Cotton Highlights from the 2024 Fashion Season

Last month concluded major fashion events, including the Met Gala on the first Monday in May. In addition, countless cities exhibited the latest trends for fashion week. Across each event, cotton had its moment to shine!

The Met Gala (a yearly fundraising event that “raises eight-figure sums” annually, according to Vogue) is the fashion event of the season. Hosted at The Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York City in honor of its Costume Institute, each year, the dress code for the guests and donors (designers, celebrities, politicians, influencers) attending the Met Gala is aligned with the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibit. This year the exhibit is “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” and the official dress code was “The Garden of Time” (Vogue).

Of course, with this theme, one would expect to see countless renditions of florals. But a couple of looks stood out and emphasized the fabulous fauna: cotton! Rapper and singer Doja Cat, known for her avant-garde and eccentric style, loves to make unexpected choices. In a crowd of haute couture gowns and suits, she chose a few household cotton staples from envelope-pushing designer Vetements. En route to the event, Doja wore a white cotton towel wrapped around her body and hair and then arrived at The MET with a soaking wet t-shirt! She told Entertainment Tonight:

“I know that people were going to do flowers, but my flower of choice is the most used flower, and it’s cotton, and so I wanted to do a white T-shirt also because a white T-shirt is timeless.”

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From the red carpet to the catwalk, designers showcased the versatility of cotton during their 2024 shows across various fashion capitals.

In São Paulo, cotton garments had their own unique show at fashion week. Stylist Paulo Martinez styled the show with 40 denim looks to celebrate the 150th anniversary of jeans. In collaboration with domestic retail brands, ABRAPA’s Sou de Algodão (“I’m made of Cotton”) initiative hosted the event to showcase Brazilian cotton and emphasize the quality of the product (Reuters).

While denim is a major moment in fashion week and IRL (in real life!), other cotton staples made their way down the runway. According to an article by Sourcing Journal, senior fashion analyst for Edited.com, Aoife Byrne, mentioned:

“With the return of minimalism and the rise of Blokette, we’re seeing a gradual return to core fabrics like jersey and cotton… Streetwear-inspired hoodies (both in top and dress form) and basics like tanks, henleys, and polo shirts received serious airtime this season, playing into sporty and streetwear aesthetics” (Sourcing Journal).

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According to Cotton Incorporated’s 2023 Global Lifestyle Monitor™ Survey, these trend observations align with consumer preferences in the United States, “as it is the preferred fiber for T-shirts (79 percent), pajamas (72 percent), casual shirts (61 percent), sweatpants (58 percent), and athletic shirts (53 percent)” (Cotton Incorporated via Sourcing Journal). Additionally, “U.S. consumers say cotton is the most comfortable fabric (74 percent), the softest (73 percent), the most authentic (70 percent), the most sustainable (66 percent), the highest quality (63 percent), and the most versatile (59 percent) (Cotton Incorporated via Sourcing Journal).

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While cotton continues to have its moment in the spotlight at these events, it also remains very present outside the shows. The street-style stars at SPFW incorporate cotton throughout their looks while attending the shows, as seen in “What Are They Wearing” TikToks.

@nssmagazine Held last week, São Paulo Fashion Week saw tailoring take the spotlight, revisited in a deconstructed style with oversized touches, exuding a sexy and elegant soul. Streetwear also had its say, adopting a minimalist language with a focus on wearability. 🎥 @Fusari #saopaulo #saopaulofashionweek #spfw #fashionweek #streetstyle #show #streetwear #fashiontiktok #tiktokfashion #brazil #brazilcore #brasilcore #brasil #style ♬ suono originale – Pedro