What is seen on the runway during Fashion Week dictates what clothing will be sold in our favorite stores and be worn by popular social media influencers. It may seem like a stretch, but designer clothing really does influence the more casual clothing that makes its way into our closets. Of course everyone won’t be seen wearing Valentino gowns, but fashion weeks trends give us insight as to what colors, fabrics, accessories, and cuts will be most popular in the coming months.
Think about The Devil Wears Prada. As Miranda Priestly said, Andy’s Sachs’ “lumpy blue sweater” isn’t actually blue—it’s cerulium—a color that became popular after Oscar de la Renta created a collection of cerelium gowns in 2002. In this iconic scene with Andy and Miranda, Ms. Priestly describes how soon after the debut of Oscar de la Renta’s collection, cerelium showed up in the collections of many high end designers, until it ended up in department stores, and then finally, the clearance bin where Andy mindlessly picked it up.
I personally get second hand embarrassment for Andy while watching this scene, but Miranda’s bluntness definitely helps to explain the fashion pipeline, so to speak. While I am certainly no Miranda Priestly, based on what I have seen from Spring 2021 Fashion Week, here is what I believe will dominate all aspects of the fashion industry in 2021.
Fendi: Silk and Mesh
Many of Fendi’s runway looks incorporated silk in some capacity, whether it was a silk gown or a silk suit. Many of these silky looks also incorporated a cloak, which I thought was interesting. The reason why I see silk becoming increasingly popular is because of the seat at the table it currently holds: bandana style silk tops are still a trend, as well as silken hair scarves. Fendi’s collection also incorporated mesh, which is currently a popular material for black, tight, “going out” crop tops. Because of the almost breeziness of Fendi’s collection, I can picture more flowy, mesh tops gaining popularity in the coming months.
Valentino: Neutrals with a Pop of Color
Valentino’s new pieces included wide skirts, oversized trench coats and puffy sleeves, but this wasn’t the first part about the runway looks that caught my eye. Tans, neutral pinks, and burnt siena dominated most outfits, but it was the one pop of bright colors that made the loudest statements. One of my favorite looks included an offwhite turtleneck layered with a long, fuschia, trenchcoat. Monochromatic looks were extremely popular in 2020 and while I think they will still be worn, it is possible more neutral looks with a brightly colored statement piece will begin to dominate the scene.
Chanel: Blair Waldorf Vibes
The best way I can describe Chanel’s aesthetic this season is complete Blair Waldorf vibes — and I’m not mad about it. Shades of pink, white, and black dominated this collection, with an emphasis on floral lace, ruffles, and skirts. Flowers were incorporated several other ways into various looks that appeared on the runway, such as a flower crown and floral detailing on the straps and bodice of a ballgown style dress. I never thought I’d see the day when flower crowns would be trendy again, but Chanel might just make that happen. Their incorporation of tulle skirts reaffirms my idea that mesh may become a popular fabric for clothing and accessories in 2021. All in all, Chanel is foreshadowing chic, simple, and elegant through timeless color combinations such as pink and plack and black and white, as well as slick, low-buns when it comes to hairstyles.
Tom Ford and Jason Wu: Oversized Coats
Tom Ford and Jason Wu showcased oversized jackets on the runway. From Tom Ford is a black velvet oversized coat that falls right at the top of the thigh, adorned with four gold buttons in the center. Jason Wu took a different approach by designing a navy almost ankle length puffer style coat. Between these two pieces and the jackets featured in the Valentino collection, I think it’s safe to say that this style is going to become popular; we are already starting to see long, plaid, blazer-like jackets.
Makeup: Bold Eyes
Bold smokey eyes dominated the runways this fashion week: Alice + Olivia model’s had deep, black eye makeup that resembled that of Jenny Humphrey’s in the later seasons of Gossip Girl, LBV created a blue and purple smokey eye with the help of Stila Cosmetic eyeshadows, and Chanel went for a simple yet timeless black and gray smokey eye. More natural looks that have arguably been more popular in 2020 were seen with Hermes and Giorgio Armani, and while I don’t think these are going anywhere, don’t be surprised if you see bold eye makeup take a step back into the spotlight in 2021.