From brands we thought were gone for good to new chapters for legendary designers, these are the fashion figures and labels that experienced a popular resurgence this year.

With unprecedented economic losses, major annual events and fundraisers cancelled, and runway shows pivoting to digital formats, it&rsquo;s safe to say that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the fashion industry hard. In some cases, horizons looked bleak even before the pandemic, and department stores like Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/which-major-retail-companies-have-filed-bankruptcy-coronavirus-pandemic-hit-n1207866" target="_blank">filed for bankruptcy</a> while some independent labels like <a href="https://lofficielbaltics.com/en/fashion/heartbreaking-news-from-sies-marjan" target="_blank">Sies Marjan</a> shuttered completely.&nbsp;

In more positive cases, though, something about the twisted environment bred by this year&rsquo;s strange circumstances allowed a few previously dormant fashion designers and brands to resurface. Whether due to a new creative director or a nostalgia-driven market opening, here are the labels and figures that made successful comebacks in 2020:

Thierry Mugler became an internationally recognized designer in the 1980s and &lsquo;90s for his daring couture looks that fused sex appeal with the sublime. Supermodels&nbsp;like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/supermodels-apple-tv-docuseries-naomi-campbell-cindy-crawford-linda-evangelista-christy-turlington" target="_blank">Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell</a> and Pat Cleveland donned his designs on the runway (and in a George Michael music video in Evangelista&rsquo;s case) until Clarins, the brand&rsquo;s parent company, closed the house after losses in 2003, and the designer stepped away from fashion and his namesake label. In 2010, the brand re-opened as Mugler with creative director Nicola Formichetti at the helm, but the label&#39;s current creative director, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/meet-mugler-s-new-creative-director" target="_blank">Casey Cadwallader</a>, is recognized for reinventing the house.

Last year, Thierry Mugler experienced a resurgence himself after dressing <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cardi-b-wearing-mugler-5-million-diamonds-at-2020-grammy-awards-1272934" target="_blank">Cardi B in an archival design</a> and <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashion-news/a27387049/kim-kardashian-mugler-met-gala-2019/" target="_blank">creating a custom look for Kim Kardashian West</a>. His work was also notably the subject of a <a href="https://fashionista.com/2019/03/thierry-mugler-montreal-museum-of-fine-arts" target="_blank">retrospective exhibition</a> at Montreal&#39;s Museum of Fine Arts.&nbsp;In 2020, Cadwallader continued that momentum, bringing the Mugler to the forefront of pop culture with a renewed focus on celebrities and custom pieces. Returning to a realm that Thierry Mugler knew well&mdash;music videos&mdash;Cadwallader and the Mugler brand became the force behind some of the most buzzworthy looks of the year, including Beyonc&eacute; and Blue Ivy&rsquo;s matching looks in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/beyonce-most-fashionable-outfits-black-is-king" target="_blank">Black is King</a>&nbsp;and Cardi B and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/megan-thee-stallion-saturday-night-live-performance" target="_blank">Megan Thee Stallion</a>&rsquo;s looks for the &ldquo;WAP&rdquo; video.&nbsp;

Ariana Grande wears Mugler in "Positions."

Beyoncé wears Mugler in "Black is King."

Dua Lipa wears Mugler in "Levitating."

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion wear Mugler in "WAP."

This British fashion designer is often applauded for her instrumental role in bringing modern punk fashion&nbsp;into the mainstream in the &lsquo;70s and continuing to show groundbreaking collections through the &lsquo;80s and &lsquo;90s, including her iconic 1993 Anglomania collection in which a 20-something <a href="https://pagesix.com/2019/10/09/naomi-campbell-designers-asked-me-to-fall-on-the-runway-after-vivienne-westwood-slip/" target="_blank">Naomi Campbell stumbled over giant platform heels</a>.&nbsp;

While Westwood has long been regarded an icon in the industry, her label made its way back into the zeitgeist this year as fashion It girls like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop%20culture/science-says-bella-hadid-most-beautiful-woman-in-world" target="_blank">Bella Hadid</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/dua-lipa-new-ruler-reign-music" target="_blank">Dua Lipa</a> got their hands on vintage Vivienne Westwood pieces. The designer&rsquo;s iconic corset silhouette and orb logo necklace had a wild resurgence of popularity, spurring knockoffs to spread through Gen Z-populated sites like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/depop-vfiles-runway-nyfw-mentorship-celebrity-2019" target="_blank">Depop</a>.

Kylie Jenner Wears a Vivienne Westwood necklace.

Bella Hadid wears a Vivienne Westwood logo necklace.

Dua Lipa wears a Vivienne Westwood skirt.

Madison Beer wears a Vivienne Westwood logo necklace.

