Review: All the Spring Summer 2021 fashion shows so far

Burberry

Play

1/26

The fashion house streamed their Spring Summer 21 show via YouTube on September 17, at 8pm (Singapore time).

The brand's Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Tisci worked with internationally-acclaimed artist Anne Imhof to marry fashion and art for the show.

Date: September 22, 2020

Time: 9pm

What you missed:

Where last season Stuart Vevers riffed on the icons and codes of ‘80s fashion, this season he zoomed in on the ‘90s—the era of grunge, when sleek, glossy glamour gave way to a rawer sensibility driven by individuality. It was a period best epitomised by Corrine Day’s seminal photographs of Kate Moss and the supermodel fittingly made an appearance in the brand’s Juergen Teller-lensed video and lookbook. Starring alongside Moss was an inclusive, diverse cast of today’s most recognisable faces—Paloma Elsesser, Megan Thee Stallion, Hari Nef, Jeremy Lin, Jon Batiste, Kiko Mizuhara, Kelsey Lu I and Cole Sprouse amongst them.

The clothes were a period-faithful throwback: Washed-out floral or striped dresses worn over retro tees or slouchy socks and logo sneakers, slip dresses paired with fuzzy slippers—layered and sprinkled throughout with faded denims, plaid suits, striped cottons and rough-hewn knits. The homespun, DIY quality of the embroideries on most of the looks amplified the vintage vibes. In a stroke of brilliance, the collection was composed of new pieces, archival Vevers designs and vintage Coach from decades past. Like a greatest-hits parade, Vevers brought back his most iconic designs, from the Apollo sweater of his first season to the Basquiat pieces of the last.

The brand also doubled down on its commitment to sustainability—bags were made of vegetable-tanned, naturally-dyed leathers; totes came from recycled plastic bottles; and some of the ready-to-wear was assembled from upcycled fabrics. As the industry increasingly grapples with its impact on the environment, this is a commendable first step on the right path forward.

Fendi

Play

3/26

Date: September 23, 2020

Time: 9pm

What you missed:

Finally, a proper IRL runway show (even though most of us were watching it on a URL)! After months of digital experimentations, the LVMH-owned Fendi heralded a return to the now-old-school but ultimately comforting catwalk, kicking off Milan Fashion Week along the way. In the brand’s first co-ed show (and Silvia Venturini Fendi‘s last solo outing before Kim Jones takes the helm at its womenswear next season), a clever play on duality and contradictions reigns supreme—the severe vs. the soft, the buttoned-up against the uninhibited, womanly women alongside boyish boys, and straightforward silhouettes juxtaposed with intricate craftsmanship and impeccable construction.

Elsewhere, the humble played against the haute—best signified by the linens and bedding fabrics offset with feathers and furs.The formal was softened, the relaxed, elevated; and the lightness of transparent fabrics found its counterpoint in the rich textures realised in different regions in Italy. With some looks referencing duvets and blankets, it was like couture built from and for the comforts of home—a brilliant nod to our new normal. On the accessories front, Venturini Fendi played a game of conceal-and-reveal—shrouding House icons like the Peekaboo and Baguette bags in sheer organzas and silks. At a time when the human touch has become a rare commodity, the mark of the human hand is stronger than ever—evidenced in the basketry, latticework, quilting and weaving.

Before the show, the collection was previewed on multiple generations of the Fendi family and continuing the familial theme, Venturini Fendi casted siblings as well as parents and children to walk the show. Expanding on last season’s diverse casting, she also brought forth a multigenerational and size-inclusive crew of models that included Penelope Tree, Ashley Graham, Karen Elson, Yasmin le Bon, Eva Herzigova and Paloma Elsesser. 

Dolce & Gabbana

Play

4/26

Date: September 23, 2020

Time: 12 midnight

What you missed:

After the couture extravaganza in Florence a few weeks ago, Dolce&Gabbana wrote another chapter in its continuing love letter to Italy. This time, it was an ode to Sicily and the abundance of unique craftsmanship to be found there—the culture having been shaped by centuries of Spanish, Arabic, Norman and French influence. As such, it was also an ode to the spirit of diversity and the beauty of harmonious co-existence.

