The top 10 fashion moments of 2021

After a tumultuous 2020, in which the coronavirus cancelled most of the events on the annual fashion calendar, it seemed that 2021 can only be a better year for the fashion industry, what with more people getting vaccinated and social restrictions being eased.

While we haven’t quite regained our pre-pandemic freedom as yet, it is necessary to be thankful for how far things have improved to date. Fashion Weeks, across the world, managed to make a return — albeit in a format that’s a first for the industry, along with other key fashion events that have been sorely missed.

As we approach the end of 2021, it’s an appropriate time to look back on these happenings, as well as other significant developments in fashion that gave us moments of amusement, sadness and excitement.

1. The Met Gala returned

Following a hiatus last year, no thanks to the pandemic, fashion’s biggest night out returned this year, albeit with certain measures in place, such as requiring attendees to have proof of vaccination, and a mask-on policy indoors (except when dining or drinking).

The spotlight may have been on the red carpet, where celebrity guests made their entrance and paraded their elaborately planned outfits, but what’s oddly more interesting to see was how some of them turned their face covering into a creative accessory. 

Singer Grimes made hers a spectacularly eye-catching part of her Dune-inspired get-up, while Kim Kardashian took “face covering” literally by turning up in a Balenciaga ensemble that covered her entire head.

2. Hybrid Fashion Week

There’s no wonder that Fashion Week, no matter in Paris, Milan, New York or London, will never be the same again, after the pandemic abruptly put a stop to all large-scale physical events in 2020.  

Thankfully, with the easing of pandemic-containment restrictions this year, in-person fashion shows are making a return around the globe, although the key Fashion Weeks are sticking to a phygital format (like Loewe‘s fall/winter 2021 collection) at present. This makes good sense for contingency planning as we continue to battle new Covid-19 variants and will also benefit a post-pandemic world in time to come.

Besides being a lot more sustainable, virtual runway shows also allow for a wider participation and plenty of room for creativity in terms of how collections are showcased. Like it or not, this hybrid format looks set to stay and will push fashion-industry players into a brave, new era, perhaps a little sooner than it would have happened without the disruptions brought about by Covid-19.

3. The world lost a number of fashion talents

The fashion industry mourned the loss of several prominent talents in the field this year. Most recently, the news of Virgil Abloh’s passing shook the world, as it was revealed that the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear and founder of street wear brand Off-White had been fighting a private battle with cancer for over two years. 

Abloh is credited with injecting luxury into street wear and famed for his trailblazing vision of fashion, for which he caught Louis Vuitton’s attention and interest, becoming the French luxury house’s first-ever black artistic director.

Just as the world was slowly making a recovery from the effects of the pandemic in April, former Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz passed away due to complications related to Covid-19, which he had contracted. He had announced the launch of his new fashion label, AZ Factory, in January this year, which remains very much in business today, supported by luxury goods company Richemont, and in line with Elbaz’s vision.

Jewellery designer and former model Elsa Peretti, known for her many distinctively organic-looking creations for Tiffany & Co, died in March at age 80. She leaves the world a legacy of iconic works that are certain to be  loved by future generations of jewellery.

4. Iris Apfel turned 100

On a happier note, fashion icon Iris Apfel marked a major milestone this year as she celebrated her 100th birthday in August. She also announced a timely collaboration with H&M, which will be released early next year — now, how many centenarians can claim to have done the same? 

According to the fast-fashion retailer, the collection will comprise an assortment of eclectic dresses and extensive accessories — all of which represents an imagination of Apfel’s famously bold sense of style and colourful wardrobe.

5. Bottega Veneta parted ways with Daniel Lee

When Bottega Veneta recently announced its surprise split with its creative director Daniel Lee, the news naturally set the rumour mill in motion. After all, Lee had been credited with re-energising the Italian luxury house and was only in his third year with the company, before his departure.

Among the numerous conjectures is the possibility that he could be reuniting with Phoebe Philo, whom he assisted during the six years he spent previously at Celine. Of course, this rumour was also fuelled by an earlier announcement confirming that Philo will be launching her eponymous brand with LVMH soon.

