Gowns by the Numbers
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Gowns By the Numbers Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 Trend Report The Current State of Fashion Fashion, along with every other industry, has been completely shaken up by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world faces unprecedented challenges that are forcing many to rethink the systems currently in place, the fate of fashion remains to be seen. In the meantime, the industry is doing what it can to comply with the new rules and regulations and aid in the fight against the virus. Source: Women’s Wear Daily In an effort to stop the spread... ● Retailers, at every level, closed their stores for an indefinite period of time ● Fabric mills and workshops around the globe halted production. ● American designers from Christian Siriano to Brandon Maxwell started producing face masks. ● The French luxury group LVMH, which owns Givenchy and Dior among others, converted its makeup factories to produce hand sanitizer. More recently ● The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, France’s governing body, announced on March 27 that the Haute Couture collections for Fall/Winter 2020 will not go on as planned. Source: Women’s Wear Daily About Haute Couture ● Haute Couture translates to “high dressmaking” and is protected by law in France ● The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode is the institution which sets in place and upholds the rules: ○ Designers and houses must be maintain an atelier (workshop) in Paris ○ The atelier must employ at least fifteen full-time staff and twenty full-time dressmaking experts. ○ They must provide made-to-order clothing that is custom-fitted and sewn by hand for their clients. ○ Each designer or house must present a collection of no less than 50 original ensembles during Haute Couture week in Paris, which occurs twice-annually in January and July Source: Business of Fashion A Note from the Fédération “In light of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic worldwide, strong decisions are required to ensure the safety and health of houses, their employees, and everyone working in our industry...The Fédération is actively working with its members on possible alternatives.” - Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode The Haute Couture collections would have provided a much needed distraction- a fantasy far away from the uncertainty right now. Although we do not know when or in what capacity they will continue, we can look back on the incredible gowns from the Spring/Summer season in an effort to predict what trends might be apparent in the evening wear category and how they reflect the current moment. The Houses The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode invites designers from all over the world who can maintain a Parisian atelier to show their one-of-a-kind creations as a part of Haute Couture week. For Spring/Summer 2020, Lebanese designers Zuhair Murad and Elie Saab showed alongside Chinese newcomer Guo Pei and French heavyweights such as Dior and Chanel. As it is a French tradition, French designers make up the majority. The Houses Number of Spring/Summer 2020 Haute Couture Houses by Culture Number of Houses Source: Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode Nationality Ari Stark The Data Set ● Because Haute Couture is less about practicality and more about fantasy, gowns are a staple in each collection as they are a perfect blank canvas for creativity ● I compiled a data set that catalogues the 500 gowns presented during the Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 season based on these details: ○ Silhouette ○ Neckline, hemline, and sleeve type ○ Color, print, and embroidery type ○ And whether the gown features bows, cutouts, fringe, feathers, or a cape *** The definition of what constitutes a gown can vary. For the purpose of this project, I considered a gown to be a dress or skirt/top combination where the skirt falls below the ankle*** Gowns Percentage of Gowns by House Findings ● Dior (10.4%), one of the most prominent French fashion houses, accounted for the most gowns during the Spring/Summer season ● Bouchra Jarrar (0.4%) and Julie de Libran (0.4%) who are both smaller, independent designers accounted for the least Surprises/Trends ● Storied houses tend to lean toward classic approaches to eveningwear. They are able Percentage of Gowns to present larger collections and gowns better suit their clientele’s needs. Younger designers are bringinging a fresh perspective to haute couture that is more casual: fewer gowns and more separates. House Ari Stark Dress it up Dress it down Dior Elie Saab Bouchra Jarrar Julie de Libran Silhouette Percentage of Gowns by Silhouette Type Findings ● Slimmer silhouettes are on trend this season as column (31%) and sheath (22.8%) styles take the lead Surprises/Trends ● The lower the flare of the skirt, the less “on-trend” it appears to be: a ball-gown (6.6%) flares dramatically from the hips, trumpets (5.6%) flare above the knee, and mermaids (4.6%) flare below the knee Percentage of Gowns Silhouette Type Ari Stark IN OUT Sleek and simple Restricting and Ostentatious Valentino Azzaro Jean Paul Gaultier Givenchy Color Percentage of Gowns by Color Findings ● Multi colored (21.8%) gowns were the most popular and the second and third most popular colors were actually non-colors: white (17.6%) and black (12.6%) ● In terms of actual color, blue (9.6%) gowns were the most common Surprises/Trends ● Shades of green (4.6%) were surprisingly Percentage of Gowns strong this season for evening wear, outranking red (4.4%) Color Ari Stark White Blue Green Purity and the promise of renewal Pantone’s color of the year- serene and stable A visual reminder of nature and sustainability Guo Pei Schiaparelli Giambattista Valli Design Details (accounted for individually) Percentage of Gowns by Design Detail Findings ● Capes (16.8%) were the most popular design detail for gowns by comparison Surprises/Trends ● Although fringe (9.0%) and feathers (7.2%) were wildly popular on the ready-to-wear runways, they were not as popular by comparison on the haute couture runways Percentage of Gowns Design Detail Ari Stark Caped Crusaders On the runway capes have the same effect as in comic books, representing strength and offering Guo Pei Elie Saab Maison Margiela Prints and Motifs Percentage of Gowns by Print/Motif Type Findings ● Flora/fauna (47.3) prints and motifs were by far the most prominent ● This makes sense as florals are a common theme come Spring and compliment the feminine aspect of most gowns Surprises/Trends ● Taking a cue from the ready-to-wear market, animal (11.5%) prints/motifs were Percentage of Gowns surprisingly high for Haute Couture this season Print/Motif Type Ari Stark Floral Animal Celestial A feminine representation of Spring’s arrival A statement of grace and strength A reminder to keep dreaming and be hopeful Chanel Ronald van der Kemp Valentino Embroidery Percentage of Gowns by Embroidery Type Findings ● Of the gowns that featured some form of embroidery (257), Sequins (33.1%) were the most popular. ● Sequins are smaller and more discreet than most embroidery types Surprises/Trends ● Other, more brash forms of embroidery were used less this season Percentage of Gowns Embroidery Type Ari Stark Blank Slate Exaggerated, frivolous embroidery takes a back seat, to pure sculptural forms with subtle sparkle Valentino Ralph & Russo Alexandre Vauthier Necklines Percentage of Gowns by Neckline Findings ● V-necks (18.8%) and crewnecks (17.6%) were the two most prominent necklines during the Spring/Summer season Surprises/Trends ● More revealing neckline styles like sweetheart (8%), off-the-shoulder (5.8%), and scoop (4%) do not appear to be on-trend Percentage of Gowns Neckline Ari Stark Givenchy V’s and Crews Dior Simple, surprisingly demure necklines echo a newfound ease in couture evening wear Chanel Armani Privé Elie Saab Zuhair Murad Conclusion ● Although the fashion industry will be hit hard due to the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, designers, stores, and magazines are rethinking ways in which to bring fantasy and self-expression to the consumer ● That being said, the SS20 haute couture collections taught us that a return to craft and a subtle elegance will be key for evening wear and beyond Valentino.