Taking the collection’s name of Patchwork di Sicilia literally, the designers presented dazzling kaleidoscopes of print and colour, rendered on brocades, poplin, chiffon and georgette. Every single piece in the 98-look collection is imbued with individuality, each having been crafted and interpreted in the hands of a skilled artisan.

The duo also referenced their own history, looking back at one of their collections from 1993, which was in turn inspired by the Seventies. The bohemian spirit of that era has here been given a modern spin and high-octane sex appeal—maxi dresses, tunic tops and flowing caftans alternating with bombshell dresses in hourglass silhouettes, miniskirts and razor-sharp tailoring.

Emporio Armani

Play

5/26

Save the date: September 24, 2020

Time: 5.30pm

Watch it live on https://emporioarmani-buildingdialogues.com/

Prada

Play

6/26

Date: September 24, 2020

Time: 8pm

What you missed:

After months of buildup, the most anticipated show of the season is finally here: Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons‘ first joint collection at the former’s namesake label. The team-up was an unprecedented move in the industry, and as such, no one knew quite what to expect. Would it be a wiping of the slate or an explosion of newness created by two giant creative forces colliding? The answer lied somewhere in between—and anyways, as Prada said in the post-show Q&A, newness for newness’ sake doesn’t feel like the most relevant impulse for her right now.

What the pair did instead was pare the brand down to its purest codes—very much in line with Raf’s penchant for getting to the core essence of a house he newly joins. In that post-show chat, when asked about “Prada-ness”, he described it as a “certain attitude, intellect and aesthetic”. But there are also specific looks and items that are packed with Prada-ness: the housecoat, the slim knit with the full pleated skirt, the subversively demure kitten heels, the nylon backpack, the pyjama suit, and most importantly, the idea of a uniform. All these boxes were checked, and then some.

As much as it was about Prada-ness, there was also plenty of Raf-ness—underscoring just how in sync their thought processes have always been. The long, lean silhouette of shell tops and tunics worn over trousers that opened the show was both a Raf signature and a Prada mainstay. The cocoon coats clutched close at the bosom was a romantic gesture both designers have employed to great effect. When the blush version came out, it was a visceral, immediate throwback to Raf’s final Jil Sander show—a position Miuccia placed him in when the Prada Group still owned the brand, and thus kicking off his career in womenswear.

Other Raf-isms abounded—most notably, the fitted, branded polo-necks with holes cut out of them that were layered under most of the looks, and the Peter de Potter graphics that appeared throughout, even overlaid on some of Prada’s most iconic ugly-chic prints from the ’90s. Further manifestations of the duo’s shared design language include the wrap, a key motif in the collection. Through this one seemingly simple design, they explored the different meanings clothes can take on. Is it protection or adornment? That depends on the whether the wrap comes in re-nylon or duchesse satin. The designers also share a love for midcentury couture shapes, though here they were composed of 21st-century hoodies, anoraks and nylon coats.

Those hoping for a whiz-bang of creative fireworks might find the collection a little cold or quiet, but in all, it was a highly effective exercise in sketching out the potential shapes that this ongoing collaboration might take. Plus, as they noted in their post-show conversation, the pandemic shortened the amount of time they had together to work on the collection. Well, if this was the new Prada language they came up with in that short period, we can’t wait for the future stories they are about to write.

TOD'S

Play

7/26

Date: September 25, 2020

Time: 9pm

What you missed:

Shot in the striking modernist gem that is the Villa Necchi in Milan, Walter Chiapponi‘s latest collection was presented in a series of cinematic Zoom-style vignettes and showcased on a diverse cast of characters that included Karen Elson, Irina Shayk and Maria Carla Boscono. The languid pace of the video matched the languor of the clothes, which had more of an ease and a lived-in quality compared to his debut collection last season.

The pieces conjured a bohemian but aristocratic sensibility, with textures that looked washed or worn and silhouettes that were never cut too tight or constricting. Styled by Katie Grand, nothing was too polished and perfect-even the tailoring was soft with sporty accents. Rich but relaxed, these were clothes that would look equally at home in the city or at a country house. Chiapponi’s use of a gorgeous painterly palette infused the whole collection with radiance and warmth. Baby blues and pinks mixed with lilac, saffron, burnt ochre, marigold and emerald while icy greys and earthy tones provided a counterbalance.

