A year without cocktail parties and gala outings has demolished demand for extravagant dresses, with stars and the hoi polloi alike turning to more casual athleisure trends if they even bother changing out of their pyjamas.
For the elite world of haute couture, this has been a disaster. And for one of Britains foremost design companies, there are fears it could be terminal. The London-based house of Ralph & Russo, which counts Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow among its fans, has run into financial troubles that may end up in court.
Its Australian founders, Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo, shot to wider prominence after designing the £56,000 sheer long-sleeved gown worn by Meghan Markle in photographs to mark her engagement to Prince Harry in 2017.