“Apocalypse Now”

The total number of hospitalizations in New York is beginning to decline, but we are hardly out of the woods. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, a member of Joe Biden’s coronavirus “Public Health Advisory Committee,” appeared on MSNBC Monday night and declared that “Realistically, COVID-19 will be here for the next 18 months or more”. We would not be able to return to normalcy until there is an effective vaccine.

Even after some of the more extreme shelter-in-place and quarantine restrictions are relaxed, the virus can mutate, change, and come back. By all accounts, we are in this for the long haul.

The idea of clothing as protection is nothing new, but it has taken on a whole new meaning as of late. The fall 2020 collections were conceived long before anyone even heard of COVID-19, but many of the designs are well suited to our new reality.

On February 23rd, Giorgio Armani had to cancel his show in Milan because of concerns over the rapid spread of the coronavirus. But just four days prior, Moncler staged its presentation in a warehouse in that city.

Graig Green’s colorful see-through coats and ripstop nylon jackets, shown as flat sheets, eerily resemble the Personal Protective Equipment worn by medical personnel on the front lines.

The Moncler 3 Grenoble Collection is geared for winter sports and ski wear, but several pieces look particularly well suited to keeping safe in a pandemic.

Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 8 collection, shown in Paris, is all about cozy, comfy basics played out in soft, pleasing neutrals. At the time of the show, Kanye admitted that he was obsessed with hazmats, and several of the outfits had face obscuring protective hoods.

Rick Owens is known to mix glamour with impending doom in his collections. He loves the dark and foreboding side of fashion. For fall, Rick’s warrior women will find comfort and protection in sweeping sleeping bag capes.

Marine Serre loves fabric, and she loves covering the body. 50% of her collections are made from upcycled material. By the time Marine showed her fall collection in Paris, there was full-blown fear over the rapidly spreading coronavirus. In response, she covered the models’ faces and created something strangely beautiful.

Marine’s black duvet skirt and jacket are dramatic and functional.

The outerwear in Stella McCartney’s Paris show was exceptional. Who needs a mask when you have a military-inspired coat with a face obscuring high collar?

For fall 2020, Richard Quinn used masks that matched the fantastical outfits.

They were part of his “fashion dreamhouse” collection, and not created in response to this pandemic. However, one might come in handy if you have a formal gala to attend in the late fall or winter, and you want to keep yourself safe and protected.