On the accessories front, the standout was a triangular top-handle tote and a fuss-free saddle hobo that strikes just the right balance between softness and structure. The timeless T bag came in both pleasing neutrals and dazzling highlighter-neon hues. Most of the women’s looks were grounded by kitten mules with see-through, sculptural heels or a soft, flat sandal-loafer hybrid. Other clever hybrids included sneakers with ballet-shoe straps and slouchy boots roped with thin gladiator straps.

Versace

Play

8/26

Save the date: September 26, 2020

Time: 12 midnight

Stream it live on versace.com.

Save the date: September 26, 2020

Time: 6pm

Stream it live on studio.bally.com.

Moschino

Play

10/26

Save the date: September 26, 2020

Time: 9.30pm

Date: September 27, 2020

Time: 8pm

What you missed:

For one season only, Pierpaolo Piccioli moved the Valentino show from Paris to Milan—a show of support for the home country of both designer and brand. The raw industrial space he chose to show in was disrupted by profusions of lush greenery and flowers hailing from different corners of the world-a subtle extension of the diverse spirit Piccioli has always championed in his work. Another thing at which the designer excels is drama and glamour without any of the stuffiness and fussiness. This season, he takes that lightness even further—a nod to the times we live in and an antidote to its gloom.

The show opened with sharp little blocks of black and white before print, colour and texture seeped in to infuse the collection with a lighthearted joyousness. All throughout, silhouettes were streamlined, softened, simplified—everything grounded by flat shoes. By paring back his usually fantastical volumes, weightlessness and effortlessness were the qualities that came to the fore. Standout looks included intricate lace shirts for both him and her. There were also other pieces which looked equally arresting on both genders, from blousons and shorts suits to nonchalant blazer-and-blue-jeans combos.

Those jeans are a surefire hit. Created in collaboration with Levi’s, it was an updated take on the iconic 517 style from the ’60s conceived through a process Piccioli called resignification—the giving of new value to symbols and ideas from a different time but which are still relevant for today. Other elements that got the remix treatment were the brand’s signature Rockstuds—now supersized—as well as the collection’s print of big beautiful blooms, which was lifted from an archival dress.

Salvatore Ferragamo

Play

12/26

Date: September 27, 2020

Time: 1.30am

What you missed:

Like many of us, Paul Andrew spent most of quarantine bingeing on films. On top of his list were Alfred Hitchcock classics like Vertigo, Marnie and The Birds and the director’s rich, cinematic sensibility was a clear influence on Andrew’s spring/summer 2021 collection for Salvatore Ferragamo. Inspired by the icy chic of Hitchcock heroines like Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren, Andrew sent out a collection that was sharp and sophisticated, enlivened by Technicolor hues.

It was a highly polished affair, but never sterile thanks to Andrew’s vivid use of colour. Pistachio, buttercup, mauve, sky blue and blush pink shades were played off against stone and sand hues. He also injected a softness and sensuousness that felt new compared to his previous outings for the House. The prevalence of craft further enriched the tactility of the collection, evident in the feather adornments, perforated leathers, honeycomb knits and a string skirt that looked like it was floating. As befit the brand and the designer’s history, shoes were a standout, from the square-toed slingbacks to new versions of the iconic F-wedge.

Playing up the cinematic mood, Andrew enlisted Luca Guadagnino to shoot a short film that preceded the runway show. Atmospheric, suspenseful shots of models wandering around an eerily empty Milan were interspersed with lush close-ups of bags, shoes and the models’ mystery-filled gazes. In a clever, synergistic move, the vibrant Technicolor used by the director further amplified the brilliant palette deployed by Andrew.

Dior

Play

13/26

Date: September 29, 2020

Time: 8.30pm

What you missed:

We breathed a sigh of relief that a Dior show could go ahead within the ambiguous grey area of the Covid era. However, this was by no means business as usual. In contrast to the standard frenzy of photographers, invitees and onlookers, often seen outside a Dior show during Paris Fashion Week, we arrived at a much more subdued scene at the Tuileries garden—the capacity of the show was reduced to just 20 percent to enable social distancing.