A beloved designer who began his eponymous menswear label in 1995, Simons became a household name for his creative director roles at <a href="https://www.lofficiel.at/en/fashion/l-officiel-exclusive-jil-sander-contends-fashion-must-have-relevance" target="_blank">Jil Sander</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/dior-chez-moi-capsule-quarantine" target="_blank">Christian Dior</a> (where he replaced the iconoclastic <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/john-galliano-christian-dior-best-moments-designer" target="_blank">John Galliano</a>), and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/raf-simons-embraces-the-kardashians-at-calvin-klein" target="_blank">Calvin Klein</a>. While his appointment at the latter came to an <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/raf-simons-embraces-the-kardashians-at-calvin-klein" target="_blank">abrupt end</a> in 2018, this year, Simons embarked on a new level of fashion fame when he was appointed co-creative director of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/prada-milan-raf-simons-collection-fashion-ss21-mfw" target="_blank">Prada</a> alongside Miuccia Prada and <a href="https://fashionista.com/2020/10/raf-simons-spring-2021-collection" target="_blank">launched his first-ever womenswear line</a> for his own label.

prada-raf-simons-rtw-spring-2021.jpg

Raf-simons-spring-summer-2021.jpg

Launched by Kimora Lee Simmons, this streetwear line stood at the forefront of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/gen-z-y2k-millennial-90s-fashion-nostalgia" target="_blank">2000s</a> fashion. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/baby-phat-is-back-just-like-that" target="_blank">Baby Phat</a> was an iconic cross between high fashion and hip hop&mdash;not to mention the first streetwear brand for women&mdash;and stars like Beyonc&eacute;, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lil-kim-birthday-2019" target="_blank">Lil&#39;&nbsp;Kim</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/missy-elliot-mtv-vma-video-vanguard-2019" target="_blank">Missy Elliott</a> were photographed sporting the brand&rsquo;s feline cat logo. Simmons even released the ultimate Y2K accessory: a pink Baby Phat Motorola phone with a diamond-encrusted logo. As trendy styles pivoted to &lsquo;80s and hipster fashion in the late 2000s, though, Simmons struggled to keep up and the brand faded from the mainstream.&nbsp;

As early aughts nostalgia became a driving force for 2020 fashion and pop culture trends, Simmons relaunched Baby Phat in late 2019 and announced a Baby Phat Beauty line in 2020. While it&rsquo;s too early to tell if the brand&rsquo;s new look will stand the test of time, the rebirth of early 2000s brands is a pattern 2020 came to know well.

Lil' Kim wears Baby Phat in 2000.

Cam'ron with a Baby Phat Motorola phone.

Naomi Campbell with a Baby Phat custom Visa card.

Kimora Lee Simmons wears Baby Phat's new line.

This LA-based apparel brand was named after Kenny Howard, an American artist and pinstriper, and revered by 2000s celebrities for its casual accessories and T-shirts. Everyone from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop%20culture/kim-kardashian-assistant-paris-hilton-2000s-skims-instagram" target="_blank">Paris Hilton</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/britney-spears-y2k-fashion-juicy-tracksuit" target="_blank">Britney Spears</a> to Ashton Kutcher and Justin Timberlake wore Von Dutch trucker hats, bags, and graphic tees&nbsp;in the early 2000s, but similar to Baby Phat, new trends phased the brand out of the mainstream.&nbsp;

This year, Von Dutch took advantage of Y2K nostalgia and relaunched as a luxury brand with a Paris-based creative director. While Von Dutch now comes at a much higher price tag, it&rsquo;s proving to fall back into its place as a celebrity staple with names like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/megan-thee-stallion-sexy-savage-x-fenty-holiday" target="_blank">Megan Thee Stallion</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cardi-b-just-dropped-her-first-fashion-collaboration" target="_blank">Cardi B</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/travis-scott-perfume-byredo-mcdonalds" target="_blank">Travis Scott</a> wearing the brand.

Britney Spears in Von Dutch.

Paris Hilton in a Von Dutch trucker hat.

"Euphoria" actress Alexa Demie sports a Von Dutch skirt and bag.

TikTok star Chase Hudson wears a 2020 version of the Von Dutch trucker hat.

Israeli fashion designer <a href="https://www.lofficielmalaysia.com/personalities/interview-lily-collins-alber-elbaz-emily-in-paris-mank-and-tomorrow" target="_blank">Alber Elbaz</a> spent time at Guy Laroche and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/saint-laurent-summer-2021-anthony-vaccarello" target="_blank">Yves Saint Laurent</a> before becoming the creative director of <a href="https://lofficielbaltics.com/en/fashion-week/lanvin-spring-summer-2021-collection" target="_blank">Lanvin</a> in 2001, where he remained for 14 years. During this time, Elbaz gained a steady fanbase as he completely revived the once-popular French couture house&rsquo;s fortunes and became a pioneer of the high fashion-meets-mass market collaborations we see so frequently today.&nbsp;

Five quiet years after his departure from Lanvin,&nbsp;the designer is taking on a new venture: his own label,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/alber-elbaz-az-factory-new-luxury-brand" target="_blank">AZ Factory</a>, which will be a joint operation with luxury conglomerate Richemont. The brand, which was announced in November,&nbsp;is expected to make its market debut in late January 2021, and Elbaz fans can expect a modern take on the French wardrobe.&nbsp;

Fashion's Biggest Designer Comebacks in 2020

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