The fashion conversation always changes. It’s dynamic banter mixed with serious thought. This season couldn’t be more proof of that.
The Row presented their Fall-Winter 2021 collection before everyone else. Since it’s all digital now, why not take advantage of the speed of life online? The Row presented their men’s and women’s collections side by side, complementing the ethos of the collection with tailoring and silhouettes that blurred gender lines.
It is a collection about comfort and practicality. But, as fans of The Row founders Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen would know, they do it with an impeccable eye for detail and cuts. The monochromatic palette didn’t shy away from certain points: a mock neck, removable shoulder pads and oversized fits. They state—without screaming—what is definitively chic.
Eyes are also focused on Gabriela Hearst. Aside from leading her eponymous label, Hearst is the designer to watch as she takes the helm at Chloe. She brings with her a deep understanding of femininity and social consciousness. Hearst was one of the designers the Biden team tapped to create unique inauguration merch.
She is also very much a steward of the environment. For her 2021 presentation, she focused on “green power.” Florals rendered by Hearst’s 12-year-old daughter Mia appear on silk shirt dresses. There are recycled cashmere shirts and coats finished with macramé lace. Hearst shows how the idea of having environmentally conscious materials shouldn’t be the high point of a collection but the new norm.
Paradigm shift
Victoria Beckham’s thoughts on current affairs focuses on the advantages of the paradigm shift. She tells Vogue, “People ask me if I think people will buy less when we come out of lockdown, and I hope they will! We want to sell clothes, don’t get me wrong, but I hope people will want to invest in pieces they really want to wear. Buy a piece and get your wear out of it. Don’t just buy it for one season.”
Beckham outlines the importance of pieces that will see you through the changes of weather and trends. She presents prairie and flapper dresses, everyday long-sleeved dresses, and coats with military details.
Always infusing new blood in fashion, Proenza Schouler signed up Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter to US Vice President Kamala Harris, for its latest collection.
Emhoff caught the fashion sleuths’ attention with her fashion choices at the inauguration, where she wore Miu Miu and Batsheva. She was signed by IMG Models shortly after.
It’s an expected move from Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. These cool-kid favorites still have the vibe of their Parsons graduate collection that earned the attention of Barneys. It’s mess made with precision. It’s tearing away from the usual by knowing the standard intimately. It’s knowing what’s cool and then saying they don’t care.
Speaking of cool, there’s Vivienne Westwood. This season continues with her fashion-forward but environmentally aware take. Her clothes this Fall-Winter are “from materials that have a reduced impact on our environment.” Dead-stock fabrics are rendered in a way only Westwood can.
A special feature is a print of Daphnis and Chloe by François Boucher on shirts, bodysuits, denim pieces and dresses. As Vogue puts it, the choice shows off how Westwood is, “subverting apparent propriety to invoke the truthful and unruly.”