Inside, it was as though we had been transported to a gothic cathedral, with what appeared to be giant stained glass windows that faintly filtered daylight. On closer inspection, these were in fact giant light boxes, where the facades were covered in large-scale collages. This season sees Dior Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri highlighting yet another celebrated female talent, Italian collage artist and writer Lucia Marcucci. The installation is named Vetrata di poesia visiva, meaning ‘Visual Poetry in Stained Glass’. The images, cut out and reassembled in ‘visual poetry’, were taken from magazines that spoke of important works in Art History. The effect was to reframe discussions of these works into the modern feminist discourse, a subject that Chiuri has explored ever more profoundly each season.

Female freedom is inextricably linked to how she dresses, and to dress comfortably is freedom. Such is Maria Gracia Chiuri’s pursuit of reinterpreting the codes of Dior into real clothes for modern women. While departing from the extravagance of the archetypal Dior silhouette, its essence was maintained in the Bar jackets, which were transformed into kimono like outerwear (inspired by pieces designed by Dior for Japan in the 1950s), and the sharp suiting mainstay with roomy wide legs and generous sleeves. With the myriad of fabrics in romantic florals, paisleys and stripes, this is the chic Parisian woman going shopping in her grandmother’s attic.

The high drama of the house, however, was not forgotten. The collection was interspersed with weightless chiffon dresses embellished lavishly with intricate beading and embroidery, showing a Grecian peplos inspiration. These too, in their full sleeves and skirts, exuded ease. As for footwear, simple ballet flats and effortless greek sandals emphasised the wearability of the collection.

The theme of freedom is abstractly echoed in the live choral performance that served the soundtrack for the show. The piece was Lucia Ronchetti’s Sangu di rosa, performed by 12 women from the vocal ensemble Sequenza 9.3, and directed by Catherine Simonpietri. While the original text of the song expresses the sadness felt by women who have lost their husband or child, the interpretation by the Sequenza 9.3 reflected the contemplation of possible choices for the future. This perhaps is not unlike the types of contemplation that have permeated our collective consciousness in this tumultuous year.

Kenzo

Play

14/26

Date: September 30, 2020

Time: 4.30pm

What you missed:

Last Paris Fashion Week, Kenzo’s show at the Institut National de Jeune Sourdes was a quarantine from the elements, where a literal bubble wound in a plastic labyrinth throughout the garden. For Spring Summer 2021, however, we were in the open air. Charming little stools, in place of benches, dotted the garden, placed at a regulation of one metre apart. Great black umbrellas were posed over them like parasols, just in case it rained. Exposed and protected — this is just one of the many dichotomies Felipe Oliveira Baptista pondered over for this collection, with ‘contrast’ being the order of the day.

One question that seemed to be on Batista’s mind was whether to react to the current state of the world by reflecting a darker tone for this collection, or whether to offer up hope and fantasy. The answer turned out to be a little of both.

As if in an answer to the grey drizzly Parisian morning that set the scene, the Spring Summer 2021 collection was colourful, bright and airy-light. The looks were tonal or printed from head to toe, in bright reds, blues and yellows. I imagine these created just the kind of visual spectacle that would be pleasing to the bee mascots that joined the Kenzo tiger this season. Looking closer, the floral prints shared a faded quality that felt melancholic. Batista drew inspirations from Kenzo archival floral motifs and recreated these in a digital print that bled into the fabric. In an anthropomorphised metaphor for the plight of our natural world, the flowers were ‘crying’. And yet these were not sombre but joyous looks. Here was the next contrast we were invited to draw. Our world is surely in trouble, but there is still hope and scope to dream for a brighter future.

Protection and exposure was another theme that ran throughout the collection. There were the flamboyant wide brimmed hats with veils draped that sometimes were tucked at the waist and in other occasions skimmed the ground. There were also zippered versions where the veils could be connected to the ensemble as a transformable element. The reference to beekeeper’s protective equipment — and its parallels to Covid PPE — were easy to deduce. While the veils visually marked out a barrier for personal space, the fabrics were soft and delicate, belying their protective potential. The looks that are encased by the veils, however, tell another story. In the utilitarian vests and shorts, weather-proof coats, and futuristic geta-inspired sandals, Kenzo’s nomadic spirit lives on. Perhaps what is inside is stronger than we had believed.

