2019 Rewind

2019 was a busy Year. Tiny bags. Big Camp. 90s revival. Kardashians. Again. Ugh. Let’s discuss…

Victoria’s Secret Runway Cancellation (Warning: extended thoughts)

I remember checking out during a semi-annual sale and impulse buying a bright teal and black banded, little lace athleisure moment. I absolutely regret the purchase.  I fell prey to a tag that told me the brassiere was featured in the televised runway campaign.  I got caught up.

 I can understand the declining viewership.  The show was not a great representation of what most women look like.  I get it.  They were selling a fantasy.  These women were airbrushed into oblivion and surviving off ketones.  Not exactly a healthy depiction of how we should be treating our temples.

In defense of the Angels, and their runway show, I have to say I live for the theatrics and the high drama of it all.  The musical performances have a safe space in my YouTube workout set because they’re basically just music videos.  They’re campy, like 80s glam rock.  The Weeknd, wistfully reaching out for his former beloved as she sashays down the runway in a floaty, chiffon sleeved negligee.  I live.  The glitter, the glitz, the weaves blowing in the air—I love it.  It’s like science fiction for fashion and beauty nerds.  I’m visually dissecting the construction of the wing components and figuring out how to duplicate them for future costuming purposes.  Look at it as performance art, set to the soundtrack of Taylor Swift. Or don’t, and hail the rise of Fenty instead.

Kimono

The Kardashians have enough Klout, so I’ll be brief.  Most celebrities would not have rebounded quite so easily for trying to trademark a word that, in no way, shape or form should belong to them.  Just because the first three letters of the word just happen to form your first name, does not mean that you should be able to legally bind it to your overpriced undergarment Kollection.  Audacious.  To say the least.  But then Kanye did some things and now no one cares, soooo....

What’s Old is New Again

Marc Jacobs bringing back his controversial collection (originally designed for Perry Ellis in 1993) made it very clear that millennials are not ready to part with their tiny sunglasses and vintage flannels.  Pattern mixing, slip dresses, neons and ill fits remained the rage in 2019.  90s and early 2000s revival have been enjoying a second life as millennials are living it for the first time (in most cases).  The iconic Dior saddlebag came back with a fury, causing anyone who tossed theirs to cry tears of remorse into their Neverfulls.

High-low Bankruptcy

Retail is proving things are not what they used to be.  The mall is not the great social oasis it once was.  Mean girls now convene online to share their web cart hauls.  Thanks to the uptick in upscale consignment, people have warmed to the idea of recycling their fashion.  This change has caused a crash in fast fashion and luxury brick and mortar.  From Barney’s to Forever 21—no business is safe in this economy.  

Down with Fur, Up with Feathers

More major fashion houses announced the phase out of real fur in favor of faux.  However, thanks to Susan Sontag’s notes, feathers still remain an open avenue.  As predicted, following this year’s MET gala, feathers continued to pop up, trimming Chanel couture and it’s not-so-subtle-sometimes-copycat Balmain ready-to-wear.  In my head I like to pretend these feathers are all humanely harvested by crews of patient collectors, but I worry that’s not actually the case. 

Looking Toward the Future 

Influencers are more than just your pocket personal shoppers.  They pick out your shirt, shoes, weekend getaways, coffee drink and contour kits.  There are enough personal brands out there that everyone can find they’re own avatar, or better yet, become one.  Perhaps in 2020 we’ll merge into a well moisturized pack of photogenic nitro brew sippers, in someone else’s vintage Fendi flats.  Here’s hoping we do it behind a pair of heiress era shades, big enough to block out our faux pas of the past.