From 2010 to 2019, These Are the Biggest Fashion Trends From the Last Decade

Skinny jeans, high-heel shoes, and a blazer from Chanel or Balmain was the French-editor uniform, best sported on Emmanuelle Alt, editor in chief of Vogue Paris.  

Miuccia Prada’s iconic banana print could not be missed in every fashion magazine or on celebrities, and it quickly became available on the high street as well. The brand’s relevance was further heightened with the designer’s inclusion in the Met Costume Institute’s theme the following year. 

The model-off-duty look was an easy formula for everyone to replicate—an oversize tee, skinny jeans or leather pants, and a biker jacket. The hero piece quickly became Isabel Marant’s wedge sneakers… if you could get your hands on them! 

The biggest movement of the decade was undoubtedly the rise of streetwear, and it all started back in 2013 with Givenchy’s Bambi sweatshirt. Riccardo Tisci, creative director at Givenchy, styled it on the runway with a pencil skirt and heels, and so trend began.   

Instagram’s relevance propelled more bold fashion and the concept of dressing for the camera. The platform heralded the growth of street style and the documented OOTD as a means of sharing fashion and bubbling up trends.  

With the appointment of a new creative director at Gucci, Alessandro Michele, combined with the aforementioned growing presence of street style and social media, we returned to maximalism. Bold prints, quirky details, and the Princetown horse-bit loafer quickly became our fashion uniform.  

Streetwear really gained momentum in 2016. Where Givenchy left off, Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga saw an opportunity to redefine what a cult piece is in fashion. Quickly the items to own became statement denim, a signature hoodie, and the bomber jacket.  

The evolution of streetwear continued with the rise of logomania. Suddenly every outfit was completed with the addition of a Gucci T-shirt or monogram bag. Branding was big, almost as big as it was in the 1990s.

Fashion’s favorite minimalist, Phoebe Philo, departed Celine in 2018 and left us all craving more. Very quickly fashion switched to a more grown-up, tailored, and subtle vibe, with an entire group of loyal followers making feelings known with the hashtag #OldCeline on Instagram.   

The repercussions of #OldCeline lasted well into 2019, with the endless sea of beige in stores being the most notable signal. Designers across the industry have (perhaps subconsciously) tried to fill the void left behind, and it seems the emerging winner is Daniel Lee at Bottega Veneta with an It bag that has taken over the internet.