While there are various ways of approaching nostalgia, Calvin Luo hit the nail on the head in terms of modernizing them this season. In his unisex Fall 2019 show, it was all about converging the styles and tropes of the 80s and 90s into today’s urban-crafted and maximalist attitudes. There were tinges of the referenced decades in many of the looks, but they were completely filtered and pared down that, at the end of the day, what one sees are modern clothes for modern people. For example, a ton of slightly oversized and big-shouldered jackets was right out of the 1980s playbook, but here they were constructed slightly slouchier than usual for that nonchalant and easy vibe that’s all too current. An apron-style dress—both on a man and a woman—was very 90s Helmut Lang. But when it’s worn with well-cut trousers underneath, the look becomes extremely 2019. One can’t deny the impact of both decades in both fashion and pop culture, but until designers follow in suit of Luo’s impeccable takes and modernizations of such references, the fashion sphere is at risk of repeating itself all over again.
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
