Color Theory: Everyone's Wearing Optimistic Yellow

Fashion Week always feels like sensory overload, but the spring 2020 shows were particularly bright and colorful this season. They began with a bat mitvah and ended with a rainbow Marc Jacobs collection. The Marc show in particular billed itself as a “celebration of life, joy, equality, individuality, optimism, happiness, indulgence, dreams and a future unwritten,” as the designer’s heartfelt show notes read. It sounds like a tall order, but this really was the theme of the week.

Susan Alexandra’s balloon-filled event was an expression of unabashed, childish joy. At Area, every outfit shimmered with gold and jewels while a disembodied voice recited a positivity mantra over the loudspeakers. Sies Marjan ended with a confetti firecracker. Brandon Maxwell was all smiles (and at least one enthusiastic audience member). Models danced at Deveaux. Kate Spade and Tory Burch were easy and lighthearted. The Pyer Moss show lifted everyone’s spirit, following an energetic Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya performance uptown. Rihanna’s Fenty x Savage show made Victoria’s Secret look like a robot parade. Even Eckhaus Latta showed sequins! Some might call it a cheap Instagram grab, while others will predict a return to ’80s extravagance. But perhaps it’s just a much-needed injection of sunshine to keep us from thinking about the end of the world. Either way, Spongebob Yellow was the color of the season. And who is more optimistic than the man who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

Some evidence, below.