Will the roaring ’20s make a comeback?

With fashion industry hit harshly by the pandemic, everyone’s speculating the Covid-19 aftermath. Will fashion embrace austere minimalism or succumb to emotional exuberance? The aftermath of the Spanish flu (1918-1919) ushered in the roaring ’20s which became the metaphor for a decadent and free-spirited attitude. After World War II, Christian Dior shook couture out of its slumber by introducing the full-skirted New Look in 1947. Will history repeat itself or will we see the emergence of a new aesthetic? Designers across the board seem to be divided about the emerging style vocabulary post pandemic.  

Designer Anamika Khanna opines that she would perhaps not put excess and exuberance in the same sentence. “Exuberance will be a huge part of fashion in any form, sometimes in minimalism and sometimes the opposite. The common denominator would be a consciousness, even in extravagance. A consciousness of investing into rather than whimsical buying and a consciousness on the origin and quality,” says Anamika. She observes that there will be a need to feel beautiful, the ’20s are seeping in and in the Indian context, perhaps in bits. “But for sure, the spirit of the ’20s will be back,” she adds.

On the other hand, designer Tarun Tahiliani is of the opinion that the excess associated with the flapper era won’t make a comeback and that is the whole point of this period. “This is a moment given to us to introspect those exact consumption habits. The world is in a different place and man has understood he is not invincible!. The world will no longer be the same, at least for the coming future and people, too, have realised the value of consuming quality over quantity. We are realising the strength in what is homegrown, locally accessible and the difference between what is sustainable. I hope people truly utilise this time to go inward and make a change on a fundamental level,” says Tarun.

Designer Nikhil Thampi seconds that. “The ’20s was all about celebration, one to have survived the pandemic and secondly the world came out much evolved and the economy then supported the exuberant lifestyle. When it comes to India, I seriously doubt the exuberance coming back. People are going to be more alert and less emotional when it comes to buying luxury products.”

“There will be a major shift in paradigm and in attitude. The economy is going to take a long time to stabilise affecting the lifestyle of many. I do see the return of sensible shopping, people now on will gravitate towards more classic and investment clothing pieces as compared to trend based fashion, which will last time a long time and is versatile in its approach,” says Nikhil.  

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