Fashion trends are an organic thing. They develop in a rather natural way: based on an action-reaction dynamic and as a reflection of society – more precisely said, of the mentalities of a society, of politics and of culture.

We are at the moment heading into a new direction. What that direction will be more precisely is a big unknown. We’re most likely to see a come-back of “conservatism” – even though that’s not a very exact word to describe it. We’re still a few years away from that, but the signs of those times have been visible for quite a while now. Western fashion has been more and more unraveling by the decade. Over the last half century or so, we could see an increase in kitsch sexuality (better described as fast food sexuality), which, combined with the growing infantilism of our times leads to a lot of vulgarity and to a lot of fear of maturity, decent sexuality and nuance. As the world enters into a new stage of mentalities dynamics (North meets South), we are going to see a different approach to fashion (and to many other things) in the seasons to come. New rules will be installed, they will often be masked or disguised and this will lead to an almost unnoticeable paradigm shift. This change has already begun, but it will most likely increase in the next years or so.

Thus, being in a time of transition, we will now see a combination of clothes that still cater to the cultural establishment, but also signs of the new paradigm combined. The unrest that is happening politically will also dictate a lot of these directions, which is why we’ll most likely see very rigorous insistencies on certain angles, which will prevail over artistic value or economic gain, as in very many cases, the purpose is to push cultural agendas and not to provide value to the customers.

Of course, we cannot know exactly what will happen, but here is our take on what the trends of the 2019 Fashion Weeks will be (which will have a connection to the overall culture as well).

Anti-Fashion / Nihilism

The idea of fashion as non-fashion has been around for a few years now and, as any trend, started out as a niche, but is now overwhelming the runways of the world. In certain aspects, anti-fashion is also tied up to the postmodern nihilism, even though the two are two separate categories. On the one hand, we will see a lot of the anti-fashion movement still prevail through “garments” described by a sheet with two armholes to serve as a jacket, a cloth with a hole as a shirt, and so on.

On the other hand, we will see a lot of this nihilist, self-deprecating fashion – which is the more colorful version of anti-fashion. This “aesthetic” is defined by so-called “unconventional materials” – e.g. clothes made from plastic bottles, clothes made from trash and so on. The self-destructive mindset expressed through overly-stimulating colors, weird, contrasting mixes (such as childhood and hypersexuality) and unnatural proportions, as well as odd and depressed details are all the marks of this aesthetic. For those looking for a concrete image of this, think Bas Kosters remixed over and over again.

Psychedelic experiences

In a way connected to the nihilist approach, but not necessarily, is the idea of psychedelic experiences. We believe we will see both sides on the runways: on the one hand, the synthetic version (neon colors, crazy patterns, cirque des rêves bizares), but on the other hand we may also see the more natural version: DMT/ayahuasca aesthetic, rainforest shamans, spirits of the trees, etc.

War

This trend was already a bit visible on the runway, but we believe it will take on greatly in 2019, as armed conflict will become a strong fashion and culture theme. Thus, we’re expecting to see camouflage, protection gear, helms and, why not, even throwback to different eras of military gear and attire.

And all that drag

As it was the case over the last few seasons, when we saw a lot of womenswear incorporated into menswear shows, we will also most likely see a lot of drag and highly feminine clothes in men’s fashion next year as well. Most of this will be, however, due to inertia, there won’t be such a strong power push on the idea.

Big brands

Supreme has been the posterbrand for people loving to show off labels and this trend will continue in the next seasons, with more big brands making a big deal about placing their logos on clothes and accessories.

Royal court

Besides all these rather dark trends, we’re also expecting to see a more delicate trend, namely a soft vision of a royal court. In this regard, we’re expecting to see lots of gold, white and pale shades of pink, sorbet colors, antique white and, of course, the mint shade that has been so much talked about.

As usually, themes intertwine: for example the theme of illumination is a bridge between the gold of the royal court and the psychedelic experiences of the Amazon. The idea of battle is reflected both in a battle against the other, as well as in a battle against yourself.

Moreover, it needs to be said that the “athleisure” and “athluxury”, as well as the upcycling trends will continue. We’re also most likely going to continue seeing oversized items and a continuation of the feminine aesthetic trend.

It’s possible that these trends won’t last for long and won’t make a strong cultural and historical impact, as people are quite impatient and want to move more rapidly in a more stable environment.

There is certainly a lot of unclarity in the world of trends, but there one thing that is quite certain. It can be said that we have come at a cultural standstill, and for many people there doesn’t seem to be any direction. Hence the self-deprecating aspect of culture today. Our culture has also been quite exhausted, as the book of references has been used, misused, abused and reused in so many ways that we are getting bored with it. Thus, we probably need (or, even if we don’t need, we will) create a new system of references and we will be forced to create a brand new culture. How that culture will look, is a discussion for another day.

Fraquoh and Franchomme

Further reading:

Luxury market trends 2018-2019

Trends forecast report: 2017 in review

Trend forecast: Fashion Weeks of 2018

P.S. We want to hear from you! What do you think will be a big trend on the runways of 2019 for the 2020 season? Which of these trends do you think will be big? Why? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!