Meghan Markle’s Deneuve pumps or Renée Zellweger in Jimmy Choo? The footwear trends that will define spring/summer 2020
Daniel Lee’s distinctive square-toe quilted Bottega Veneta pumps have scored at fashion shows so far this year, while Sergio Rossi is on a mission to make women’s shoes more comfortable (at last) and Aquazzura is lowering heels to suit the Asian market
Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe famously said, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world”. Women have always had a special connection with footwear – unforgettably celebrated by Sarah Jessica Parker’s oh-so-fashionable character, Carrie Bradshaw, in the hit television series Sex and the City. This year, the latest spring/summer footwear trends have caused quite a stir.
If there was one brand name on everyone’s lips and a shoe on everyone’s feet at the 2020 fashion shows, it was Bottega Veneta and the distinctive square-toe quilted pumps by Daniel Lee from his debut at the fashion house.
“We are seeing an incredible reaction to the new square-toe styles selling out upon upload, which might be why they were all over the fashion weeks,” says Elizabeth von der Goltz, global buying director at digital fashion portal Net-a-Porter. “It adds an extra sharpness to the look.”
Celenie Seidel, senior womenswear editor at Farfetch, an online fashion retail site, has also noticed an extraordinary reaction to Lee’s designs. “He’s really at the forefront of that return to sophisticated, elevated dressing, to which our customers are really responding,” she says.
Come spring, Bottega fans should get in line for Lee’s cushiony leather mules. In fact, Milan is the city where we pick up many of the top trends for next season, such as the pointy toe with a signature stirrup detail kitten heel at Gucci; and the 1970s-inspired heeled loafers at Prada, which are Seidel’s picks for spring.
“They are the perfect mix of classic and modern,” she says. Seidel is noticing a shift towards more refined footwear styles, such as ladylike pumps from Burberry and Miu Miu and mules from Balenciaga. Von der Goltz also highlights glamorous 80s-inspired pumps and barely-there sandals.
At big brands such as Gucci, Prada, Tod’s and Fendi, the conversation about accessories carries as much emphasis as that of the clothes on the catwalk. Shoes are a major deal: just look at the top “Made in Italy” brands that showcased their designs during fashion weeks, including Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Gianvito Rossi, Aquazzura, Casadei and, of course, Jimmy Choo, the British brand whose shoes are produced in Italy.
At Jimmy Choo’s presentation, creative director Sandra Choi talked about being inspired by nature for spring/summer 2020. “[We take] organic patterns that you are familiar with and then twist and distort them,” she says, in front of an immersive graphic installation featuring the new designs.