The best of AW21 so far

Throwback glamour, unapologetic sex and futuristic optimism dominated the New York, London and Milan (mostly virtual) catwalks. Here are the trends to know

NEW YORK A new look and a new super

This season, Proenza Schouler’s Lazaro Hernandez and Jack Mccollough had, according to Lazaro, ‘one foot in this world and one foot in the next’. Their proposition for a wardrobe that does both included pieces that cocoon and reveal, offer comfort and polish – minimalism injected with tactile touches of handcraft. Making her runway debut was Kamala Harris’s stepdaughter Ella Emhoff, who was chosen because ‘for us, she represents a new chapter, a new beginning’.

Pretty tough

The hemlines were high and the fierce factor dialled up to the max at Tom Ford –a post-pandemic rallying cry if you like. ‘Who doesn’t want to be a badass?’ wrote Mr Ford in the show notes. ‘Especially after being trapped at home for a year.’

The best of both worlds

A gloriously eccentric, eclectic mash-up of cartoon knits and shearlings, plaids and florals, Coach Forever Season Two was inspired by mixing the indoor and outdoor worlds. Makes a compelling case for ‘more is more’ dressing.

Forever wear

Khaite’s Catherine Holstein is less interested in trends than what women want to wear. Now? Gargantuan cable-knit sweaters, draped jersey dresses and probably the best quilted jackets you’ll see this season. Meanwhile, Gabriela Hearst’s green credentials are welldocumented, but what really makes her designs – like this season’s macrame dresses and hand-knitted capes – conscious to the core is that you’ll want to wear them forever.

LONDON

The big G

‘Moving, living art,’ is how Harris Reed describes his demi-couture collection. Spraypainted millefeuille tulle is juxtaposed with tailoring; a bridal gown has an upcycled bodice made from a charity shop wedding dress. He also used it as an opportunity to make a statement about gender expression. ‘I didn’t do it because it’s a hot topic, I did it because it’s my life,’ he said. Other young guns making the case for glamour? Matty Bovan and 16Arlington.

Delicious contradictions

Say the words Big Dress Energy and two distinctly different, fantastically singular takes on femininity come to mind: Simone Rocha and Molly Goddard. Both grounded their unapologetically dressy, girly spins on womanhood with re-spun staples. Rocha’s global fanbase will surely be clamouring to add her punkish leather jackets to their arsenal of sweet dresses. ‘This was about the mix of fragility and strength,’ she explained. Goddard’s tartan tailored coats and Argyle sweaters added an even bigger dose of eccentricity to her excellent tulle dresses.

Erotic city

After a year spent in track pants, it was inevitable fashion’s pendulum would swing in the opposite direction. Cue A/W ’21’s clothes that cling and reveal flashes of skin. ‘One world is ending and another is beginning,’ Emilia Wickstead said of this transitional sartorial moment. Michael Halpern, meanwhile, dialled the sex up further with thigh-revealing skirts, animal-print bodysuits and cut-outs. ‘People are buying for the future. This collection is about being able to go out and celebrate,’ he said.

Timelessness

Roksanda Ilincic’s A/W show felt even more intimate than her last, with a quietly stunning film of a show starring Vanessa Redgrave, daughter Joely Richardson and granddaughter Daisy Bevan in glamorous repose while in lockdown at their family home. Erdem’s elegant collection was also a standout for its multi-generational appeal, with a cast that included retired ballerinas in a line-up of floral, feathered and pleated dresses inspired by the stage. ‘There’s a strength that comes across with these different women,’ he said.

Mindful dressing

If Little Edie was transported to Suffolk today, she’d be wearing Preen’s A/W ’21 collection. English country house clothes – wallpaper florals, headscarves and oversized coats – were made from organic and upcycled materials. The environment was also front of mind at Osman. ‘Fashion should not be at the expense of others or at the cost to the planet,’ he said. For A/W ’21, he sought the expertise of artisans in Uzbekistan, with each of the collection’s showstopping coats taking 50 hours to weave from silk yarns on a hand loom.

MILAN

The big reveal

Hotly anticipated, Kim Jones made his ready-to-wear debut at Fendi. The ribbed knit separates, fluid handkerchief dresses and floor-sweeping coats had a have-it-all sensibility: wearability and luxury, elegance and ease. ‘I’m taking the amazing, strong women who I know and work with and listening to their needs,’ Jones said. These are clothes made to be worn and to be seen. What could be more optimistic than that?

The big follow-up

‘Many designers, I might like a shoe, a piece… or from a director, one movie. It becomes more complicated when it’s a body of work,’ Raf Simons said after showing his second womenswear collection co-created with Miuccia Prada. Judging by the collection, inspired by ‘transformation’ and the space between ‘simplicity and complexity’, this chapter of Prada will be closely watched for years to come. The outerwear: glamorous faux furs and a standout yellow coat, are already Insta hits.

Coat of armour

To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Max Mara went back to its roots as outfitter to the woman who can ‘handle anything life throws at her… with insouciant glamour’. And whether her coat is cuddly teddy or long-haired camel, it’s her armour.

Night creatures

Oh, to have a night outout. When the time finally arrives, Giorgio Armani’s collection will be a good starting point with its fluid cocktail suits and liquid silk dresses. Meanwhile, Emporio

Armani’s relaxed elegance was expressed in soft blazers, velvet dresses with patchwork prints and a palette of purples and pinks that popped against shimmering black.

The future is now

Dolce & Gabbana combined tradition and technology in a collection inspired by robots and ’90s fashion moments. ‘What interests us most is being able to have a direct dialogue with the new generation,’ said Domenico Dolce. At Ferragamo, Paul Andrew’s collection was inspired by science fiction and hope. Environmental concerns saw him use polyester from recycled materials and offcuts to make his accessories.

Time reimagined

At Moschino, Jeremy Scott looked to the glamour of simpler times past to create standout skirt suits, cocktail dresses and pinstripe suiting worn by supermodels older and new (Karen Elson, Hailey Beiber, Precious Lee…) Over at Sportmax, the references spanned all eras, from a Greek statue to a ’90s techno-lover, via a ’40s femme fatale. They are multiple versions of one female figure moving along the silver thread of time and space,’ the notes said.

Back to school

School uniforms inspired Philosophy di

Lorenzo Serafini’s varsity jackets, cricket jumpers and crests. ‘School… forms generations through debate, enlightenment and social interactions,’ he said.