So what is the next wave in women’s fashion? If we could only read the minds of women like Mel Gibson in the 2000 movie “What Women Want” we might know or we might be even more unsure! Based on the fall 2021 fashion shows, the answer seems to be whatever you want. The fall 2021 season marks a year of no-contact, virtual fashion weeks due to the pandemic…and what have we learned from 12 months of watching runway shows from behind our laptop screens? Well a couple of things are clear, fashion goes on and it’s not as exciting seeing things just on the screen as it is live and in-person.
In her article “10 Trends From the Fall 2021 Season That Predict Fashion’s Future”, Steff Yotka sums it up by saying “As I’ve been trying to make sense of the wildly different fall 2021 collections, one idea reverberates: No matter the expression, we crave clothing that feels close to us.” Regardless of the collection, whether Prada, Dries Van Noten, or Marine Serre, the typical icy chicness and the bold statements have been replaced by warmth, togetherness, and function.”
Of course, function looks different to different people and that seems to be ok in today’s post pandemic world. So what if there is not one crystal clear direction in fashion? Maybe that’s a good thing. As fashion adjusts to mirror our times, it must embrace smaller, more individually powerful notions of style. That explains why, like everything else right now, so many of the collections are in total disagreement with one another: Show some skin or cover it up! Be comfortable or be crazy!
After the last 18 months, trying to predict what the 2020s is going to look like may be impossible, but it may just be a period of rebellious personal style and a rebirth of subcultures. That will give us something to talk about from behind our screens—or even better, together again in person soon. And hopefully as we emerge fully from this season of pandemic, the fashion industry as a whole will be filled with a new energy that will help take us all to another level up.
About AKCEL Partners: AKCEL Partners is a sales consultancy founded by three executives with strong bonds throughout the textile, apparel, brand and retail industries. AKCEL Partners offers strategic sales planning combined with experienced, highly networked sales professionals who give clients immediate access to targeted decision-makers. We are dedicated to meeting or exceeding our clients’ short- and long-term revenue goals. To learn more, go to www.AKCELPartners.com.
