Fashionista's Favorite Stories of 2020
It was... a year, that's for sure.
It was... a year.
It feels strange to distill what's been a very difficult, very consequential period of time into a handful of topics or themes, all of which will have an impact on how we move forward. Do we begin with the ongoing, devastating global pandemic, which, on top of creating a public health crisis, has brought about an economic recession, record job losses and challenges across industries? Or with the worldwide protests in response to the murders of Black individuals at the hand of police, which has once again put the spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement and has forced people and institutions alike to look inward in regards to their role in it all? There was also a divisive U.S. election cycle, which culminated in a new incoming Presidential administration. There were postponements and cancelations. There was isolation. There was a lot of loss. Occasionally, there was a bit of joy, too.
Through it all, Fashionista has reported on the trends, the people and the stories that shaped the fashion and beauty industries in 2020 — from the timely and important, to the silly and irreverent. We continued to follow the sustainability narrative as it evolved amid an uncertain political landscape and a pandemic. We checked in with various professionals about how their day-to-days were changing. We spoke with the thought-leaders working to make these sectors more equitable. We kept tabs on how brands were approaching an unprecedented fashion month. We were inspired by the career stories of the designers, editors and stylists who shared their journeys with us. We remembered Great Outfits in Fashion History.
This is only a partial telling of the story of 2020, of course. Below, we're re-sharing some of the most-read articles Fashionista published, as well as a handful of other memorable pieces from this year on a range of subjects. Wishing you a happy and safe new year, and reminding you to wear a mask.
The 5 Most-Read Stories of the Year
1. 19 Wedding Dresses From the Spring 2021 Collections to Make You Feel Hopeful
2. The Best Street Style Looks From New York Fashion Week Fall 2020
3. Target Is Releasing a Collection of Designer Dresses This Summer
4. Every Look From the 2020 Oscars Red Carpet
5. The 168 Best Street Style Looks From Fall 2020 Fashion Month
Honorable mentions: We Put 3 Beauty Products That Went Viral on TikTok to the Test, Great Outfits in Fashion History: Rita Moreno Re-Wearing Her 1962 Oscars Dress in 2018, You Can Buy Non-Medical Face Masks From These Fashion Brands Right Now
The Second Annual 'Fashionsita Five'
Aurora James Is Changing — and Challenging — How We Think About Fashion
Sandrine Charles Found Her Passion Early On — and Has Been Paving Her Own Path Ever Since
Hanifa's Anifa Mvuemba Couldn’t Get the Fashion Industry's Support. Turns Out She Didn't Need It
Leah Thomas Is Helping Build a More Intersectional Sustainability Movement
Must-Reads on Diversity, Inclusivity and Equality
Steps Fashion Companies Can Take to Become Genuinely Anti-Racist
Aurora James Has a Plan to Support Black-Owned Businesses in the Long Term
How Can Racism Be Addressed in Fashion Schools?
The Black in Fashion Council Has a 'Long-Term Accountability Strategy' for Fashion and Beauty Brands
The Wall Group's Jay Lopez on How Managers Can — and Should — Advocate for BIPOC and Latinx Artists
Kimberly Jenkins Wants to Help Decolonize Our Understanding of Fashion
This Retail Trend Puts the Spotlight on Emerging Diverse Talent
What's the Best Way to Talk About — and Measure — Size Inclusivity at Fashion Week?
Can't-Miss Career-Centric Stories
How Victor Glemaud's 'Meandering Journey' in Fashion Led to His Label of Joyful Knits
How Karla Martinez de Salas Got to the Top of the Vogue Mexico and Latin America Masthead
How Sinéad Burke Went From Elementary School Teacher to Accessible Design Advocate
How Elizabeth Paton Became One of Fashion's Foremost Investigative Reporters
How Michelle Cole Went From Studying Costume Design to Actually Doing It — on Multiple Shows at Once
How Lauren Indvik Navigated an Uncertain Media Landscape To Land Her Dream Fashion Job
How Solange Franklin Went From Pre-Med to Styling Magazine Covers
How 'Cosmo' Beauty Director Julee Wilson Became a Leading Voice in Modern Media
How Erik Maza Went From Reporting for Regional Papers to Writing Coverlines for Town & Country
How Nicole Chapoteau Pivoted From Architecture to the Top of the Vanity Fair Fashion Department
Deep-Dives into the Fashion Biz
The Biggest Fashion Stories of 2020
When There Are No Red Carpets, What's a Celebrity Stylist to Do?
Fashion Influencers Are Navigating What Content Looks Like During a Pandemic
The Complicated Legacy of 'Man Repeller'
When Did Celebrities Go From Being the 'Face' of Brands to 'Co-Owners' and 'Creative Directors'?
