Rundown of our 12 most loved collections from the AW21 season

Molly Goddard

It wouldn’t be a Molly Goddard show without bright colours and voluminous garments. Her notorious tulle pieces bounced perfectly with the model's fluffy permed hair, giving us 1980s vibes! The collection was tamed with tartan prints and knit vests, embodying British heritage with a playful twist.

Christian Dior

From Alice in Wonderland to Beauty and the Beast, half of Dior’s AW21 collection was influenced by themes from fairy-tales, revolving around ideas of appearance vs character. This was exhibited through a prim black, white-collared schoolgirl dress made from leather, from Alice in Wonderland, matched with a pair of ruby pumps, echoing the Wizard of Oz. Contrastingly, the collection also featured pieces bringing idea of a timeless wardrobe, with classic pieces. Chiuri’s overall collection is an illustration of our relationship with our own image, beauty and success, as the classic pieces juxtapose with the enchanting danger of the fairy-tale world. In Chiuri’s own words from the show “If you want to build your identity, don’t look at yourself in the mirror.”

Prada

“Optimism is mounting” – Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons created a high-class, formal collection; consisting of mainly dark greys and blacks. However, they didn’t forget the colour. Incorporated within fur and longline coats, whilst walking through a maze of rooms, bursts of colour were shining through the darker ambience. The dark colours mixed with the bright and powerful invasion represents the fact that the world can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Chanel

The collection plays with both tweed and chiffon inspired by the late Stella Tennant. The collection is infused with the ‘ski spirit’, featuring Norwegian style sweaters and salopettes over a more delicate layer. Viard was also inspired by Chanel’s 1994 collection which experimented with fur suits and from watching Jean-Baptiste Mondino’s iconic 1985 video for Bryan Ferry’s “Slave to Love,” where gold trench coats were featured. The collections isn’t the brightest but has an element of shine to it, as the all black outfits have silver accents to them creating a more chic look.

Erdem

Erdem Moralioglu's collection is heavily inspired by the typical ballet dancer's wardrobe: neutral colours but dramatic shapes, feathery and eye-catching fabrics, comfort paired with elegance. Erdem knows how to dramatise a simple look with theatrical details such as silky, square-shaped ballet slippers or platforms. Dark coloured floral prints and Swan Lake headpieces give the collection a melancholy touch, reminding us of sparkly and dreamy nights which we hopefully get to experience again soon.

Giambattisa Valli

With collections famously exhibited as part of Paris Fashion Week, the collections of Italian designer Giambattisa Valli generally consist of furs, accessories and ready-to-wear runway designs that channel his Italian heritage. His designs incorporate modern concepts – taking a luxury stance on the expression of femininity and his high-fashion clientele. Giambattisa Valli’s eye-catching, yet practical, autumn/winter collection is representative of our gradual re-emergence into a potential future filled with less restrictions and more positivity. Valli created his recent collection to fuel the idea that we should ‘get back in action’, ditching the ‘sweatpants’ in the process. His collection was a ‘silhouette for a new life and a freedom for women to express their femininity in their own way’. Challenging a ‘romantic Roman mindset’, Valli transported us back to the chic, clean and sophisticated black and white theme that is commonly associated with French cinema – a style that has recently grown in popularity.

Louis Vuitton

After exploring the depths of his imagination, Nicholas Ghesquière decided the most indulgent theme of his Fall/Winter 2021 collection would be to bring back to life the artistic themes of Italian, Greek, Roman and Etruscan sculptures. Pulling inspiration from the various representations of femininity associated with this imagery, Ghesquière chose pastel and gemstone colour palette clothing featuring blouson jackets, decorative crafty garments and skirts bubbling around the waist, accompanied with wedge-heel boots to create a slouchy nature. As well as getting inspiration from the past, the current time period also served as an important theme. It was clear the concept of comfort dressing mixed with extreme fashion statements has become embedded in our culture. Nicholas said he was “so curious to try and find a great combination between those two feelings that are definitely going to stay in our life." This collection achieved just that.

