became every fashion blogger’s BFF—the chain-link necklace. Whether you stepped out for grocery runs or stayed at home in your PJs, this necklace trend was and still is spotted on every influencer’s Instagram account.
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12. Repurposing And Upcycling Existing Clothes
When shopping malls and stores shut down, fashionistas were forced to experiment with their existing wardrobe. From finding hacks for tightening a pair of jeans to repurposing a scarf in multiple ways, we got to the creative side of fashion. But this brought about a positive change in fashion as it encouraged sustainability by repurposing and upcycling clothes. The trend also gave way to the emergence of thrift stores on social media; a go-to fashion destination for many!
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13. Billy Porter’s Oscars Look
Yup, this happened in 2020. We can’t forget Billy Porter’s vibe check at the Oscars 2020 red carpet.
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