A big year in fashion’s evolution

This year Gucci dropped seasonal collections, brands pivoted to virtual showrooms, and boutiques innovated in multiple ways to stay alive. We chart how 2020 changed the fashion industry for good

Models pose at GucciFest, a miniseries collaboration between cult director Gus Van Sant and Gucci creative Alessandro Michele, which replaced runway shows this year

Natural selection; it’s not the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of Covid-19. That said, the survival of the fittest is a perfect paradigm to underpin the global pandemic, especially where discretionary industries, like fashion, are concerned. The suddenness of the coronavirus outbreak, and its moratorium on day-to-day life, created a dramatic bifurcation in retail that saw first responders advance, where others, quite literally, closed up shop. Ironically, it’s this climate of uncertainty ...