© BD PERIPHERIQUE / BE IN OPEN / TEXTS ON FASHION ISSUE 1
TRENDS 2020
TODAY, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCUSS FASHION TRENDS WITHOUT APPEALING TO SOCIAL FACTORS. WE ENTER THE EPOCH OF POST-CONSUMPTION WHEN AN OVERSATURATED MARKET OF CLOTHING NEEDS A REVISION.
TEXTS ON FASHION
Sustainable consumption has become a very strong conviction on a global scale. Unsurprisingly, all large mass-market brands, whose production methods are barely associated with the concept of sustainability, have launched initiatives to collect clothes for recycling and actively produce collections sewn from recycled materials. Presumably, sustainable production and consumption patterns will become dominant all over the world by 2020.
The situation is more complicated in Russia. Despite the fact that people are more prepared to buy things in retail stores, they do so rather for the sake of economy than ecology. According to many owners of domestic retail projects, people are tired of synthetics and low quality clothes offered by the mass market. They prefer vintage and high-quality brand items of the second use.
The situation is more complicated in Russia. Despite the fact that people are more prepared to buy things in retail stores, they do so rather for the sake of economy than ecology. According to many owners of domestic retail projects, people are tired of synthetics and low quality clothes offered by the mass market. They prefer vintage and high-quality brand items of the second use.
SO FAR, MOST OF RUSSIANS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION. HOWEVER, THE PROCESS OF ITS PROPAGANDA HAS ALREADY STARTED
Sustainable fashion implies a search for new eco-friendly materials. They are being developed all over the world, and many will soon be introduced into the mass production. For example, the Italian company Orange Fiber has developed a technology for the production of textiles from the orange pulp. There are many projects aimed at creating fabrics from other alternative and eco-friendly materials, such as algae or even coffee waste. Major brands already got interested in such eco-friendly materials of the new generation. For example, last year, Salvatore Ferragamo made a capsule produced with the use of orange fiber. New materials are being looked for in the sportswear segment as well. Thus, Puma is testing shoes of pinatex, an eco-leather made from pineapple leaves. To sum up, the process is underway, and we will most likely see some of these materials on sale by 2020.
Beside eco-friendly materials, 3D printing and wearable technologies can receive the wider application by 2020. Big sports brands, such as Nike, Puma, and Adidas, have been working with 3D printing for about five years; designer Iris van Herpen create sophisticated fashion items on 3D printers; technological brands, like Google and Apple, actively promote wearable technology. Altogether, technological clothes are not so widely spread as one would expect. Among recent commercially successful projects, one can recall a smart jacket with conductive threads inside of it to conduct electricity by Levi's and Google. Among other things, wearable technology can be used to charge gadgets or change the form of clothes on the go. Such garments have not yet received a widespread use. Experts say that this is a matter of time. For example, Snezhana Paderina, designer and ambassador of 3D printing and wearable technologies in Russia, says that the biggest problem of wearable technologies is a battery that still has to be rather large. However, more flexible and flat batteries are being developed. When the production of such batteries will be accomplished, it can result in a new technical revolution. Taking into account that today new technologies reach people very quickly, it is likely that we will perceive "smart" clothes as something more familiar in 2020.
THE PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION, WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY, NEW ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS, AND 3D PRINTING MUST CHANGE THE ATTITUDE TO THE CONSUMPTION OF CLOTHES IN THE WORLD IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND SERIOUSLY AFFECT FASHION TRENDS
Besides, body positivism is actively gaining momentum. Ageism, which has always characterized the fashion industry and promoted the youth, is now condemned by society, and we are no longer surprised by aged models; not only big brands, but also small local brands place them in lookbooks. We witness the cultivation of originality: everyone has the right to be different, and this difference and uniqueness becomes more and more important.
Speaking of originality, one should also mention the global trend for local cultures. It is one of reactions to globalization with its cultural normalization. This trend is especially significant for Russia, a very large country with a huge number of ethnic groups, each with its unique cultural face. Local cultures can no longer remain self-contained. We live in the age of information, and local cultures must be integrated into the global process. It is this kind of interaction that gives small ethnic communities the opportunity to declare their cultural codes to the whole world.