Interestingly, the parallel drawn to bees and beekeepers may have been serendipitous. Leafing through the show notes, we come across a photo of a beekeeper from the 1900s and an image from Kenzo Spring Summer 1984 collection. The latter shows the model wearing a scarf wrapped around her hat, somewhat mirroring the beekeeper. It seems that this aspect of the Spring Summer 2021 show was a century in the making.

The ultimate dichotomy is the bee and the tiger. One is minuscule and vulnerable, while our entire ecosystem depends on their pollinating and regulating role; the other is powerful and resilient, but its survival ultimately depends on the food chain over which the bee presides. The message offered is not to model after one or the other. Batista’s proposition for coping and thriving in these unprecedented times is to find the harmony and balance within all of 2020s contradictions. In other words, ‘Bee a Tiger’.

Chloe

Play

15/26

Date: October 1, 2020

Time: 8pm

What you missed:

As we took our socially distanced seats on well-spaced benches along the steps at the Palais de Tokyo, images of models were projected live on three giant screens in the centre of the show space. We watched on as beautiful strangers were caught in the moment on the streets of Paris. The models were scattered throughout the rues and corners surrounding the show venue, some seemingly enjoying a walk under the Eiffel Tower; others in lively conversation with their equally well dressed copines, while a handful were simply enjoying a rare spot of sunshine.

If this was a lesson on Chloe’s brand of Rive Gauche nonchalance, then the collection was a masterclass. Creative director Natacha Ramsay-Levi always  juxtaposes feminine and masculine in the most Parisian way. The looks for this collection are both soft and strong, delicate and confident. Lightweight blouses were unexpectedly layered under singlets, styled like men’s undershirts. Floaty silk dresses were grounded by blocky sandals. The collection’s suiting carried men’s tailoring influences but always feminine — cinched high on the waist by oversized belts. The simplicity of the looks were contrasted by the bold, sculptural jewellery and hardware that exudes confidence. This lazy elegance is the result of an expert curation of just the right elements, built up in a deliberate complexity that looks haphazardly thrown together.

Ramsey-Levi, as always, connected the collection with pop culture by incorporating artworks into the pieces. Silkscreens by Corita Kent between 1963 and 1967 were incorporated into a number of pieces as prints. Mary Corita Kent was an artist and activist, and also an American Roman Catholic religious sister. Through her graphic slogan prints, she advocated for civil rights, racial equality and justice. These slogans were printed on T-shirts and silk blouses, styled nonchalantly inside layers of boyish shirts and trench coats, on multi-coloured sweaters paired with 70s-style pants and mini skirts, as well as bags. One white boxy shift dress provided a blank canvas for the slogan that is at the centre of this collection: Hope.

Chloe Spring Summer 2021 is a tantalising glimpse into life somewhat getting back to normal — of moving freely, carefree in the streets of Paris, life without PPE. The title A Season of Hope was also befitting — this is the first Paris Fashion Week since the pandemic took over the world. Undoubtedly, the question on everybody’s mind was: Will fashion week survive? If so, would it ever be the same? Instead of searching for the answer with dread, we should look forward to the future with optimism. How fashion week will play out in the future is anyone’s guess but for now, it’s important that we continue to dream and cling on to hope.

Loewe

Play

16/26

Save the date: October 2, 2020

Time: 

3pm: Adam Bainbridge, a.k.a. KINDNESS, introduces an interpretation of Thomas Talis’ Spem in Alium, the complex motel for forty voices intended as a soundtrack to the Show-on-the-Wall.

5.30pm: A walkthrough of the collection with Creative Director Jonathan Anderson, explaining the concept for Show-on-the-Wall while unveiling the posters and highlights.

7pm: Airing of ‘Akimbo Style’ – A Documentary on British artist Anthea Hamilton.

10pm: Airing of Du Samedi au Mardi, the commissioned art film created by Hilary Lloyd capturing footage and interviews on the set of the Show-on-the-Wall photoshoot.

