An article by Karen Kamel
The 2020s have made one thing very clear: change is the only constant. Fast-paced doesn’t even begin to describe the whirlwind that is our world right now, so It’s only natural that people are veering back into clothing that feels pre-approved and familiar.
Luxury is the pursuit of the extraordinary, and beneath the surface lies the social representation and cultural expression. High fashion has always been associated with craft, myths, icons, excellence, and, above all, history. But It’s one thing for it to be rooted in heritage, and another to stay in the past.
Chloe Spring/Summer 1999
What used to be decade-long defining eras in fashion have turned into a series of fleeting moments. One minute it’s minimalism that’s taking center stage, and the next it’s boho-chic. Then it’s polka dots, capri pants, some more polka dots. Most recently, Chinese-inspired fashion has reached its apogee, with frog fastening and embroidered mandarin-collar tops being everywhere. And it all has been in the span of this past year.
The thing is, it makes complete sense. It’s anxiety about an uncertain future and volatility in the market, all jumbled up in products that offer the reassurance of a you-can-never-go-wrong dress code. People just want to be transported back to a simpler time when the future felt a little more predictable. Sometimes all one needs in a purchase is an element that evokes a sliver of aspiration in the now and the comfort of believing there’s some sense of what’s to come.
(1) Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, (2) Isabel Marant SS 2013, (3) Ermano Scervino SS26, (4) Dries Van Noten SS26, (5) Ao Yes Shanghai SS26
It’s no secret that global brands are actively monetizing off of this phenomenon. They understand that in such fragmented times, releasing new “old” clothing is exactly the anchor that could feel emotionally grounding and stabilizing for their customers. It’s also why the vintage and resale markets are thriving like never before. Prominent luxury resellers and retail experts have realized the momentum secondhand clothing has gained in the past few years. Industry data shows that it is now growing three times faster than the firsthand market.
Those 20-year old Manolo’s kitten heels are still highly coveted today, and yes, they’re still as relevant and re cognizable as ever. But I wonder what people are really buying them for. I imagine it’s because they’ve retained their value, embodied the pop-culture identity of their time, and maybe because there’s a need to cling onto the archives when today’s landscape has yet to establish its own hallmark.
Vintage Manolo Blahnik Heels
Nostalgia on its own can put up a wall against exploration and evolving with today’s expectations. Momentary relief amid all the chaos. Yet, the temporal mutability of fashion doesn’t mean that a brand’s heritage wouldn’t be upheld, it means that clothing can still bring quality, durability, alignment with our cultural expression and personal emotion, while still being kept in the dust bag for generations because it still holds its meaning. It means it can be both timeless and of our time.
There is no denying that vintage items offer longevity and a sense of uniqueness in contrast to typical lash-in-the-pan trends. The revival of pillbox hats and military jackets isn’t the problem, but it still won’t settle the uncertainty that lies ahead. The question here isn’t whether this is a celebration of what once was, but whether the future reads as blank. At what point does a reference become blatant repetition?
Recycling fashion trends is not and has never been a foreign notion, but is it a coincidence that there hasn’t been a single defining, distinctive moment in 2020s fashion so far? Maybe this decade’s look isn’t a silhouette at all—it’s nostalgia itself.
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