Versace

Versace is back with a brand new monogram, ‘La Greca’. Although compared to Goyard and Fendi we see a true Versace touch with the pop of colour and daring hemlines. A diverse cast of models walk in a monogram labyrinth featuring the iconic Hadid sisters in 1970s silhouettes, streetwear top-heavy jackets and futuristic style bionic dresses. Donatella keeps to portraying family values and stays authentic whilst offering Instagram worthy designs to capture the attention of Gen-Z.

Hermes

Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski created a versatile, yet simplistic and wearable collection. The collection highlighted how neutral colours can showcase silhouettes, sharp lines, and cut outs with a bad ass, chic modern edge; and how pops of the right colours paired with neutrals can create dimension and shape. The collection also incorporated lots of denim, used and worn in more unconventional ways. Vanhee-Cybulski commented “I have this conviction of designing clothes for a confident woman”. It is safe to say that this is definitely prominent throughout the entire collection.

Rick Owens

Rick Owens’ AW21 collection titled ‘Gethsemane’ is the garden that Jesus prayed his last night before he was crucified. As Owens has in previous collections the menswear and womenswear follow similar themes. The show started with billowing padded puffer coats as well as padded capes which were exaggerated further by the ocean winds. The contrast of the dramatic coats with the natural skyline of the causeway which empathized a sense of power. Which links with his themes of self-containment repurposed to mimic male aggression, this was in refence to the Capitol riots that Owens was so horrified by the brutality of it. He shows this disturbance with the comfort wear that we have been so familiar with during the pandemic but with the twist of brilliance that is Rick Owens and his vision. We saw this with the formfitting bodysuits which we saw in both a sequin and leather which gave long and lean silhouettes also seen with the fishtail dresses worn under the puffer coats. The theme of distressed pieces was seen throughout the collection and this is inspired by Biblical times “In the Bible, the rending of one’s garments is an act of grief or rage – to violently tear the clothes one is tearing apart,” Owens talks about this in the press notes. Another theme we saw throughout the collection was the use of facemasks, this calculated inclusion was not just for protection but to make statement as Owens believes that “they are a vote for responsibility and consideration and an acknowledgement of our immediate collective experience”. Owens brought back the pentagram briefs seen in his men’s show however this time they were wrapped over evening clutches. This could be seen as an almost souvenir/token of the male aggression Owens was so distraught by.

Valentino

Punk meets sophistication. For this A/W, creative director Peirpaolo Piccioli, presents a concise and layered collection. The collection was staged in the empty walls of Milan's historic Piccolo Teatro, that has been closed since March 2020. He says "the fact we decided to have it reopened... was a sort of a punk act... what we missed in the pandemic above all was a sense of sharing and commonality that culture gives us". In the Valentino fall collection, the fits are all concise and sharp while being a subtle ode to punk. The oversized blazers and collared shirts, paired with chunky platform boots and dramatically slashed hems show a less filtered and personal approach. Piccioli claims that this is the true "act of fashion".

Balmain

For the Balmain Fall 2021 collection the creative director turned back time to the days of the brand’s founder Pierre Balmain, who, after debuting his first couture collection in 1946 embarked on a world tour. To contribute to this idea the entire show took place from the inside Air France’s hangers, which is just outside Paris. The show featured spacesuits and flight suits inspired looks as well as Balmain’s signature military style and ultra glam 80’s inspired looks. To contribute to the retro-futuristic looks there were other travel inspired accessories like neck-pillow earrings and handbags, paper-plane suitcase charms, and working compass pendants.

Tom Ford

Arguably one of the most recognisable names in fashion, Tom Ford did not disappoint in this years A/W ready to wear collection. Ford produced a collection that was both provocative with luxurious lace and tiny hotpants, and true to the current time with oversized jackets and sweatshirts. Ford himself explained that the collection is a nod to the pandemic we are all currently living through, with outfits that are business on the top with structured blazers and formal blouses, and informal on the bottom, like jeans and comfy underwear, suitable for the zoom calls we have all become accustomed to. At first glance the collection seems to be solely monochrome black, white and grey, but later pieces in the collection show bursts of bright purples, pinks and blues, perhaps connoting the hope and optimism that needs to be kept during this tough time.

Written by members of Winchester Fashion Society