Vogue Runway’s Most-Read Stories of 2019

Here at Vogue Runway our editors reviewed about a thousand collections in 2019—men’s, women’s, Spring, Fall, Resort, and Pre-Fall—but that’s just the start of our coverage. We chronicled the ins and outs of the street style scene, the comings and goings of designers, and, of course, the ne plus ultra of the red carpets, the Met gala.

As is usually the case, Vogue Runway’s biggest stories of the year were fashion’s biggest stories of the year. We all mourned the passing of the legendary Karl Lagerfeld in February and likewise shed a tear for Zac Posen and Barneys New York, who were forced to shutter their businesses in November. But there were forces for levity and joy elsewhere: Witness the outpouring of extravagance and eccentricity that was the Costume Institute’s “Camp” exhibition (and its aforementioned gala) and the Instagram sensation that was Jennifer Lopez in her Versace jungle dress.

Clothing is woven into the very fabric of our culture. When NASA ran short of women-sized spacesuits in advance of its first all-female space walk, it put a spotlight on persistent, systemic sexism. Kudos to Hillary Clinton for calling out the patriarchy in action. We’re sure there will be more of that in 2020.

The top 10 most-read stories are below.

10. Giambattista Valli Is H&M’s New Designer Collaborator

Fifteen years after Karl Lagerfeld ushered in H&M’s designer collaboration project, the Swedish fast-fashion giant still knows how to pick the right partner. Our readers got behind its union with the Italian couturier Giambattista Valli in a big way, in no small part because he had Kendall Jenner walk him down the aisle in frothy hot pink tulle.

9. NASA Cancels the First All-Female Space Walk Because of a Too-Large Suit

When Hillary Clinton expressed outrage over NASA’s lack of women’s spacesuits—and the canceled all-female flight that resulted—she sparked a PR debacle of space-sized proportions. Seven months later NASA released its first gender-neutral suit. The red, white, and blue get-up is very on-trend, fashion-wise.

8. The Biggest Street Style Trends of the Spring 2020 Season

Runway trends come and go so fast many of them fail to coalesce IRL. When they do, you know a designer has made an impact. In 2019, the collection that changed the fashion conversation—and the street style scene—the most was Hedi Slimane’s sophomore effort at Celine. His nouveau bourgeois look—think: trim blazers, bow-neck blouses, and pleated skirts—dominated the recent round of shows.

7. Andrew Bolton Takes Vogue on a Walking Tour of “Camp: Notes on Fashion”

How to design a mega-hit museum show? Choose a concept that’s at once unfamiliar and all-encompassing. From the fashion runways to Instagram to the Oval Office, we’re living in what the Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton calls a “high camp” moment: one of exaggeration (anything by Jeremy Scott), artifice (hello FaceTune!), and the straight-up outrageous (j’accuse President Trump!).

6. This Is What New York Fashion Week Looked Like Before Influencers and Instagram

Baby-faced Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima. Need we say more?

5. Teva Sandals Are the Shoes of Summer 2019

Few of you can resist the allure of ugly shoes, it seems. Having experimented with Crocs and Birkenstocks in summers past, this year’s so-bad-it’s-good shoe of choice was Teva’s Hurricane XLT2. According to Lyst, the only accessory more popular was Off-White’s Jitney bag.

4. Jennifer Lopez Tells the Story of Her Green Versace Dress

What’s better than an Instagram video of Jennifer Lopez vamping down the Versace runway in an updated version of the famous Spring 2000 Versace jungle dress? A video of JLo and Donatella Versace talking about the sensational new frock and how the then-and-now moment came to be.

3. Zac Posen Closes His Business

After almost two decades in the spotlight, dressing the likes of Naomi Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rihanna, and Katie Holmes, Zac Posen was forced to shutter his business. Old-school glamour isn’t enough to make it in the new fashion economy. Still, Posen is better positioned for the future than some of his designer peers: He’s got a hell of an Instagram following, and those Hollywood connections count for a lot.

2. Met Gala Live Blog

Over 200,000 of you followed along in real time as we blogged about who wore what on the Met gala’s pink carpet. We meant it when we called “Camp: Notes on Fashion” a mega-hit.

1. Legendary Designer Karl Lagerfeld Has Died

Fashion lost Karl Lagerfeld in February, two days before his final Fendi show and two weeks before his last for Chanel. He spent 54 and 36 years at those brands, respectively; even though the legendary designer is no longer with us, his genius will live on and on.

Originally Appeared on Vogue