12midnight (3 October): Creative Director Jonathan Anderson in conversation with Model and friend of the house, Kaia Gerber, on LOEWE’s Show-on-the-Wall concept.

Stream live on LOEWE’s Instagram (@loewe) and loewe.com.

Chanel

Play

17/26

Date: October 2, 2020

Time: 4.30pm

Save the date: October 2, 2020

Time: 6.30pm

Hermès

Play

19/26

Date: October 3, 2020

Time: 9pm

Givenchy

20/26

Date: October 4, 2020

What you missed:

Givenchy Spring Summer 2021 collection was a highly anticipated one because it is Matthew Williams’ first collection as Artistic Director after the departure of Claire Wright Keller in April this year. This was a co-ed show that included both women’s and men’s ready-to-wear collections, signalling a new format for future seasons. Completed in just two months, Williams referred to the collection as a ‘sampler’ of things to come. He pays homage to Hubert de Givenchy’s archival shapes and tailoring, and other artistic directors in the past. Notable highlights included the Tryp-toe — three-toed, horn-heeled sandals. The horn, which also playfully embellished baseball caps, was a direct reference to Alexander McQueen’s tenure at the house.

Williams then injected into this mix his own brand of material experimentation to sexy, industrial-chic effect. There were painted jeans and denim jackets that were baked to achieve a cracked look. Delicate transparent materials were juxtaposed with metal, with the cutout of one backless dress framed by clusters of charms that looked like piercings.

Hardware is a signature that Williams brought to the house. The Givenchy Antigona, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, was reimagined by Williams in a number of new forms, and made tougher with metal grommets and embossed leather. The “Love Lock”, inspired by the locks hung on Paris’ Pont des Arts bridge, appeared as a focal point on bags. They were also seen as collectable charms on belts and bold jewellery. The Givenchy “G” was extensively used to form chunky link chains in belts, necklaces and bag straps. The accessories in the collection were mostly intended to be gender neutral, such as the new Antiogona ‘Cut out’ bag collection. For this shape, Williams wanted to represent the negative space of the Antigona’s iconic upside down triangle tag.

Matthew Williams has had a fascinating career before arriving at the house of Givenchy. Following his first foray into costume design in 2007 when he created a jacket for Kanye West for the Grammy Awards, he went on to design costumes for Lady Gaga, and then to launch his brand, 1017 Alyx 9SM in 2015. The success of the brand saw him shortlisted for LVMH Prize in 2016, and undertook a number of high profile collaborations, including with Dior for its Spring Summer 2019 accessories line.

 

Date: October 6, 2020

Time: 8pm

What you missed:

For Spring Summer 2021, we were invited to the United Games of Miu Miu. The show was staged in Milan, in an elliptical sports stadium-inspired set created by AMO. The fact that there was no physical audience mirrored the state that in recent months, many sports events have had to be held with thousands of empty seats. Many of these sporting events found ways to compensate for that loss of spectator ambiance, such as filling seats with cardboard cutouts, and playing recorded cheering tracks during the games so that the athletes could feel that crucial audience feedback. “An audience is necessary for both the event and the player, in a two-way exchange,” Miu Miu’s show notes read. In the same vein, Miuccia Prada also brought back that spectator element with TV screens mounted on the walls of Miu Miu’s ‘stadium’ where the faces of the guests watching the show live over zoom were projected. Thereby, the “two-way exchange” was re-established.

As for the events of the Miu Miu games, we saw models as tennis players in streamlined dresses and skirt shapes, the bowling teams in frumpy-chic velvet cardigans over midi skirts, the golfers in polo shirts, and the cheerleaders in halter tops. The core of Miu Miu is always fun and irony. Lacy collars accompanied boxy jackets that looked like way-too-stylish Olympics team uniforms. Tennis dresses were accompanied by belts embellished with bows. Sheer, frou-frou tops were unexpected paired with tracksuits. Conversely, the tracksuit jackets were worn over pretty silk dresses. In a twist, football boots morphed into pointed kitten heels mules, the tell-tale laces remaining. Along with frilly silk slip dresses spliced with racer tank edging, we were served a jarring contradiction of spin class and high tea.