While there’s no news as yet about where Lee is heading next, his successor at Bottega Veneta has already been named. The brand’s own ready-to-wear design director, Matthieu Blazy (who’d previously worked with Raf Simons, as well as Philo), will be stepping into Lee’s shoes and presenting his first Bottega Veneta collection early next year.

6. Zendaya made waves

We knew it’s only a matter of time before Zendaya became a legit style icon, but we didn’t know it would be made official so soon.

The Hollywood actress was presented with the Fashion Icon Award by the CFDA Fashion Awards this November, becoming the youngest person ever to be given the title. She joins the ranks of past winners including Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Beyoncé.

Clearly, the win is rightfully earned, seeing how the 25-year-old had been setting every red carpet she’s been on ablaze with her sizzling looks (of which much credit is also due to her stylist Law Roach).

The most unforgettable of them: The nude, “wet” look at the Dune premiere, that red-hot bandeau two-piece she wore to receive her CFDA award, and most recently, the Valentino spiderweb gown that made such a fitting and sensational statement at the Los Angeles premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which she stars in.

7. Squid Game made Vans and tracksuits hot commodities

You must be living under a rock if you haven’t heard about the viral sensation of the year, Squid Game. 

The Korean series ranks among Netflix’s most-watched productions and had the world in a fever, igniting a number of mega viral trends. These included the dalgona candy game and, more unexpectedly, an insane surge in the popularity of white slip-on Vans.

Sales of the shoes have reportedly spiked by 7,800 per cent around Halloween, as costume-searching fans of the show snapped them up to recreate the uniforms worn by its main characters. Naturally, retro ’70s-inspired tracksuits — an essential part of the outfit — also enjoyed a hot moment in the fashion spotlight, along with the white footwear.

8. The rise of fashion NFTs

This is the year of non-fungible tokens, and luxury fashion brands eagerly bought into the hype surrounding this cryptocurrency phenomenon, each producing their own unique version. No surprise there, since these digital assets are known to be sold for millions. 

Gucci released its first official NFT with a short film created to mark its Aria collection and 100th anniversary this year, while Burberry and Louis Vuitton headed straight for the gaming space. 

The Brit label designed a special shark character for the multiplayer online game, Blankos Block Party, which can be sold in-game. Louis Vuitton’s, however, are collectibles and cannot be sold — the French luxury house launched a mobile video game, Louis the Game, in which players can collect 30 free NFTs as they follow the brand’s mascot, Vivienne, to Paris. 

9. Fendace happened

Collabs are not new in the world of fashion, of course, but are completely unusual when they involve designers from two famed players in the same sector of the industry swapping roles to put their stamp on each other’s brand.

At Milan Fashion Week, Fendace, a luxury “mash-up” of looks by two of the biggest Italian names (Fendi and Versace, if you haven’t guessed from the portmanteau name) in luxury was unveiled. The two fashion houses were, however, careful about not labelling the collection a collab, preferring to call it a partnership instead.

In this historic crossover, Fendi directors Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini created 25 looks for Versace, while Donatella Versace did the same for Fendi. The result was a highly entertaining show celebrating Italian elegance and opulence, which was also punctuated with a never-before-seen melding of logos and motifs iconic to each house.

10. Gucci & Balenciaga created The Hacker Project

The other high-profile “collab” of the year is the teaming-up of Gucci’s Alessandro Michele and Balenciaga’s Demna Gvasalia. Fashion fans immediately coined names like Gucciaga and Balucci for the partnership when news about it was first released – thankfully, neither was used as its official title. 

Instead, it was entitled The Hacker Project, in line with its concept of a rule-breaking “hacking lab”. What it essentially meant was that each creative director “swiped” codes from the other’s brand and used them in his own collection under this project. 

As expected, monograms and logos are a big feature in the resulting accessories and fashion creations, but were employed in mind-blowing combinations that truly pushed the envelope and challenged traditions.

This article was first published in Harper's Bazaar Singapore.