Your Questions About the Fall 2020 Season, Answered

The fall 2020 season came to a close earlier this month. Already we’ve ranked the best shows, the biggest trends, the top models, and our editors’ favorite moments. Then, over the weekend we decided it was time to hear from you. So we invited our Instagram followers to ask questions. Find our what Vogue Runway readers wanted to know, and see our editors’ responses, here.

Is the coronavirus prompting the fashion industry to re-evaluate fashion shows?

Absolutely. Most if not all of the destination shows for resort, which usually take place between late April and early June, have been canceled or postponed. We presume that the major brands will create alternative kinds of content, like video that can be dispersed across the web and Instagram. The men’s shows, which are scheduled to start in early June, remain a question mark. For sure, the new situation is forcing labels large and small to think differently. Maybe one of them will come up with an engaging virtual experience, or incorporate AI. Challenging times are typically when innovation happens. As much as I’ll miss Gucci in San Francisco, and Dior in Puglia, Italy, I’m looking forward to seeing the new solutions designers and their creative teams come up with. —Nicole Phelps

Who are the new designers we should be following? What makes them exciting?

The first names that come to mind are Kenneth Ize and Thebe Magugu, two African designers who showed in Paris for the first time this season. Everyone was excited about both of their collections, which were partly made by artisans in their home countries of Nigeria and South Africa, respectively. In a fashion industry that still revolves around Western talents, it was refreshing to see their ideas resonate with the Paris crowd. Other new names you’ll want to bookmark: Eftychia in London and Peter Do in New York. —Emily Farra

What’s a must-have fall item for the fall?

Anything fringe. It’s a controversial trend, but one that was everywhere on the runways from Bottega Veneta to Paco Rabanne to Christian Dior. A fringe bag, skirt, coat—the options are endless. —Brooke Bobb

Aren’t harnesses silly? Really!

Maybe, but so were corsets, hoops, bustles, girdles…. And if some self-containment adds some levity to your social distancing, why not? —Laird Borelli-Persson

Will a heavy boot be popular?

Definitely! No shoe was more prevalent on the fall 2020 runways than a platform, preferably knee-high, black boot. Dries Van Noten, Paco Rabanne, Alexander McQueen, and Victoria Beckham all offered hardcore leather boots, though the most dramatic have to be the latest iteration of Rick Owens’s Kiss boots, which now come with thigh-high throats, metal grills, and lucite heels. You will need great balance—and very bold taste—to pull those off this fall. —Steff Yotka

Any vegan, sustainable, fair trade, and ethical pieces/brands to highlight?

This season, I was most excited by the designers who are doing more with less and thinking about circularity: They’re upcycling from vintage, using recycled fibers, and designing with a garment’s end of life in mind. Marine Serre and Atlein championed upcycling in very different ways in Europe—both reported that 50% of their collections were made from upcycled materials—and in New York, we’re excited about Erin Beatty at Rentrayage; Hillary Teymour at Collina Strada; and Emily Bode. Maggie Marilyn, who is from New Zealand, launched a line of 100% organic cotton T-shirts, jeans, and other basics that are designed to be recycled: When you’re finished wearing them, you can send them back to her team to be broken down and spun into new ones. —E.F.

What was the color of the season?

Black! While there were pops of greens and pinks, black really ruled the runways, especially at Prada and Saint Laurent. —B.B.

Is there an age limit on latex pants?

No, but a healthy supply of baby powder is required. —N.P.

Which trend was the least expected?

Big bubble shapes! No one did them better than Jonathan Anderson, whose dramatic cocoons are some of the most provocative and dramatic shapes of the season. —S.Y.

Your absolute guilty pleasure this season?

Area’s totally glam bedazzled headwrap: The chicest alternative to noise-cancelling headphones. —L.B.P.