TADASHI SHOJI FALL/WINTER 2020 RUNWAY SHOW - NYFW

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06/28/20

Mongolia is a fabled empire with an extraordinary past. An origin tale for many dynasties, its legendary history spanned centuries, and it’s where East met West. This intriguing, and at times, larger-than-life legacy inspires Fall 2020.

Mongolia’s ancestral roots run deep in the rugged and untamed beauty of the Mongolian steppes. Nomadic outerwear—sumptuous fur-lined coats and robe-like wraps with sashed waists made of ornately patterned textiles—inspire elegant cover-ups that mix faux fur with sequined accents and metallic brocades. Customary clothes are richly decorated but counterbalanced with a need for functionality. This appreciation for practicality combined with ornamentation translates to occasion dressing that is versatile and dramatic.

The influence of gers, felt-tent homes with brightly painted doors, interiors hung with colorful tapestries, and floors lavishly layered with rugs, can be found in the wild peony-patterned embroideries and multi-stitch geometric motifs.

The Mongolian Empire, one of the largest ever known, was heralded with unprecedented transformation. It opened trade routes uniting the East and the West and fostered an exchange of goods and ideas between cultures. Buddhist monks traveled with merchant caravans during this age of advancement. The fluid draping of the monks’ outer robes is reflected in one-shouldered silhouettes with necklines that are asymmetric, elegant, and bare.

Traditional nomadically-layered looks are not taken literally but decoded as new shapes distinguished by their volume. A gem and mineral-inspired palette is paired with silhouettes that are sculpted and supple or cinched and puffed. There are bubble-hemmed dresses and gowns with pointed shoulders and gigot-esque sleeves. A portrait collar and belted waist emphasize an organza jacquard evening coat’s full-skirted shape, and an opera coat, cut from taffeta, captivates with its sweeping cut and voluminous fit.

With its near mythical achievements, the Mongolian Empire changed the world forever.

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