Spring/Summer 2020: The Accessories Report

What’s the difference between a good outfit verses a great outfit? The details.

Face it, no look is ever 100 percent complete without the finishing touches. Those magical little add-ons that you throw together with your clothes automatically give it the flourish and panache that not only defines your attire, but makes it personal to you.

Get clued in on Spring/Summer 2020’s trending shoes, bags and accessories that could make or break your look.

01 | Bucket hats

Picture-perfect coifs can take forever so take the easy way out by tucking your tresses under this season’s must-have bucket hat. With variations of an orange topper, Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade New York gave summer dresses and bright knits a playful spin. The trend spilled over into London with Peter Pilotto’s satin sensations, then Milan through Fendi’s ’70s-inspired floral faves. Finally in Paris, Dior showed how straw-woven versions garnered newfound je ne sais quoi for business suits and party frocks.

02 | Tiny handbags

ICYMI, micro bags are here to stay, albeit in further shrunken proportions. Dolce & Gabbana redefined “arm candy” by strapping one to every model’s wrist, while Jil Sander featured a barrel-shaped purse fit for lipstick and credit card. Topping our wish list was Silvia Venturini Fendi’s little beaded beauty that doubled as a necklace.

03 | Flatform shoes

Cut your calves some slack and the strain from tottering around on stilettos — with a pair of flatforms. They provide plenty of height while keeping you steady on your toes for longer. In our shopping carts: Prada’s woven stompers, Giambattista Valli’s gem-embellished satin sandals and Simone Rocha’s pearl-and-studs espadrilles.

04 | Hoop earrings

These took on an artistic spin at Marni, where single-sided oversized hoop earrings dangled dramatically on models’ lobes. Prabal Gurung offered a punkish take by looping several hoops together, while Versace reinterpreted theirs with elements such as mesh links and coloured rhinestones.

05 | Visor sunglasses

If Robocop visited 2020, this would be his choice of eye protection. Seen on the runways of Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Loewe, these exude an athletic-meets-futuristic aesthetic. Instant style statement, we say!

06 | Chains

Bottega Veneta showed that a chunky chain design can be just as dramatic when worn with a simple white dress. But it was Chitose Abe’s insouciant layers of chain chokers in varying widths — which added a luxe urban vibe to her utilitarian deconstructed shapes — at Sacai that we couldn’t get enough of.

07 | Chunky sneakers

Step comfortably into the season with marble-printed kicks at MSGM or colour-blocked trainers at Emporio Armani. Now tell us, how’s the air up there, champ?

08 | Headscarves

In a nod to bohemian finery, several shows featured chic headwraps. Celine’s paisley-patterned pieces coiled snugly around the crown of the head. Dolce & Gabbana perked up dresses in neutral tones with silk scarves while Veronica Etro accentuated her desert-inspired ensembles with light-as-hair silk wraps.

09 | Oversized tote bags

Once relegated to sleepovers, weekend getaways and perhaps the next great bank heist, these spacious sacs lend an easy casualness to sober business garb — see Tod’s and Hermes.

10 | Loafers

The bourgeois codes set in motion by Hedi Slimane and Victoria Beckham last season hastened with spanking new interpretations of the loafer. From mule (Lanvin) to slingback (Fendi) and sci-fi inspired (Louis Vuitton), there’s one for every style tribe.

11 | Brooches

The humble pin received a makeover at Louis Vuitton, where Nicolas Ghesquiere’s sculptural petals bloomed beautifully on brightly coloured suit jackets and dresses. Over at Chanel, we spotted a whimsical oversized bouquet of camellia flowers in joyous bloom. Others in the brooch brigade included Versace, Saint Laurent and Gucci.

12 | Retro-style shades

Runways were rife with era-specific throwbacks, notably in eyewear. Cat’s-eye sunnies at Loewe and Miu Miu brought ’40s secretary-chic to the fore, while oversized squares from Etro and Elie Saab were straight out of a ’70s hippie parade. But it was Stella McCartney who stole the show with her Eighties tribute — a wraparound rectangular frame with oversized chain, culminating in another micro trend for Spring/Summer 2020.

13 | Seashells

Don’t sell them if you find them at the seashore; shell-shaped everything is all the rage. Conch shells took a darker twist at Marine Serre, where they were done in black metal and paired with utilitarian jumpsuits. Prada employed the real stuff, stringing them together to spin its Ariel-esque fantasy. Shell accessories also showed up at Balenciaga, Oscar de la Renta and Vivienne Westwood.

14 | Crossbody man-bags

Menswear is headed in a decidedly more androgynous direction. Riccardo Tisci at Burberry and Kim Jones at Dior Homme rehashed the feminine aesthetic by repurposing women’s bag designs for male customers, or included shiny gold hardware and chain details. Now, you’ve got an excuse to appropriate her collection of bags.

This story first appeared in the May 2020 issue of A Magazine.