What will life be like after the pandemic? This is one of the questions that we have all asked ourselves and that many have tried to answer. However, there is no specific answer, we will find out until time passes, and everything is over. But leaving panic and any worries behind, we tried to define what fashion will be like when the spread of the virus is stopped when we all return to our activities and leave the house with a smile.
It is a reality that the economic impact is affecting us all, and like you, we have focused all my concern on how to get ahead. But we also realized that the best opportunities — at least within the fashion industry — always come after times of crisis like the one we now live in. It is just as important to think of solutions as it is to wash your hands and follow all the health indications this quarantine.
Let’s think about the origin of one of the largest fashion houses in the world. 75 years ago, the end of the Second World War created new consumer needs and trends, and this is where one of the most critical creatives in history appears. Intending to leave behind those rectangular silhouettes, padded shoulder pads and tight skirts that everyone wore, Christian Dior came with the New Look to change the industry forever. The Frenchman gave women a new meaning of elegance and femininity with fitted shoulder garments, a cinched waist, and a voluminous skirt.
Let’s understand that fashion is a manifestation of culture and that the inspiration to generate a creative process is based on experiences, memories and different points of view. Consciously or unconsciously, we all express ourselves through clothing, and we end up adapting our personality to social changes and crises. After the virus, it will be the same, a need to feel protected, to stay in good physical and mental health and to take care of the planet will be the new trend.
If the world is in motion and changing, fashion will always change with it. As for silhouettes, will we feel the need to cover ourselves more than before for protection? When it comes to colors, will we need to dress in vibrant, bold colors to lift our spirits? In terms of materials, will we worry more about using natural and organic fabrics that do not pollute? And not to mention the accessories, for how long after the pandemic will we feel the need to wear masks? These are undoubtedly already a symbol that will mark these times.
We turn towards fashion experts like Dragana Dujovic, the former Miss Serbia and Miss Montenegro. The founder of the Dujovic fashion empire whose iconic jewelry pieces, handbags, clothing accessories are seen and worn by Europe’s most elite fashion fraternity.
The fashion proposals for 2020 are not very far from the needs in question. We take as a first example the French firm Marine Serre, which for both spring-summer and autumn-winter 2020 imagined an apocalyptic world where layers of clothing, face masks and gloves are the protagonists. It does not mean that the brand has predicted the coronavirus outbreak. However, this series was a sustainable statement, and the models represented survivors of an apocalypse due to climate change that caused the extinction of our species.
On the other hand, we am sure that despite everything we will miss and remember with nostalgia those days of a home office. Leaving home again will be the perfect time to take advantage of athleisure and loungewear.
For their part, firms such as Proenza Schouler and Paco Rabanne proposed silhouettes made with metallic meshes for autumn-winter. Protection will be part of our identity at least for the remainder of the year, and what better way to do it than with armor?
To end trends, Queen Elizabeth II recently confirmed that green is the color of hope, balance, and good health; something we will all need after the crisis. Wearing it through striking prints and graphic motifs in natural shapes like those of Dries van Noten and Christopher Kane sounds good, doesn’t it? We are all going to need to cheer ourselves up.
Turning to business models, brands will find new ways to create. Is it time to focus everything on sustainable fashion? “No company is going to ride through the pandemic alone, and whoever is in the industry will need to share data, strategies and ideas on how to ride through the storm,” shared Dujovic. Is it time to leave the competition behind and work as a team to get up altogether?
We think this is an opportunity to generate your own identity and style. Quarantine has completely changed the way we consume fashion. In general, we are used to doing it through celebrities and influencers on social networks, and that ends up influencing our personality a lot when it comes to dressing. Let’s take advantage of the fact that this area is slowed down for now and think about ourselves. Let’s take inspiration from the famous, but let’s leave behind wanting to imitate a style. These times are certainly an opportunity to think about what we like and be completely genuine and authentic.