12 female designers who shaped fashion in 2020

Brilliant, talented, original and often focused on sustainability. The designers who have shaped the fashion world in 2020 portray femininity that is often rooted in the past, but is perfectly up-to-date. They have different names, ages, backgrounds and styles, but they are all unforgettable and we bet they will become more and more interesting and cool in the coming years.

Yoon Ahn - Ambush

We knew Yoon Ahn with her brand Ambush and, since she became jewelry designer for Dior Homme a couple of years ago, she continues her rise to success. For the talented Korean who grew up in Seattle, the last 12 months have been full of commitments and collaborations. Yoon began 2020 by announcing her partnership with Nike, which climaxed in December with the AMBUSH NBA x Nike collection that includes a series of apparel and Dunk High inspired by the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, but also by the female icons of 90s hip hop. She alternated between luxury and low-cost, creating a capsule dedicated to Minnie for Uniqlo UT and revisiting the Serpenti Forever Bag by Bulgari following the shapes and colors of the Tree Python, a reptile native to the jungles and grassy swamps of Southeast Asia. Is that all? No. Ahn found the time to create two new models of Chuck Rubber Boot and Furry Chuck 70 for Converse; to design a fluorescent version of the Powerbeats wireless earphones by Beats; to launch a line of denim garments and propose a sophisticated collection of Ambush for SS21. 

Marine Serre

Her crescent half-moon was announced as the logo of 2020. For Marine Serre, it took little to become the coolest designer of the moment. She has won everyone over since her debut collection, presented in 2017 and titled Radical Call For Love, her printed catsuits, masks and future wear pieces that seem designed to dress a dystopian future, but are perfect even for the strange contemporary we are living in. Her young, creative, sustainable and extremely personal style has been included in the outfits of celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Kylie Jenner, Adele and Beyoncé who, by wearing her iconic moon jumpsuit in the Already video, has further elevated Serre's coolness and sales. Among Serre's many fans is also A$AP Rocky who chose her as the designer of the latest capsule of his brand AWGE.

Amina Muaddi

Following Dua Lipa, Hailey Baldwin, Kendall and Kylie Jenner and the Hadid sisters, Rihanna too fell in love with Amina Muaddi's creations instantly, so much so that she chose her as Fenty's shoe designer. The first collection designed by Muaddi for the pop star hit stores in July, full of cage sandals and pumps that, like the capsule for MyTheresa and the new FW20 models of her eponymous brand, sold out instantly. Amina's success was so huge that she launched her first line of bags and jewels, collaborated with AWGE and was named Collaborator of the Year Award at the 2020 FN Achievement Awards, also referred to as the "Oscars of shoes," for her work at Fenty.

Grace Wales Bonner

Grace Wales Bonner  is the latest rising star in British fashion. The LVMH Award-winning British designer aims to push the boundaries of practical black aesthetics with her refined style. Her unique mix of tailoring, sustainability and deeply intellectual and poetic references to black culture has collected numerous fans since her debut. After menswear, a couple of years ago she debuted with a women's collection, remaining faithful to her idea of beauty that in 2020 conquered Solange Knowles and Meghan Markle (it was Grace's white dress worn to present her royal baby), but also infected adidas with whom she created a capsule collection. Her plans for the new year? Developing a new spiritual and educational platform called Between Critique and Hope.

Nensi Dojaka

Nensi Dojaka   is one of the hottest and freshest names in recent months. All it took for the Albanian-born 20-year-old was her graduate SS20 collection (made for her master's degree at Central Saint Martins in London) to get invited to London Fashion Week and join the list of favorite brands of Adwoa Aboah and Bella Hadid. When the American model showed off one of her sheer, sensual pieces on the red carpet of the 2020 VMAs, the hype around Nensi skyrocketed. The credit goes to her hyper-feminine creations that with cutouts and transparencies turn sensuality and sexuality into a form of power, of strength, where the body is the absolute star.

Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha is the daughter of designer John Rocha, but when it comes to talent, she has nothing to envy to her father. Her creations made of large, vaporous volumes, tulle, pearls, lace and ruffles take inspiration from Victorian and Edwardian fashion, from heroines of the past such as the Bronte sisters, from the art of Louise Bourgeois and Nobuyoshi Araki, but also from the 90s indie-coolness of Chloë Sevigny. Her baroque, feminine and super romantic style seems to dress the esprit de vivre of a young girl so perfectly that Remo Ruffini chose Simone as one of the designers to reinterpret his iconic puffer jacket for the Moncler Genius project.

Cecilie Bahnsen

Cecilie Bahnsen  cut her teeth working for Erdem and John Galliano, and for the past few years has been both one of the most anticipated names at Copenhagen Fashion Week and a favorite brand on IG. The Scandinavian designer's philosophy is based on sustainability. Ecofriendly materials characterize all Bahnsen's creations, which tell innocent and romantic femininity, made of voluminous silhouettes, a delicate palette of neutral tones and ethereal fabrics. If you don't know her yet, we are sure that one look at her dresses will be enough for you to become a fan of Cecilia.

Emily Adams Bode - Bode

Born and raised in Georgia, Emily Adams Bode studied in Switzerland before coming back to specialize at Parsons in New York and launching her menswear brand in 2016. She based her business on sustainability, using deadstock and recycled materials as the basis of her clothes. Her aesthetic gives pre-loved fashion a second life, sealed by workmanships that also have a vintage echo such as crochet, crafts and patchwork.  So each creation tells a past, a story. A jacket can be assembled with fabrics from the former French colonies in Africa, a shirt has hand-stitched patches, a pair of Indian cotton pants are embroidered in silk with patterns that evoke the decorations of the Edwardian era. This year Bode won the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation at International Woolmark, earning compliments from three of his special fans: Ezra Miller, Harry Styles e Zayn Malik.

Nicole McLaughlin

Nicole McLaughlin has become known for her Instagram shots, images of bras, vests and, most importantly, flip-flops, made using a variety of materials: Tennis balls, Styrofoam, soccer balls, candy, Q-tips, disposable wipes, duct tape, Nikon camera straps,... Her unconventional and slightly crazy style continued to inspire many even during the lockdown months, suggesting how upcycling and DIY attitude can turn into something cool. Nicole closed out 2019 by launching a collaboration with Reebok and 2020 a capsule with Crocs, what will she do in 2021?

Susie Cave - The Vampire's Wife

Susie Cave is no longer just a famous 80s-90s supermodel or the charming wife of the iconic Nick Cave. Since a few years she is also the founder and designer of The Vampire's Wife. In her modest but sensual clothes, which highlight the curves of the body without showing them off, Susie, as she herself says, reflects her world of rock'n roll, dark and culture:

There is a bit of Goya, some Russian ballet, a bit of Blanche Dubois. There is a prairie element, demure and utilitarian but also unabashedly sexy. They are designed to elongate the body like an El Greco and float like Victorian spirit photography. They invoke the ghosts of mermaids and air fairies and you can wear them with flip-flops and heels or no shoes at all. The spirit of The Vampire’s Wife is simply a love of beauty, beauty as seen through a chaos of influences!

Ruffles, glitter, art nouveau fantasies and a hint of '60s mood are among the elements that define The Vampire's Wife's collections and capture more and more fans, including Kate Middleton. The Falconetti Metallic Chiffon Midi Dress worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in 2020 was voted "the dress of the decade" by Vogue. A couple of months Cave launched a capsule collection with H&M.

Gilda Ambrosio e Giorgia Tordini - The Attico

They don't like to be called it-girls, but they are this and much more. Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini, designers and founders of The Attico, are beautiful, talented, independent and blessed with an innate sense of style, all qualities that have allowed their brand born in 2016 to become one of the most interesting of recent years, so much so that it has also caught the attention of the patron of Moncler, Remo Ruffini, who in 2018 acquired 49% of it with his Archive srl. Their sophisticated, hedonistic and hyper-feminine mix of animalier, feathers, sequins, fluo tailoring, miniskirts, sensual dresses, kimonos and floral prints has conquered many celebrities like Beyoncé or Dua Lipa and, we are sure, will continue to gain more and more success, evolving into a real lifestyle project.