How Haute Couture Comes Together in Quarantine
How Brands and Their PR Teams Are Navigating Communications During a Pandemic
Animal Crossing Is Providing Community, Comfort and Paid Work for Quarantined Fashion Professionals
Does a Fashion Brand Need a Public-Facing Founder to Survive?
Introspective Essays
It's Time to Stop Looking to Brands to Save Us
How Should We Think About Personal Style After This?
Getting to Know, and Like, My Natural Hair Texture in Quarantine
On My Relationship With My Hair and My Hijab — and How It's Evolved During Social Isolation
I Use Press-On Nails to Convince the World I Have My Life Together
The Stories That Left Us Inspired
Fashion and Beauty Editors Are Using Their Brand Contacts to Get Product to Frontline Workers
Filipinos in Fashion Rally Around Typhoon Relief, Whether at Home or Abroad
How Brands Are Using Their Retail Spaces to Register Voters
... And Those That Got Us All in Our Feels
Remembering China Chalet, Where New York's Next-Gen Fashion Talent Partied
Luxury Ready-to-Wear Brand Cushnie is Closing
Millennials Grow Up, but American Girl Is Forever
The Trends We Couldn't Stop Talking About
House Dresses May Be the Biggest Item of the Summer
I Have Been Telling Y'all We Need to Talk About Machine Gun Kelly's Style!
Shoppers Are Indeed Trying to Dress Like 'Emily in Paris'
Can 'Fidget Jewelry' Reduce Your Election/Pandemic/Everything Anxiety?
We Regret to Inform You: Thongs Peeking Out From Backless Dresses Are a Trend
Favorite Interviews
Hollywood's Next Stylist to Watch Is Just Jared's Jared Eng
'Gossip Girl' Costume Designer Eric Daman Is Officially Confirmed for the Reboot
Prabal Gurung Is Trying to Find Certainty in This Uncertain Moment
Designers Remember the First Time They Attended the Met Gala
Steph Shep Is a Climate 'Activist' for the Kardashian Generation
The Beauty Top 7
450+ Black-Owned and Founded Beauty and Wellness Brands to Know
'The Circle''s Joey Sasso, Noted Skin-Care Aficionado, Told Us His Full Grooming Routine
An Oral History of How MAC's Ruby Woo Became One of the Best-Selling Lipsticks in the World
Pat McGrath Created Dozens of Distinct Red Lipstick and Black Eyeliner Looks at Marc Jacobs
The Gen-Z Founders of Topicals Are Building a Uniquely Mission-Driven Beauty Company
Vi Lai — AKA @WhatsonVisFace — Is a Skin-Care Icon for the TikTok Generation
Sailor Moon-Inspired Makeup Tears Are the Campy Instagram Beauty Trend We Need Right Now
Sustainability Standouts
The Pandemic Transformed Fashion's Sustainability Narrative in 2020
Inside the Fight to End Labor Exploitation in L.A. Garment Factories
Online Retailers Are Making 'Sustainable' Fashion More Searchable
Could Intergalactic Mining for Fashion's Raw Materials Be Good for Our Planet?
Can Fashion Shows Ever Be Environmentally Justifiable?
Chanel Commits $35 Million Toward Solar Energy Projects for Low-Income Californians
Get to Know the Designer Creating Upcycled Corsets From Vintage Nike Sweats and Budweiser Towels
Ask a Sustainability Expert: How Do I Recycle My Worn-Out Shoes?
Former Everlane Employees Claim They Were Unlawfully Fired After They Tried To Unionize
Meet the Brands Making Accessories Out of Greenhouse Gases
Memorable Collection Reviews
The Marc Jacobs Fall 2020 Show Was Beautiful, Magical Chaos
Olivier Rousteing Says Balmain's Resort 2021 Collection Is 'One of Its Most Emotional' Yet
Has Gucci Rendered the Traditional Fashion Show Obsolete?
Christopher John Rogers Envisions the Colorful, Joyful Spring We're All Hoping For
Brandon Maxwell Does Comfort Dressing His Way for Spring 2021
The Best of Costume Design
Why Costume Design for Teen TV Shows 'Work Twice as Hard' for Emmy Recognition
The Costumes in Netflix's 'The Baby-Sitters Club' Are Peek Cool Tween™ (With a Dash of Nostalgia)
The Costumes in 'I May Destroy You' Are Just as Honest and Complicated as the Show
The 5 Most LOL (and Heartfelt Cry) Costume Moments in Mindy Kaling's 'Never Having I Ever'
Elle Fanning Wears Dior-Inspired Imperial Gowns in Hulu's 'The Great'
How the 'Lovecraft Country' Costumes Give an "Exclamation Point' to the Thrilling Story
The Fourth Season of 'The Crown' Highlights Princess Diana's Enduring Influence on Fashion
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