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All trends come and go, and some are more cyclical than others. The1950s ushered in poodle skirts, the 1980s reintroduced big shoulder pads, and capri pants had another big moment in the early 2000s. Some trends become wardrobe staples (remember, denim was a trend once), and some are just here for a moment—does anyone miss twin set cardigan sweaters?
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, an economic downturn, and consumers dramatically cutting back on spending, minimalism is expected to make a comeback. In the context of fashion, minimalism focuses on the form and fabric of the clothing, stripping garments down to their most necessary elements. A minimalist aesthetic features clean lines and silhouettes and is very approachable. Merchandise can include anything from a classic midi skirt to a traditional loafer.
The fashion runways from this past February were filled with plenty of prints, patterns, and colors, but minimalism is still expected to have its moment. During periods of economic decline, designers tend to be conservative with what they create as they are driven to produce pieces that will sell easily and keep their businesses afloat.
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Less risks are taken, more neutral colors, and monochromatic schemes are used, and design silhouettes are less experimental. In 2007, with the US economy stalling, the runways of New York became more conventional and provided a sea of neutrals. Everywhere you turned, there was a variation on the little black dress.
But that was 2007, the current trend of minimalism began well before the COVID-19 pandemic. At Milan and Paris Fashion Week, street style stars opted for understated shapes and muted colors, choosing a classic expression of fashion rather than creating statement looks. Since 2019, global economies appeared to be heading toward recession, so rather than splurge on pieces that would only be worn once or for a special occasion, fashionistas are taking a more timeless approach to fashion and purchasing things that will outlast trends.
Minimalist designers are also becoming the talk of the town. Brooklyn-based designer Peter Do, who is known for his use of neutral colors and clean profiles, has found himself among top retail stockists at Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-Porter, and Moda Operandi. Square-toed shoes, silhouetted sweaters, and jumpsuits are poised to shine. With many people still taking the stay-at-home approach to life and work, sweatpants, tank tops, loose-fitting hoodies, and understated athleisure pieces are becoming go-to fashion items.
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The era of camping it up has been put aside, but minimalism is taking a different turn than before. Lauren Milligan, senior fashion features editor of e-commerce site matchesfashion.com, saw this coming in a world pre-quarantine. In a 2019 blog post on the website, Milligan said that, “We are firmly in the grip of a renewed fervor for the clean, crisp comfort of minimalism — but not as we know it.”
Minimalistic pieces have become more elevated. This isn’t your grandmother’s slim fit turtleneck and matchstick pant. During Phoebe Philo’s tenure as creative director of Celine, she furthered the concept of luxury minimalism with her black trousers and roll-neck shirts. Philo became the voice that would define minimalism for an entire generation of fashion lovers.
In 2010, Philo created a collection for Celine that would define the minimalist aesthetic for the entire decade. The collection was characterized by her super-clean approach to neutrals, the advent of wooden platform shoes, and she did what some thought impossible: made the bodysuit fashionable. You have Phoebe Philo to thank for an entire generation of girls who made a bodysuit and jeans their club uniform.
One of Philo’s most notable collections was her spring 2014 collection, which put the spotlight on asymmetrical plissé skirts, proving that minimalism is about more than just approachable color and fit, it’s about fabrication too. This skirt could be characterized as “the skirt that launched 1000 imitations”, because it would quickly trickle down to the fast-fashion brands like Zara. It was the must-have piece for every fashion girl with an office job in New York City.
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It is important to understand that minimalistic fashion goes beyond being a trend; it is an entire aesthetic that can be adopted at any time. Whether it’s an important meeting at the office or dressing for a homegoing, consumers regularly take the minimalist approach to their attire. “I never think of minimalism as a trend,” British Vogue deputy editor Sarah Harris was quoted saying to MatchesFashion. “If anything, it’s anti-trend, because it’s an approach to dressing that will forever be in style. Personally, I’ve long favored a more minimal approach to dressing. Partly because I’m so surrounded by fashion at work that I like to have a blank canvas when it comes to what I wear, but also largely due to the way I shop and view clothes; when I buy something, I want it to last longer than a season, whereas prints are so specific to a single season.”
Many industry professionals debunk the idea that minimalism is trending at all. Janna Jatyri, founder of trend forecasting agency Trendstop, contends that, “Minimalism isn’t trending any more at the moment than it was previously. There are a lot of what we call ‘fake trends’ touted as real trends, but the problem with following them is that consumers won’t buy them.”
Jatyri continues explaining that, “Comfort and ease will be important factors to consumers going forward.” In regard to logomania, which was a trend that re-emerged along with the era of maximalism in the past decade, Jatyri explains, “Following events like the climate change and Black Lives Matter protests, consumers will care more about the values and meaning brands provide. Logos without meaning will not be interesting to them.”
While Jatyri doesn’t think aesthetics will be getting any more minimalist than they have in the past, she does see designers scaling down their collections. “Designers and brands will need incredibly strong validation of future consumer wants and needs to create products consumers will continue to buy,” she stated. “[Trends will be defined by] less but better fashion—items that are better for the planet and more profitable because they are hyper curated to offer exactly what consumers will want.”
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Fashion forecasting agency Ftrend also sees consumer tastes moving in a different direction entirely. “Minimalism will not be back into market for now and next season, instead there will be a huge demand for home based, hand-made intricate design direction,” a spokesperson for Ftrend noted.
Despite the comments from trend forecasting agencies, some designers have already gone the minimalist route. Jacquemus recently released a very minimalist collection exclusive with Ssense that was all neutral-colored athleisure and loungewear with very clean silhouettes. 1017 Alyx 9SM also delivered their anti-racist action tee shirt, in black and white colorways, with a small “Anti-Racist Action” flag logo. Phoebe Philo is expected to launch her own sustainability focused line, and if its DNA is anything like that of her tenure at Celine, chic minimalism is to be expected.
While there’s argument as to whether or not minimalism is trending, the maximalist approach to fashion that characterized the last decade appears to be on pause . In a post-pandemic world, designers will be reassessing their approach to both business and design. With more people working from home, and making a statement that is political rather than sartorial, expect designers to scale back on the size of collections and how much they are willing to push the envelope with their creations. It’s a different horizon for fashion, one that might involve more head-to-toe neutrals, simple silhouettes, and monochrome color schemes.
— Kristopher Fraser
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