While sports uniforms are hardly described as ‘feminine’, this collection couldn’t be more so. Sweet candy colours such as bubblegum pink, mint green and lemon-drop yellow were used in speed lines of track suits or in full tone-on-tone looks. With a veritable sampler of textures from matte to gloss, the models perfectly represented the boxes of multi-coloured Marchesi sweets that were sent to editors along with the runway invitations.

As for the faces that participated in the audience, we spotted Elle Fanning, Chloë Sevigny, Sadie Sink (of Stranger Things fame) and Yoona Lim. Each of these women represents a facet of the Miu Miu girl. She is whimsical and playful, but also rebellious in her off-beat way. As a whole, women supporting women in shared values and goals is a core value of the brand, such as witnessing and cheering the runway debut of Lila Moss — daughter of Kate Moss — who opened and closed the show. At the age of 18, Lila has already starred as the face of Marc Jacobs beauty, and fronted the Miu Miu Fall Winter 2020 collection campaign.

Chanel

Play

22/26

Date: October 6, 2020

Time: 4.30pm

What you missed:

Every season, in the week leading up to the Chanel show, everyone will be wondering: what will be the theme of the Chanel show? For Spring Summer 2021, a teaser video — directed by Dutch photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin — was released, showing clips from cult Nouvelle Vague movies of the ’60s, plus a dramatic CGI animation of a giant diorama of the Hollywood Hills — or was it the Paris hills? — inside the Grand Palais. Instead of the iconic Hollywood sign, it spelled ‘Chanel’. The Chanel logo was supersized (upwards of 15 metres high), and took up the full length of the space. While Virginie Viard’s sets for Chanel shows weren’t as outrageous and fantastical as the late Karl Lagerfeld’s, her renditions have always been about dramatic elegant that left an indelible impression.

The inspiration for this collection was old Hollywood glam, but it certainly was not a vintage revival. Rather, this was the complete Chanel wardrobe of the modern starlet. The house’s signature tweed appeared in easy separates, including jackets with exaggerated shoulders that were styled with split and mini skirts; layered over clashing prints of tiny flowers, as well as graphic monogram. Confidence was the key accessory, as models strutted in all-over sequins, and a full body catsuit accessorised with a chain belt and stacks of bangles.

There was a nonchalant mix of dressed up and down similar to an off-duty celebrity. Matching blazers and vests were worn over capri shorts, and midriff-baring bustiers were paired with pencil skirts. These were the looks that the new generation of silver screen idols would be photographer from the walk of the hotel lobby to the limousine. For after dark, there were gowns in logo monogram; the relaxed silhouettes can easily move from red carpet to afterparty.

The accessories this season have also gone microscopic. Tiny Chanel flap bags the size of matchboxes hung like pendants from belts, bangles, necklaces and crossbody chains with just enough space to hold your daily vitamin C dose. There was also a Chanel branded quilted tag worn around the neck of one model that brought to mind backstage passes.

The connection between Chanel and cinema goes back as far as the 1930s. Gabrielle Chanel had dressed some of the greatest actresses of every era: Jeanne Moreau, Bridget Bardot, Marilyn Monroe and Jane Fonda. The looks that Mademoiselle Chanel created for Delphine Seyrig in the 1961 movie Last Year at Marienbad had inspired the late Karl Lagerfeld for the Spring/Summer 2011 collection. But Viard was not just inspired by movies themselves; she also drew inspirations from the real and reel lives of the actresses, such as the photo call; the frenzy of photographers and fans fighting for a glimpse of the stars in the flesh; and the actresses alone in their hotel rooms. These cinematic moments were what Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin honed in on for their videos and images created for the collection. In the black and white footage, leading women, Rianne Van Rompaey, Mica Argañaraz and Louise de Chevigny, were captured in recurring and idealised situations. The hotel room also held a particular significance to the house of Chanel — Gabrielle Chanel lived in a hotel room in the Ritz for 34 years.

