New York Fashion Week Fall 2020 is over just as quickly as it started. Given the shorter schedule and the absence of heavyweights like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Jeremy Scott, the pressure to carry the “week” fell to other brands. (Think Proenza Schouler, Dion Lee, Rodarte and last year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Christopher John Rogers.) It was up to our forum members to decide which collections raised the bar and which ones were subpar.
Which designers reigned supreme?
Rogers didn’t disappoint with his first post-win outing by flaunting an array of vibrant and voluminous creations. Proenza Schouler presented a beautifully styled collection. And Marc Jacobs closed out New York Fashion Week with a bang thanks to his 60s-inspired offering.
Which designers missed the mark?
Lee came up a little short this season with a collection resembling “a poor man’s Alexander Wang,” while the Mulleavy sisters‘ long-awaited Big Apple comeback failed to resonate. And our forum members were left wondering if Christian Siriano raided the clearance bins at Mood Fabrics.
From Michael Kors Collection to Monse and Brock Collection to Brandon Maxwell, our no-holds-barred forum members have been discussing and dissecting each and every show. Click through the slideshow above to see the hits and misses of New York Fashion Week Fall 2020.
Hits and Misses: NYFW Fall 2020
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HIT: Christopher John Rogers
"Quite liked this. The colors and styling were fabulous and the show was joyous. Many of these dresses would look amazing on the red carpet." [SophiaVB]
"This caught my eye on Instagram yesterday and immediately felt compelled to check out the full collection so I guess it’s a job well done. The show felt like a breath of fresh air...a celebration of pure joy and fun fashion." [vogue28]
"Some looks are quite interesting. I love that huge red gown. Definitely a highlight of this rather boring week." [avonlea002]
See all the looks from the Christopher John Rogers collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Prabal Gurung
"He’s potentially my least favorite designer of all time." [dior_couture1245]
"I see elements from JW Anderson, Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs, hell, even Christian Cowan. But no Prabal Gurung. And to think that at one point he and Jason Wu were considered the hope of NYFW." [dodencebt]
"I came out of hiding just to comment how hideous this is..." [jssy4eva]
See all the looks from the Prabal Gurung collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Proenza Schouler
"The offering is a lot better than bigger names. I like it overall. The high leather boots are exquisite." [Valentine27]
"Gorgeous! They make it look so easy. Mad about the off-the-shoulder looks and the general confident attitude of this line." [Benn98]
"I'm unashamed to say this is one of my favorites from New York so far! I love those off-the-shoulder looks, the boots, the whole silhouette and the styling. A massive thumbs-up from me!" [vogue28]
See all the looks from the Proenza Schouler collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Oscar de la Renta
"Yikes, what an eyesore! Thigh-high boots with a puffy ballgown AND a chunky jumper? Very much doubt the ODLR client will stand for this. Laura and Fernando better invest all their energy in Monse because it doesn't look like they'll be long at ODLR if this continues." [Benn98]
"This looks way more Monse than ODLR. They've been doing a good job capturing the heritage, but this is a misstep." [Marc10]
"This is so basic yet so messy. They need to stop doing those high-low gowns. They have been doing the same silhouette for quite a while now. I don't get why they try so hard to make ODLR look so young and fresh yet it comes off as desperation..." [TaylorBinque]
See all the looks from the Oscar de la Renta collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Jason Wu
"He needs to do shows regularly cuz NYFW needs it." [mathiaskatz]
"Love it." [liberty33r1b]
"I struggled to find any negatives when looking at this collection! There are some really beautiful, elegant and sophisticated looks and the runway setting with the foliage comes across perfectly in the photos." [vogue28]
See all the looks from the Jason Wu collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Zadig & Voltaire
"Gee, how lovely to see Zara do a fashion show." [aracic]
"LOL, this is embarrassing. Magazines editorialize all these looks during 'quiet' months and this brand had the guts to send it down the runway?" [Benn98]
"Why did the show move to NYC?" [Valentine27]
See all the looks from the Zadig & Voltaire collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: The Row
"Stunning. Everything works here. Some looks remind me of Hermes by Margiela." [avonlea002]
"It's the sort of extremely quiet minimalism with a great cut and even more fantastic fabrics that is missing elsewhere and for that I applaud the Olsen twins. Their business sense is incredible for allowing The Row to thrive at precisely the right time." [dodencebt]
See all the looks from The Row collection.
