The return of glamour: these are the 6 main trends of the fall-winter 2021 haute couture shows
FashionCan it be haute couture without a good dose of pale pink?
By Julia Hobbs
Whew. It's been a while since glamor (in all its spectacular glory) reigned supreme on the runways. I'll be honest, if you had surveyed a selection of Vogue editors from around the world to find out how they felt about the word 'glamour' back in 2019, before the pandemic, the responses would have been most mixed. Before the pandemic, the "g" word was synonymous with heels that hurt when you walk and a certain type of dress that required a lot of work (and a good adhesive bra). The 'simple' style received more support. And what about the 'extravagant'? Well in favor. But it was listening to 'glamour' and our permanently clad feet in sneakers and office work schedules didn't even want to hear about it.
Two years later, I'm tempted to use the “s” word (that is, “sublime”) to describe the mood that prevailed on the Fall-Winter 2021 haute couture runways in Paris last week , in which a most revolutionary glamor – or as Vogue's Sarah Mower puts it, “a noble and fierce elegance” – returned in style. Mower was referring specifically to Demna Gvasalia's haute couture debut for Balenciaga, the which, as she herself pointed out, compensated for her greatness and self-confidence with a very sharp sobriety.Her glamor was "cool and calm" and was reflected in her viewers.
Here is a summary of the six trends that dominated a season that will go down in fashion history as the moment of resurgence after the worst of the pandemic.
1. The return of glamor
Vogue's verdict on her second couture collection for Fendi is as follows: "Supermodels and ballgowns: Kim Jones is living the couture dream." And how does that translate to our closets? Well, with boat necks, strapless necklines, long tight gloves and textures reminiscent of chiffon. Jones is the master when it comes to reimagining the depth and dimensions of garments capable of letting our imagination run wild.
2. Pink is all the rage
Can it be considered haute couture if there isn't a good dose of pink? However, few use it better than Giambattista Valli, who presented us with a series of maximalist tulle dresses in sweet tones to delight us with the new optimism that prevails in the world of fashion. Playful indeed. This season, Valli added a new extra (and intangible) ingredient to satisfy his sweet tooth: mischief. “It's about le goût du louche,” the designer told us at a preview of his collection at his couture workshops on Rue la Boétie. "A 'taste for danger,' if you will."
3. Brides Who Give It Their All
Of course, we couldn't help but take an in-depth look at the best gowns and most impeccable suits to reign supreme on the Fall-Winter 2021 haute couture runways (and which you'll find here). But for the sake of brevity at hand, I will cut to the chase. Our advice to brides-to-be: increase the volume of your silhouette and leave no one indifferent on your big day (your muse is the always undaunted Dutch model Rianne Van Rompaey walking the Fendi catwalk).
4. Dramatic cast-in-black
High necklines, floor-sweeping lows, attitude peplos, and no embellishment at all: if there's anything to be learned from the haute couture collections of Balenciaga, Ronald van der Kemp, and Alexis Mabille that is the following: when in doubt, wear black. And add even more black to it. Then make the whole room surrender to your feet.
5. On a grand scale
Volume-heavy gowns show no signs of fading among Paris's most admired designers. American model Maggie Maurer, a regular on the Schiaparelli catwalks, serves as the muse for Daniel Roseberry, the label's celebrated creative director, and was once again the center of attention at Haute Couture Week in Paris. The model reigned supreme on the runway in her gold-embellished jeans, architectural blazers and opulent, bulging details that just beg to be touched.
6. Haute cool
It's not often that high fashion and utility meet on the runway, but Sacai's Chitose Abe managed to do it: she was a guest designer for the fall/winter 2021 collection of Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture and in doing so kicked off a new concept for JPG, in which it selects a designer it admires to take the helm of the haute couture house each new season. Check out the reinvented trench coats and layered corsets that are sure to get the pulse racing of die-hard Gaultier fans on Depop.
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