 

Louis Vuitton

Play

23/26

Date: October 6, 2020

Time: 9pm

What you missed:

For Parisians, the Samaritaine was perpetually under renovation. It was one of the first department stores built in Paris back in 1870, in the era of Paris’ modernisation by Georges-Eugène Haussmann. This iconic building was acquired by LVMH in 2001, and in 2005, its 15-year renovation began. However, just weeks before its grand reopening earlier this year, France was locked down due to the pandemic. To close this Paris Fashion Week, we were at last invited inside, where the Louis Vuitton Spring Summer 2021 show was held.

This was perhaps the most fully realised ‘phygital’ shows we experienced this season. The set was designed to give a full and unique experience to virtual viewers as well as physical guests. Though the runway itself was only on the top floor of the department store, the building’s interior, including the floors below the runway, were covered in green screens. While the green screens created a graphic contrast to showcase the looks, they were not primarily for the guests’ benefit. Instead it’s meant for viewers at home, where the green screens were replaced by scenes from the 1987 Wim Wenders movie Wings of Desire. The film followed angels in Berlin who observed and comforted humans, but remained invisible to them. The angel’s longing to belong to the physical world was a parallel for us to draw. But the fully 360-degree digital experience created with 360 cameras placed at many intervals along the runway (“virtual seats”) meant that the show was replicated as realistically (and virtually) possible, for viewers behind their computer screens.

If the show format was on the pulse, so was the opening look featuring a sweater printed with the word “vote” that reflected a message that has become a rallying cry for one end of a polarised political landscape on Planet America. The ‘80s oversized shape, a signature of Nicolas Ghesquière, is back again, but in a more street-ready version than the previous season. There were large dad sweaters tucked into basketball shorts, boxy blazers and coats worn as dresses, and tailored sequin sets that were more ‘80s sci-fi than disco. The bulky tops were balanced out by roomy pants cinched at the waist with haphazard knotting of thick belts. Colour was injected in the form of printed T-shirts and dresses that resembled giant candy bar wrappers that were patch-worked together.

As with other collections we saw this season, there was blurring of the genders. At Louis Vuitton, it did not just take inspiration from menswear, but they were designed to be unisex. The collection was modelled by men as well as women on the runway, and the same cuts were styled in similar ways on both genders. If there is one thing to take away from all the challenges that have come our way this year, it’s that this is our opportunity to reassess our binary preconceptions.

Date: October 7, 2020
Time: 4pm

Date: October 15, 2020

Time: 9pm

Celine

Play

26/26

Date: October 26, 2020

Time: 11pm

What you missed:

Where Hedi Slimane‘s last Celine menswear collection was quite the abrupt about-face from his previous outings, his new women’s show was more of an evolution, a loosening-up, even. The codes he has established over the past several seasons were still there, but seen through a new lens-the youth’s. The attitude was more relaxed, with pieces to match. The first look said it all: a collarless leather jacket with big gold buttons, worn with a little silk top, cropped jeans, flat boots and a baseball cap—the outfit of a girl who raided her bourgeois mother’s wardrobe in search of a statement jacket.

The pussybow blouses and little tweed jackets that have become House signatures are present as well, now worn with jeans and shorts. Slimane also kept the long pleated ’70s dresses—some of them tiered and sparkling, some fully hand-embroidered, but all worn with a certain nonchalance, often with a hoodie shrugged over. It was a nod to these WFH times, but with a dose of much-needed glamour as we collectively tire from living in sweats all the time. Tracksuits came sequinned, sweatpants were worn with leather jackets, and everything was grounded by flat shoes—fur slides, Celine-branded wellies, sneakers and hiking boots amongst them. The logo briefs from the men’s collection found their counterpart here in the form of logo bra tops, which looked especially good worn under sharp oversized blazers or slouchy flannel shirts—glam or grunge, take your pick.

That multiplicity of choice was a cleverly calculated move on Slimane’s part to appeal to wide swathes of consumers. The tailoring and the easy dresses will resonate with those who come to the House for polish and sophistication, but the faded jeans, short shorts, hoodies, printed tees, and bucket hats will undoubtedly bring in a new, younger group of fans. Slimane even made the shrewd choice of casting Kaia Gerber in her first runway appearance for the brand, and which 21-year-old wouldn’t want to look as cool as she did in her Celine bra, denim shorts, leather blazer and baseball cap?

Versions of this article first appeared on Harper's Bazaar Singapore.