A Complete Breakdown of NYFW 2021
Thanks to vaccine and mask mandates, New York Fashion Week was able to make its full return this September. Running Tuesday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 12 this year’s fashion week is closed on Monday, Sept. 13 by the Met Gala. After living inside for almost a year, fashion has changed, and the compelling lineup this year reflected that in their collections. If you couldn’t make it to the shows, here’s what you missed from the first two days.
Tuesday - CDLM kicked off NYFW at the James Fuentes Gallery on the Lower East Side last Tuesday with a 22-look collection. Creative director Chris Peters made most of the pieces himself using fragments of things he’s collected over the years, putting an emphasis on hands for the collection. He modernized things like pieces of a 19 th Century Indian tapestry and headstock floral fabrics, giving them a “second life.” This collection is a reminder of all the things that can happen in life, good or bad, what works and what doesn’t, and was a representation of all of the unexpected things in the past two years.
Collina Strada was next to show, presenting a 40-look collection on Brooklyn Grange’s rooftop garden in Sunset Park. Hillary Taymor described the key themes and looks of her collection, which included womenswear and children’s clothing as, “a farm queen, a broken skater queen, prom queen, and a frog princess.” Inspired by the ability to finally live life again after two years of dormancy, Taymor created a unique fusion of the natural and physical world with and extremely colorful and out of the box approach to fashion. Not only was the collection made of sustainable material, but it was also size and age inclusive, embracing individuality and the chaos of life.
Christian Siriano brought a highly criticized 60-look collection Tuesday night at Gotham Hall. He was inspired by the chaotic times we live in, with constant push-and-pull between complete individuality and restraint, as well as the contrasting aesthetics of luxury and minimalism often seen in high fashion. As the winner of Project Runway, Siriano identifies that he has lived his version of the American Dream, and he wanted to share his luck and love with many types of women through this collection by mixing old and new silhouettes and offering both size and style inclusive looks. The bright orange featured throughout the collection was inspired by fond memories of his Italian grandmother. While critics are saying there were too many looks and not enough variety, the collection delivers exactly what Siriano intended it to.
Wrapping up day 1 this year was Sukeina by appointment, and Harlem’s Fashion Row, with “Renaissance Forever,” celebrating the enduring power and resilience of multicultural designers in the face of oppression. The show included collections from Charles Harbison Studio, June79, Johnathan Hayden, TIER, as well as Harbison’s collaboration with Banana Republic.
Wednesday brought a packed schedule from 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. with a few breaks for show-goers to move from location to location. Kicking off day two was Ulla Johnson at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. With this 40-look collection, Johnson wanted to tell a story about pauses in life and chose to show at the garden because it was an oasis for her during the pandemic. Known for her frills, embroidery, and floral prints, this collection was full of feminine details and her team heavily researched the Victorian era underpinnings which became a prominent tailoring aspect throughout her designs. This collection included her typical feminine details as well as aspects of her brand such as knit sets, pajama-like pieces, and a satin vest, creating a uniquely feminine feel that connected fashion to Johnson’s personal oasis in nature.
Following Ulla Johnson, Threeasfour’s 33-look collection put their guests in-touch with their inner selves by organizing their collection into seven color groupings to represent the seven chakras. The incredible prints in the collected allow it to be a sustainably sourced collection due to the brand’s waterless printing process. Threeasfour is known for their other-worldly and architecture-like designs which are present in this collection as well as multiple “down-to-earth” looks done with circular cuts that are anticipated to become a hit in streetwear this coming year. Brand designers Adi, Ange, and Gabi believe it is important to remember that everyone is connected to both each other and nature and this idea heavily influenced the collection.