It is particularly interesting how high technologies of the Future interact with archaic and traditional forms. It is also part of sustainability, when traditional manual techniques are supported by the high technology. We have already seen how technology destroys tradition. Now we do not want to see it anymore. We want to see a dialogue, not a conflict. In part, it is due to the fact that the world lives through serious political conflicts.
In the context of the importance to find the cultural dialogue, it is worth mentioning the rise of spirituality. People reconsider their attitude to religious cultures and look for spiritual practices. It concerns not only the major world religions, but also the quest for various mystical teachings, shamanism, etc. It is also a stress reaction to global political upheavals, to an overly strong information flow that constantly threatens to drown us, and to environmental problems.
It is particularly interesting how high technologies of the Future interact with archaic and traditional forms. It is also part of sustainability, when traditional manual techniques are supported by the high technology. We have already seen how technology destroys tradition. Now we do not want to see it anymore. We want to see a dialogue, not a conflict. In part, it is due to the fact that the world lives through serious political conflicts.
In the context of the importance to find the cultural dialogue, it is worth mentioning the rise of spirituality. People reconsider their attitude to religious cultures and look for spiritual practices. It concerns not only the major world religions, but also the quest for various mystical teachings, shamanism, etc. It is also a stress reaction to global political upheavals, to an overly strong information flow that constantly threatens to drown us, and to environmental problems.
BASED ON THE ABOVE ARGUMENTS, WE HAVE CHOSEN FIVE GLOBAL TRENDS FOR 2020 AND REVISED THEM AS APPLIED TO THE RUSSIAN CULTURAL CONTEXT
Photo: Jahnkoy
The trend is based on the dialogue between local ethnic cultures and the global cultural context. It can feature combinations of sports styles with widely known ethnic aesthetics, such as the African one, with subcultures. This trend is open for interpretations; here the southern and northern styles can be mixed in a design of sneakers, Asian and Australian motives can be mixed in a design of streetwear. In general, ethnic identity concerns small ethnic cultures that have to adapt to the modern world in order to avoid oblivion.
There are indigenous peoples in Russia, and their cultures are mostly unknown to anyone outside local communities. One can draw inspiration from them and combine them with something seemingly incompatible. Trend visionary: Jahnkoy. In a paradox way, the style of that brand combines African motifs with Ukrainian embroidery in collaboration with Puma.
Regarding the Russian traditional techniques such as embroidery, the Russian historical manufactures, including the Yaroslavl Embroidery Factory and the Krestetskaya Strochka Factory, become open for cooperation with designers.
J.Kim, Darkfabrika, Nomad Goba, Jahnkoy, Masha Lamzina; traditional costumes of Aleuts, Vepps, Saami, Izhoryans, Buryats
Photo: Nomad Goba
The trend for mystics has become actual after the Gucci SS 2018 show that was styled in an esoteric manner with a lot of relevant details, such as the third eye, severed heads, turbans, voodoo dolls, and magic amulets, as if taken from a witchcraft film from the 70s.
The Mystical worldview trend in clothes refers to occult bijouterie and images of witches from horror films of the 60s-70s such as Suspiria, Rosemary's Baby, and The Wicker Man. Vulgar occultism is represented by turbans, bright makeup, layering, elements of gypsy and oriental styles, and the abundance of draperies. It also includes passion for natural textures such as moss, mold, fungi, and decoration composed of natural forms. It refers to shamanism and oriental spiritual practices. In general, the trend is based on eclecticism centered on mystics in wide sense.
Meadham Kirchhoff (FW2010), Stevie Nicks, Gucci (FW2019), Theda Bara in "Cleopatra" (1917), "Medea" by Frederick Sandys, scene from "The Witches" (1966), "Witches' Flight" by Francisco Goya, "Vasilisa the Beautiful" by Ivan Bilibin, scene from "The Bottomless Bag" (2017), Mineralweather, Gucci (FW2019), "Morgana" by Frederick Sandys, scene from "The Love Witch" (2016), Gucci (FW2019), Daria Urkineeva
Photo: Annurclothes
This trend is associated with the concept of the "modest fashion". It is a discreet, reserved style, mostly feminine, which is traditionally associated with the influence of the Muslim aesthetics, its minimalism, oversize, and almost complete closure of body.