Image: Courtesy of Vogue.com
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MISS: LaQuan Smith
"It’s maybe time for LaQuan to step his game up and move on from the Instagram quality of his brand. I love some vulgarity, but make it fabulous..." [Lola701]
"He thinks he’s so fabulous." [dior_couture1245]
"Like it’s mind blowing there is even funding for this. Like doesn’t Fashion Nova already have this market covered? Do we really need a pricier version? Literal trash." [Will Ross]
See all the looks from the LaQuan Smith collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Gabriela Hearst
"This is incredible! Very sophisticated and easy, I love the warm color story. I don't even like fringe, but she makes it look so chic!" [StoneSkipper]
"The brown leather dress and the look after are just pure perfection! I want a 'see now, buy now' option on those two looks!" [Lola701]
See all the looks from the Gabriela Hearst collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Sies Marjan
"I feel like we have seen everything that needed to be seen from him. It’s cute, those clothes can literally catch anyone’s attention in the stores, but what does this brand stand for? What’s the aesthetic?" [Lola701]
"Same tired casting, messiness and overemphasis/reliance on color. What could have been cute was overstyled and interrupted by those hideous bags. Also reusing the exact same shoes as the first season and many of the fabrics he has already done is just lazy. Some of the girls look like they have Halloween makeup on. Totally confused." [Will Ross]
"What's up with those stupid fabrics? It looks like shredded hay in the first few looks and a big, giant bolt of asbestos..." [eugenius]
See all the looks from the Sies Marjan collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Michael Kors Collection
"This reminds me so much of what he did for Celine! This feels less American sportswear than usual and maybe more European/international. It’s a very good collection from him. Very now!" [Lola701]
"Great collection, well styled." [mathiaskatz]
"To be honest, the execution is so good that I can't really knock it too much. A well-edited collection and his very literal interpretation works this time. The clothes look so easy and comfortable to wear." [reese06]
See all the looks from the Michael Kors Collection collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Dion Lee
"Once upon a time this guy used to be an interesting avant-garde designer." [jeanclaude]
"Poor man's Alexander Wang and that’s saying something. I really don’t understand this brand or the minimal interest people have in it. I guess because Kourtney Kardashian wore it once?" [Will Ross]
"Well I like it, but it's not as striking as his spring show. That tie-dye has to go ASAP." [perhydrol]
See all the looks from the Dion Lee collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: R13
"I'm really into this — it looks like Dsquared2 by Raf Simons without the obnoxiousness that partnership would surely bring." [StoneSkipper]
"Amazing how a denim brand feels so much higher end than anything at NYFW and it’s because of the styling." [Will Ross]
"It's not my personal style and I find myself staring at each individual look for the details. That's good design and good styling. Definitely one of the stronger showings at NYFW." [dfl-001]
See all the looks from the R13 collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Carolina Herrera
"Carolina Herrera collections used to feel personal, even if it wasn't particularly my taste. I could picture the women attending the trunk shows, wearing her clothes and deciding what to buy for the events they were attending." [reese06]
"Just a bunch of nice clothes, something that could've been presented in a lookbook or not presented at all, nothing special to see here." [aracic]
"Too European. Too much fabric for so little emotion." [Lola701]
See all the looks from the Carolina Herrera collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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HIT: Marc Jacobs
"Simply and irresistibly pretty — and that isn't something to be ashamed of at all. Classic American style and classic Marc. Marc always excels so effortlessly when he conjures this brand of clean, early-60s prettiness." [Phuel]
"The collection is classic Marc. He has done 60s Edie Sedgwick many, many times and it still works for me. It’s simple and effective with a lot of charm..." [Lola701]
"I gotta say...this is Marc’s best collection and show since his Americana extravaganza of Spring 2016." [dior_couture1245]
See all the looks from the Marc Jacobs collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Brock Collection
"Felt like something Marc Jacobs would have done five years ago. Kind of severe for the label in my opinion and they lost their signature a bit. Very forgettable, not incredibly desirable, either." [HeatherAnne]
"Really apparent Vanessa Traina styled this... Looks a bit matronly." [SophiaVB]
"Oh my, too much going on..." [liberty33r1b]
See all the looks from the Brock Collection collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Brandon Maxwell
"What's the point of this show? Everything is so basic. No shapes, no color palette, no real design. Mediocrity is what kills fashion even more than ugly stuff. Just make a lookbook of it to save some money and invest more time and effort in the creations." [apple]
"LOL! Is he serious with this? This is exactly what happens when stylists believe they can be designers. You couldn't even stand out on a street in Jersey City wearing this. Where's the glamour, the fantasy, the...fashion?" [ThatDudeOverTher]
"To me this highlights everything that’s wrong with New York fashion. This is a parade of clothes that is so mediocre that it makes a Zara 70 percent off sale rack look avant-garde." [Norden]
See all the looks from the Brandon Maxwell collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Christian Siriano
"He just went and bought the cheapest fabrics at Mood!" [Lola701]
"Season after season, his taste level is still questionable. Tacky, tacky, tacky." [Gazillion]
"If NYFW is relying on these kind of 'young' talents to claim its spot in the international fashion arena, it's in serious trouble. This is what a housewife in Minnesota expects a fashion show to be..." [bc collector]
See all the looks from the Christian Siriano collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Rag & Bone
"This is Copenhagen Fashion Week 2012." [Norden]
"God, their menswear needs a massive overhaul. Absolutely no point of view here. The women's looks seem very pandering. Even Tiger of Sweden does better collections nowadays. I hope they get it together because at some point I was all over anything Rag & Bone." [Benn98]
"I’m sure when editors who were supposed to attend this show looked at this, they were happy to be in Los Angeles for Tom Ford sipping champagne with Jeff Bezos and J.Lo." [Lola701]
See all the looks from the Rag & Bone collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Tadashi Shoji
"If ever you need a visual description of mall fashion, this is it! When I look at shows like this, I understand why Tom Ford shows in Los Angeles." [Benn98]
"This is the epitome of NYFW." [dior_couture1245]
See all the looks from the Tadashi Shoji collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Rodarte
"This looks like a terrible version of a D&G Alta Moda collection." [Nomar]
"Now with Zac Posen gone, it's time for these two hacks. The only good thing about their show was free chocolate." [avonlea002]
"Do they employ anyone? Do they make these on their kitchen counter? I can't imagine them having an actual studio/showroom, staff members, etc. I still remember that article from years ago where they mentioned they still lived at their parents' home (makes sense on so many levels)." [Melancholybaby]
See all the looks from the Rodarte collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Monse
"A big NO!" [Lola701]
"First of all, my biggest fashion pet peeve is a punk reference. Secondly, this kind of 'everything-with-a-twist' thing is so grating and unintelligent." [dior_couture1245]
"Sorry, but Sarah Burton does this so much better at McQueen. Why does this brand even exist?" [Nomar]
See all the looks from the Monse collection.
Image: Imaxtree
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MISS: Coach 1941
"Oh boy..." [avonlea002]
"Not a stitch on last season! Far too messy, incoherent, overstyled and hate how the set only adds insult to injury." [vogue28]
"The outerwear is always such a standout here, but what's the point if 0 percent is produced?" [TianCouture]
See all the looks from the Coach 1941 collection.
Image: Imaxtree