In the Lower East Side at her recently reopened store on Norfolk Street for the first time since 2019, Maryam Nassir Zadeh was the next to show. Considered a kind of homecoming for the designer, the 41-look collection was both size and gender inclusive. Zadeh described her collection as “playful, but restrained,” and bit the reset button on her typical minimalist aesthetic. Including button downs, denim shorts, her PVC wedges and glass jewelry which have gained cult following, she also added a little bit of action with medallion belts, translucent fabrics, and bright neon colors. Zadeh wanted to reflect how women want to dress after the pandemic: not trendy but not basic, sophisticated but not stuffy. This collection was a vision of femininity rooted in individuality, exuding a feeling of inclusivity that we had felt in so many shows this NYFW.
Shown at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, Imitation of Christ put out a 27-look three-part performance show. Resurrecting pieces from their fall 2003 collection, creative director Tara Subkoff used embroidered slogans on many of them with slogans like “The more you consume, the less you live,” pinpointing many of the problems in fashion and life that have been brought to light in the past couple of years. She decribes the spring ’22 collection as “an ode to the society of the spectacle, situationism, and protesting in a creative and positive way that makes noise, that people pay attention to.” This collection could not be a more 2021 approach to high fashion; making the clothes about the problems going on around them brought a new meaning to modernization of old pieces.
Like many designers this year, A. Potts intended to tell a joyful sotry of earthbound angels with their 30-look collection this year. Included in the NY Men’s Day category, Potts’ collection was full of gender-inclusive pieces that were heavy in movement and lightness that were inspired by Hamar and Bana tribes of Ethiopia and the spirit of Afromericana.
In his debut runway show, Peter Do likened designing the new collection to the fond memory of making pho with his father. In hand-written letters given to each guest at the show, he wrote, “It is comforting, and it feels like home… Welcome to our home.” Do made an open lot next to the East River in Greenpoint, Brooklyn the home for his 46-look collection, overlooking the skyline of the city, an image he and many other Asian-American’s grew up seeing. Looking at past critiques of his work, Do reimagined many of his signature pieces like his four-piece suit. Inspired by his Vietnamese heritage, he explored traditional ao dai’s, bringing them into the 21 st century, making them his own. Overall, Do’s fusion of his style and his heritage was received extremely well by critics making it an extremely successful first show for the designer.
Next on the runway Wednesday was Proenza Schouler, with a 38-look collection. Granting that there’s nothing as restorative as travel, Proenza designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough created a collection inspired by the ability to be out in the world again. Loosely inspired by their trip to what they call their sanctuary in Kauai, the collection delivered island vibes. “They’re joyful clothes to step out in the world again.” The collection included vivid colors, fringe, and an almost sporty feel, and as many designers strived to do this year, Hernandez and McCollough reflected what women want in their post-pandemic clothing.
Willy Chavarria brought a mood change with a menswear collection shown in Astor Play Hairstylists Wednesday evening. He intended to create a mood of purity and innocence with his 33-look collection, explaining that he “wanted it to feel like couture, to feel regal, and then to shift that against the toughness of New York.” The first four looks were a light, modern, menswear version of ballgowns, and by look five we see that tone contrasted with harder, boxier looks. An almost camp collection, nearly everything was XXXL, creating a literal larger than life feeling to these designs. Expressing the importance of sending a message through his clothing, Chavarria wanted this collection to uplift and bring positivity. “But here, it was also important to not make a pointed political statement. I just wanted the beauty of the clothing and the models to speak for themselves.”
Closing Wednesday’s shows was Prabal Gurung’s 56-look collection. As he’s known to be a designer who asks tough questions, this year Gurung asked “Who gets to be a girl?” He explained that he “wanted to create a collection that could show the world what beauty can look like.” This collection’s viewpoint was anyone who identified as feminine, with a strength that is unnerving for the patriarchy. Even outside of his designs, Gurung delivered this point of feminine power by seating Andrew Cuomo’s replacement, Governor Kathy Hochul, in the front row of his show. The collection pushed back against gender norms and was shared across the gender spectrum. Not only did he break the gender binary, he also mixed culture, couture, and sportswear creating a collection that truly was for everyone.
Article by Katie Harkey, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Lekha Samala, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine
