It was the Fashion Week that broke the internet.
Fashion — Sep 26
Surprisingly enough, the phrase “break the internet” isn’t tossed around lightly these days. A lethal string of words, it’s only used when absolutely necessary. And while many try, few can actually do it. But Milan Fashion Week spring 2020 was no match for J. Lo. And her viral catwalk moment didn’t just break the internet, but it was an unexpected reminder that, uh, she built it.
At Versace’s latest show, the quadruple threat closed the finale in her iconic Grammy’s dress from some 20 years ago and the crowd went wild. There wasn’t an iPhone in the air that failed to capture her signature strut in clear view (and not an Instagram caption left unedited from a place of sheer bewilderment and shock). But there was much more to the Milan collections to behold.
Where Milan can often seem stuck in its ways (that’s that charming, stubborn Italian nature, for you), spring 2020 offered a plethora of classic style tropes remodeled. The Canadian Tuxedo, for example, now comes with a European twist. And polka dots have made their way back to the main stage.
Though there can only be one J. Lo, there’s also only one you. And the trends below should help you prepare for your own viral style moments come next season. At least, that’s what we’ll be telling ourselves ahead of our next closet turnover. Ciao (for now)!
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.
Deep Blue Sea
A wash of royal, or cerulean, blue showed up on most of Milan’s runways, thanks to Marco de Vincenzo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci, and more. It's a color we haven't seen in spring collections for some time, but also harks back to a particular moment from the hit Devil Wears Prada flick that’s cemented in our fashion vernacular. We've all seen that moment. You already knew this, but: Fashion is cyclical, after all…
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
The 'Stylist's' Look
Enter: the stylist, someone who sees fashion as art and isn't afraid to really take it there with their looks every day. Designers like Fendi, Gucci, Antonio Marras, Missoni, and Stella Jean sent looks down the runway that, at first or third glance, could have used a few less items — but, ask someone as imaginative and married to clothes as a stylist, they would probably disagree. And we love anyone who stands by a healthy ensemble. Think: the "painter" look, but "make it fashion".
Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.
The Polka Dot Persuasion
Polka dots are shaping up to be a larger theme for spring 2020 as they’ve appeared at every fashion capital thus far. But Milan had its fair share of the ubiquitous print, grazie to Ermanno Scervino, Max Mara, Marco de Vincenzo, and others. We’ll just take this as further proof that polka dots are always en vogue.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Back To White
The idea of a crisp white suit can feel like a fashion taboo move, what with the fear of spilling all over it or leaning against a dirty subway door. But it's actually symbolic of purity and starting anew, which aligns with the general public's mood when it comes to spring. Etro, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, and MM6 Maison Martin Margiela sent crisp, structural white suits down their Milan runways that we may just have to forego all common sense for and add to our suit collection.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Not Your Grandma's Quilt
There’s something about quilts that warm the heart: whether it’s the sensation of visible seams or craftsmanship or the feeling of bringing unlikely fabrics together, it’s just plain cute. Designers like Jil Sander, Antonio Marras, and MGSM sent a few iterations through Milan this season and, deep down, we can’t think of a reason not to add them to our spring 2020 moodboards.
Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.
Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.
Photo: Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.
The Short & Short Of It
Where recent seasons have called for oversized suiting, spring 2020 requires a lengthening of proportions — but not what you think. Surf-ly board shorts have replaced wide-leg trousers and we couldn’t be happier (cc: Bottega Veneta, No. 21, Sportmax, Tod's, and Max Mara). Call them global warming-friendly, or just chic — we want in.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
The Tie-Dye Zone
Considering tie-dye has replaced all perceptions of any possible other print in recent season, it was as if we were waiting for it to appear on the runways this month. But we had to wait until Milan — Alberta Ferretti, MGSM, and Versace — to get it. Whether you’re into the hippie revival or not, its omnipresence throughout streetwear and Fashion Month is proof, though, that the dizzying tie-dye effect is (still) out in full force.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
Photo: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images.
And Away She Goes
While the feeling of escape isn’t exactly a novel idea in fashion, it’s comforting to know that designers feel like up and running sometimes, too. And several portraits of a woman with a backpack and a dream walked down the Milan runways, from Fendi and Antonio Marras, to Emporio Armani and Alberta Ferretti. Lest we forget the styling trick here, too: picking up fashionable items from everywhere she goes, taking a bit of the world with her on her every journey. It feels free, almost bohemian — only without needing to explicitly (and ironically) say it.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
Photo: Estrop/Getty Images.
The Denim Days Are (Not) Over
There was more denim on the runways in Milan than any fashion week so far this Fashion Month. That has to count for something, right? Sure, denim emblazoned with rhinestones or larger-than-life rosettes doesn’t really spell c-a-s-u-a-l — but fashion for the sake of fashion has never laid low anyway. Look to MM6 Maison Martin Margiela, Versace, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, and more to upgrade your jean game.
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