PFW FW20: Givenchy, OFF-WHITE, Thom Browne, Issey Miyake

OFF-WHITE borrowed notes from the 1990s to help define its approach to fashion in the decade ahead. Christened “Slightly Off,” the new collection debuted on a runway fixed around a maze of overturned vintage automobiles, where we saw looks like a pair of cow printed trousers worn with a graffiti-marked blazer, a seafoam green utility jumpsuit styled with tall leather gloves and sneakers, and a swirled houndstooth skirt suit cinched at the waist with a chain. Styles of the ‘90s like slip dresses and bra tops, cast a calming feeling of nostalgia in a time where the future seems so uncertain. The collection also featured collaborations with MGM studios, which yielded a Blue Velvet-inspired capsule, and Arc’teryx, which saw a range of full-skirted ballgowns fused with the brand’s parkas.

An interpretation of old-school prep was applied to a single range of garments made for both men and women in Thom Browne’s new collection. A whimsical wintry environment complete with a wooden door (à la Chronicles of Narnia) was filled with models wearing red and blue animal masks, followed by a parade of identically dressed couples whose faces were covered in sheer black material. Androgynous styles, like blazers worn with kilts or trousers layered under long robes, were imagined from a multitude of prints and garments that had been collaged, patchworked, and pasted into new styles. Looks were accompanied by animal-shaped bags in black leather and lace-up winter boots with thick argyle socks.

The body language of powerful women informed “Arthouse Beauty,” Givenchy’s Fall/Winter 2020 collection. Creative director Clare Waight Keller applied the allure of the silver screen through a palette of colors like black, white, cherry red, and cobalt, seen on voluminous silhouettes that embodied an untamed elegance. Of note was a black and red dress with geometric layering and full sleeves, a sheer black top with a band of white feathers across the front, and a selection of dresses with capes. Each look featured chic details like wide leather belts, strappy heeled sandals, and matching oversized handbags.

Issey Miyake’s “Making Speaking, Speaking Making” approached the new season with childlike wonder, recalling the joy we once found in making things with our own hands and using all our senses. Hoping to transcend language and culture and connect through shared feelings, the brand created a series of hand-in-hand silhouettes, which joined the wearers through shared sleeves, scarves, and other pieces. Playful colors were seen on fluid silhouettes, like knit dresses with long sleeves, robe-style outerwear with folds of extra fabric at the front, and loose trousers with cutouts in the legs. A highlight of the season was the selection of prints, including a pattern inspired by colorful clays kneaded together; an aurora print, reminiscent of the glimmering lights; and the doro print, which looked at the way hands knead mud into shapes.