Timeless with a twist: Michael Kors creates classics for multi-tasking Millennials
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: Models walk the runway during the Michael Kors FW20 Runway Show on February 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Michael Kors)
Kors said the A/W 20 collection is aimed at “teaching a new generation about the pride of owning something that lasts,” in an era dominated by fast fashion. While the seasonal mood was a gentle nod to the uncertainty felt globally, it also tapped into the heritage of the house as it prepares for its impending 40th birthday celebration next year.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: A model walks the runway during the Michael Kors FW20 Runway Show on February 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Michael Kors)
Building on the house ethos of “timeless with a twist,” Kors tapped into key values that make up the modern Millennial condition. He weaved sustainable practices into the collection without using it as a marketing ploy. One black smock dress boasted sequins partly made from recycled plastic bottles, and the wood from the runway set was donated to Materials for the Arts, New York City’s largest creative reuse centre.
To align with consumer appetites for privacy, Kors showed cape coats, hoods and exaggerated chunky sweaters, like fashion equivalents of a security blanket. These pieces swaddled models in an act of protection as they walked to the sounds of Canadian country star Orville Peck, who also values privacy and famously conceals his own identity behind a “lone ranger” mask while performing.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: Orville Peck performs onstage during the runway at the Michael Kors FW20 Runway Show on February 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Michael Kors)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: A model walks the runway during the Michael Kors FW20 Runway Show on February 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Michael Kors)
There was a nod to classic town-and-country style too, with a strong equestrian influence seen in the collection’s flat riding boots and leather strapping. The cross-body saddle bags will also appeal to multi-tasking Millennials, enabling them to keep their hands free so they can juggle their careers, side hustles and personal brands through their phones.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 12: A model walks the runway during the Michael Kors FW20 Runway Show on February 12, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for Michael Kors)
Hybrid dressing was another solution-focused theme in Kors’ A/W 20 collection, with a cape coat that doubled as a dress, and an overall emphasis on versatility and comfort for Millennial homebodies, who see staying in as the new going out. Loose silhouettes, chunky-soled flat boots, blanket coats, pyjama foulards and robe-style suiting all aligned with this focus on pieces that can work in private or public. Come fall, Kors will have a classic piece for all, whether at work, rest or play.
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