Today, the Muslim theme is relevant for the whole world: major global brands, such as Uniqlo, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger, pay tribute to this tradition; there are many local brands that develop the style in a more secular or a more traditional direction.
Today, the Muslim theme is relevant for the whole world: major global brands, such as Uniqlo, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger, pay tribute to this tradition; there are many local brands that develop the style in a more secular or a more traditional direction.
The modest fashion does not only apply to the Muslim clothes. This notion has also been applied to clothes for the representatives of other religious denominations. Speaking about Russia, here belongs the style of Orthodox Christians. It is certainly freer than the Muslim one, but it is also markedly closed and modest; it offers women skirts below the knee, a head covered with a kerchief, moderate colours, closed arms and chest. In the Russian high fashion, this trend is reflected in the style of the Ulyana Sergeenko brand.
In Europe, the growing influence of the Muslim style of clothes can be associated with the change in the cultural landscape due to migration waves from Islamic countries. In Russia, the popularity of the conservative modest fashion, on the contrary, is connected to the closure of cultural borders
Traditional muslim clothing, Annurclothes, traditional russian clothing, Ulyana Sergeenko (FW2019), Asiya Bareeva (ceramics and fashion design), Aset, Valentino (SS2018), Bella Kareema, Maleka, Cyrille Gassiline Base, Cyrille Gassiline Man
AESTHETICS OF A BAD TASTE
Photo: Arut Mscw
This is another nostalgic trend. The enthusiasm about the style of the 90s is fading away, and since everything is cyclical, the 90s are followed by the 2000s with the respective ambiguously evaluated aesthetics. The fashion of the 2000s is distinguished by the overdose of textures, colours, and details, where a leopard is combined with a red snake skin, rhinestones, flared jeans, and a gold pendant with an engraved personal name like the one worn by Carrie Bradshaw and, after her, half of all young girls in the beginning of the 2000s. Today, the 2000s are already rushing over the 90s, and this can be seen in the latest Balmain and Versace collections as well in Kim Kardashian's Instagram account. At the same time, today's kitsch of the 2000s is very ironic towards the original style. That is actually the attitude that this style deserves.
Christina Aguilera (photo of the early 2000s), Versace (SS2019), Gwen Stefani (photo of the early 2000s), Ssanaya Tryapka (2018), Beyonce (2018), scene from "Sex and the city", Balmain (Resort 2019), Kim Kardashian (2018), Britney Spears (photo of the early 2000s), Arut Mscw (FW2019)
REJECTION OF TRENDS IN FAVOR OF ARTISTIC ORIGINALITY
Photo: Roma Uvarov
One of the main trends that manifests itself every season, are designs inspired by major artistic currents such as pop art, neoclassicism, expressionism, modernism, surrealism, or whatever else. But the art trend of 2020 is freer from cultural interpretations. It is bound to one of the main concepts of our time — originality.
WE ARE TIRED OF POSTMODERNISM WITH ITS ENDLESS QUOTES AND IRONIC ATTITUDE TO THE CULTURES OF THE PAST. WE WANT ART TO EVOKE TRUE EMOTIONS WITHOUT COMPLEX INTELLECTUAL BACKGROUND, SO IF AN ART PIECE INCLUDES REFERENCES TO THE PAST THEY MUST REFER TO THE PERSONAL VISION OF AN ARTIST/DESIGNER AS ITS DISTANT SOURCES OF INSPIRATION.
Artistic originality can be expressed not only in the richness of style, but also in one particular bright and unusual detail added to clothes with a familiar cut and colour. It serves as a kind of sign that distinguishes an idiosyncratic personality from the crowd, a personality that will not hide behind references to something well-known, but has the courage to show something new.
Roma Uvarov (SS2018), photo by Viviane Sassen, GO Authentic, Loewe Man (SS2019), Walk of Shame (FW2018), photo by Petra Collins, photo by Johnny Dufort, T3CM, Balenciaga (SS2018), photo by Estelle Hanania, Nashe, Otocyon x Asmik Melkonian
TEXT BY MAXIM MURATOV