The year 2021 witnessed an array of viral fashion moments that took the internet by storm, inspiring netizens and fashion enthusiasts alike.
From Kanye’s Yeezy Gap jacket drop to Balenciaga’s uncanny version of ‘Stiletto Clogs’ with Crocs and Bella Hadid’s show-stopping golden lung necklace, check out the most viral fashion moments of 2021 that got the fashionistas around the world buzzing.
A much-awaited IRL rendezvous at Jacquemus’ La Montagne
View this post on Instagram
Titled La Montagne, French fashion designer Simon Porte Jacquemus returned to the runway after a year-long hiatus with a collection featuring midriff-baring corded tops, shearling bags, abstract silhouettes, co-ord sets, fur sandals, fold-over-waist trousers and bucket hats.
The runway at Jacquemus was a make-shift set in Paris with supermodels Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid walking the ramp for the mountain-inspired Fall/Winter 2021 collection.
Balenciaga Fall 2021 Haute Couture was worth the wait
View this post on Instagram
The luxury fashion house returns with its haute couture collection at 10 Avenue Georges V, Paris — 53 years after Balenciaga closed its atelier in 1968. The showcase started with suave, full-black ensembles dominated by impeccable silhouettes, proportioned cuts and near-to-perfect tailored fabrics.
The show concluded with classic bridal couture rooted in Parisian style and men’s couture returning to the runway.
Notable celebrities like Anna Wintour, Kanye West, Bella Hadid, James Harden, Lewis Hamilton and others were amongst the audience of Demna Gvasalia’s show.
Pyer Moss collection pays homage to black inventors
View this post on Instagram
Kerby Jean-Raymond, the founder and creative director of fashion brand Pyer Moss, created history at the Villa Lewaro in Irvington, New York, as he became the first black designer to be invited to the Paris Haute Couture fashion event.
The venue bore significance as the estate belongs to the first black self-made female millionaire in the US — Madam CJ Walker — and the exclusive collection was a tribute to black creators throughout history.
Some of the standout, extravagant designs included the mop, the traffic light with three signals, the folding chair and the typewriter. The models walked the runway in meticulously designed 3-D sculptures of these inventions.
Saint Laurent unleashes Spring/Summer 22 collection within an art installation
For its Spring/Summer 22 collection, Saint Laurent staged the show within a kaleidoscopic art installation called Green Lens, created by contemporary American artist Doug Aitken. The octagonal installation in Paris was covered with mirror panels and reflected the surrounding landscape to create an immersive tropical atmosphere.
Models were clad in all-black aesthetics, inspired by styles from the ’70s and Victorian period and fabrics, including velvet and jacquards, of the by-gone era.
Valentino Fall 2021 Couture turns shipyard into an artsy fashion runway
View this post on Instagram
The stunning couture collection was showcased on an unconventional runway in Venice — the city’s shipbuilding yard, Venetian Arsenal. Valentino’s creative director and designer Pierpaolo Piccioli upgraded the shipyard to present its collection under the stupendous arches and columns of the dock.
The show featured 84 looks and attendees were asked to wear white ensembles. Sequins, fabrics and subtle details of the collection stood out in the golden hour against the abstract backdrop.
Fendi releases its couture film narrated by Kate Moss
View this post on Instagram
English designer and artistic director of Fendi, Kim Jones, unveiled Couture Autumn/Winter 2021 with a film by Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino.
The couture film showcases the intersection of Roman architecture and fashion in a journey narrated by Kate Moss. Supermodels walked the runway in heavily embroidered designs, ornate ball gowns, floral dresses and androgynous fits.
Marc Jacobs returns with a private show
Marc Jacobs premiered its first collection since the pandemic for Fall 2021 in a private show held at the iconic New York Public Library. This was the first show since Fall 2020 and featured extravagant sportswear, knit bodysuits, puffer hoods, fur scarves, pants over skirts and chunky knitwear.
In a collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman, the highly coveted show was projected onto its façade for its audience.
Dior collaborates with Travis Scott for the SS22 Collection
View this post on Instagram
The fashion house unveiled its Spring/Summer 2022 Menswear Collection by teaming up with Grammy-nominated American hip-hop artist Travis Scott. British designer Kim Jones brought the musician to Dior for the first time to work on streetwear aesthetics and casual style.
Scott’s exclusive collection is branded as Cactus Jack. The coveted collection boasts neon sets, saddlebags, bucket hats, monogrammed sweater vests and flared pants in the backdrop of a desert.
Balenciaga collaborates with Crocs
View this post on Instagram
In another collaboration, the brand teamed up with American footwear company Crocs to come up with a fancy yet bold version of the iconic clog. The stiletto clog comes with a heel and is available in green, black and grey variants.
