We have come to terms with the fact that the world we are seeing today is a completely new one. There are a lot of big changes going on, and there is no way about it except to accept and adapt to them. Doing otherwise would only limit our potential.
This is what I’ve seen on the Fall-Winter runways. Kenzo recently presented its latest collection—the first one after the passing of founder Kenzo Takada.
The brand’s creative director Felipe Oliveira Baptista writes in the show notes: “Kenzo Takada passed away on Oct. 4, 2020. The news was abrupt, sudden and unexpected . . . Our acquaintance was brief, nevertheless, it felt like I lost someone close to me.
“The following Monday, I was back at work, still numb from the recent shock. Time to start working on the next collection. Where to start? How to transform the grieving into something positive, joyful, free? I knew only one thing. I did not want it to be a tribute, but rather a celebration. A celebration of the man, his work and incredible vision.
“Nothing new could come out of just a polite and reverential look back at Kenzo’s amazing legacy. Space must be allowed for intuition, instinct, surprises and accidents. Nothing new can be achieved without these.”
The product was a dance party film featuring silhouettes that push convention, a proper tribute to Kenzo, who came on the fashion scene to do away with the usual. Oversized pieces, loud colors and unique creations that gave freedom of movement is what you’ll get. It’s something exciting and would definitely drive much of the editorial looks we will be seeing.
Cultural energy
Dior presented its ready-to-wear 2021 collection this week in Shanghai. Of the city, it’s been noted that it has a “kind of cultural energy Monsieur Dior loved.” In 2020, the Long Museum West Bund hosted the exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.”
Taking off from this energy, Maria Grazia Chiuri elevated things with “a range of themes, and revisits the Dior vocabulary with a transversal pop aesthetic, from Richard Hamilton’s English Pop to the rather acidic New Futurism of Marco Lodola.”
Chiuri also looked to K-pop sensation Blackpink with “celebrating fashion as an affirmation of individuality; fashion, they assert, definitively gives them as much power as music.”
Hence, you will be treated with a phantasmagoria of materials, colors and shapes, including icons and must-haves such as the revisited Bar jacket, the anorak, the blouse, little dresses and coats.
What will all these nice garments be without nice shoes? Giuseppe Zanotti continues to be a staple for celebrities, whether it be for their high-production shows or just for days at home.
Sofia Vergara was spotted with the Nausicaa pink satin mule with tulle detailing, while Katy Perry wore the Anastasya black leather lace-up sandal with gold heel to match her all-black look on “American Idol.” Both styles feature in the Spring-Summer 2021 collection, just in case you’re looking for a range of shoes that will help you step into the future, no matter how you define it.