Moschino makes fashion musical ‘Lightning Strikes’
Creative director Jeremy Scott of the luxury fashion house teamed up with English model and friend Karen Elson to shoot a mini-musical for their Resort 2022 and Menswear SS22 collection.
Filmed at Universal Studios, Lightning Strikes features Elson as a waitress in a bright Moschino number and customers sporting monogrammed jackets. The next sequence has everyone joining her for the soundtrack Everybody Dance.
Bella Hadid dons the golden lungs necklace at Cannes
View this post on Instagram
At the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, the American supermodel flaunted a gilded avant-garde creation that accentuated the low neckline of her form-fitting black Schiaparelli dress.
The ornament that broke the internet was a brass necklace, designed by Daniel Roseberry, called “Golden trompe l’œil lungs with rhinestones”.
Adam Driver debuts with Burberry
Netizens on social media were enchanted by the latest Burberry campaign for their latest fragrance called Burberry Hero.
The video shows Oscar-nominated actor Adam Driver running alongside a horse on the beach, embodying masculinity and strength and finally evolving into a centaur.
The Kanye effect on Gap
Gap collaborated with the American rapper’s fashion company Yeezy to launch its exclusive line called Yeezy Gap. One of the first items from the collection is a US$ 200-recycled nylon, cobalt blue jacket, which is available on Gap’s website for sale only in the US.
Miu Miu unveils FW 21 Collection in Italy’s Dolomite Alps
Miu Miu took the fashion runway to the Alps and showcased its Fall/Winter 2021 collection against the backdrop of snow-covered mountains, at approximately 9,000 feet above sea level.
The collection sported colourful padded jackets, faux fur yeti boots, crocheted scarves, knitwear snoods, quilted jackets and more.
Chitose Abe gives Jean Paul Gaultier’s greatest looks a touch of his own
View this post on Instagram
Japanese luxury fashion brand Sacai’s founder and creative director Chitose Abe became the first guest designer to collaborate with French label Jean Paul Gaultier after its eponymous founder retired.
Chitose Abe showcased her version of the label’s famous styles such as sailor tops, pinstripes and corsets at the Gaultier Paris Fall/Winter 2021-22 haute couture show.
Dior designs the official wardrobe for Paris Saint-Germain
It was a lucky year for the luxury fashion house as it bagged a two-season partnership with the French football club Paris Saint-Germain.
Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior men’s collections, designed the official wardrobe for the club’s players. From chic coats to well-fitted trousers, the creations will be a mark of Dior’s exceptional work.
Kim Kardashian’s Skims collaborates with Fendi
Kardashian’s shapewear and lingerie brand Skims joined hands with Milanese luxury label Fendi to launch a capsule collection on 9 November.
The collection focuses on form-fitting garments, including hosiery, underwear and sportswear. Each piece in the collection is covered with Skims x Fendi monogram logos.
Harry Styles’s Halloween costume
View this post on Instagram
Known for his gender-fluid fashion statements, the multifaceted artist and his ‘Love On Tour’ bandmates dressed up in outfits inspired by The Wizard of Oz (1939). And guess who donned the garb of Dorothy? It was Styles himself.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Tiffany campaign
The power couple shook the internet with their Breakfast at Tiffany‘s-inspired ‘About Love’ campaign for Tiffany & Co.
Posing in front of a rare Jean-Michel Basquiat painting, the duo looked dapper in black ensembles. While American rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z wore a black tuxedo and jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger’s iconic ‘Bird on a Rock’ brooch as a pair of cufflinks, Beyoncé looked every bit of a dream in a black gown.
She can be seen wearing a Tiffany Yellow Diamond necklace, which has been worn by only three other women — Mary Whitehouse, Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga.
Princess Diana’s Gucci bamboo bag gets a makeover
Even decades after her tragic demise, Princess Diana continues to be a fashion icon. Earlier this year, Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele revamped the 1991 bamboo handle tote bag — an accessory often carried by the late Princess of Wales — and has officially named the bag Gucci Diana.
Describing the reissue, Gucci said on its website: “Reflective of its era, a bamboo handle tote was first presented by the House in 1991. Speaking to the narrative of evolution and reinvention that runs through Gucci’s designs, the bag is reimagined by Alessandro Michele in three different sizes with removable, neon leather belts — a nod to the functional bands that once came with the original bag to maintain the shape of the handles.”
Hero image credit: Marc Jacobs; featured image credit: YSL
It was while pursuing her degree in computer applications, when Priyanka decided to set her sights on content writing (talk about realisation and serendipity). In her spare time, she is either found immersed in books or movies.
Most Popular
