The AnOther team’s best fashion moments in 2021

Susannah Frankel, editor-in-chief

“Gucci Love Parade. It was so ambitious, so daring and expressed with so much warmth and humanity. Despite the mythical location, it was its own world, a world that recognizes the magical power of fashion but always with the importance of a cultural context in mind. It seems more meaningful than ever now. It was also nice to see a McQueen show in London: the sky we all grew up under was the backdrop and then printed on the clothes too. It’s a great idea. Like boys. Always. The breadth of Rei Kawakubo’s imagination and his desire to create without compromise are very moving.

Katie Shillingford, Fashion Director (Women’s Clothing)

“Saint-Laurent. It was my first time coming back to Paris to see shows since a pre-pandemic PFW in 2020, just days before the world was locked. Sitting in this monumental space, right in in front of the Eiffel Tower, just as they turn on the twinkling lights at 8 pm, was quite magical in itself… It followed the most formidable line of women who took to the podium in a huge stripper of shoes, each with its own powerful look (whether bare chest under a pantsuit with a wallet tucked into the belt, a pantless jacket, a rose-print lycra bodysuit) and stiletto heels, never even wobbling on the wet track.

“It sounded like the essence of Saint Laurent and reminded me of why I love fashion and why I love watching fashion shows in person. The glitz and glamor of it all, the flashing Eiffel Tower and the rain falling on the podium – it was truly fabulous and it was one of the happiest moments of the whole season.

Ellie Grace Cumming, Fashion Director (Menswear)

“Dior Hommes. Kim had a remarkable year, starting with the beautiful and poetic Peter Doig collection, followed by the Dior x Sacai collaboration and the incredible Cactus Jack show with Travis Scott in Paris, to end with the London Jack Kerouac collection.

“Louis Vuitton man. The most incredible show of June, which at the time everyone felt how special but no one knew it would be Virgil’s last moment, the Miami show just days after his passing will be remembered as the celebration most poignant of his life and his creativity. journey.

“A highlight was working on Kim’s first Fendi Couture show in February, again. Amid coven restrictions, the show was filmed without an audience, a tribute to Virginia Woolf, along with the incredible library of her books. of Kim set in a viewing room, a cast of the most inspiring women, we all cried in awe after the special moment that brought us all together.

“Apart from that, emerging menswear designers such as SS Daley, Phipps and Thebe Magugu have all showcased exceptional collections. And I was delighted to see and see the work of Michaela Stark develop and progress with her recent performance with Jean Paul Gaultier at Espace 3537 in Paris.

Alexander Fury, Fashion Director

“It’s always difficult to pin down a singular fashion moment – especially in times as fractured and multifaceted as these. But for me, three stood out this year – and all were fashion shows, the format that I think we all realized we missed.

“The first was Pieter Mulier’s debut for Alaïa – a house close to my heart. Staged in the street in front of the Porte d’Azzedine, it was deeply respectful, but not static. It was about a re-addressing of the codes of the house for a new era and a new public, an investigation into the archives of Azzedine Alaïa so lovingly kept, but reworked. And I think Azzedine would have appreciated that. Then, in the great Alaïa tradition, everyone gathered to have dinner and celebrate the fundraising. For me, after so long, it was like coming home – back to Paris, back to Alaïa, back in fashion.

“The same week, the show unveiling the spectacular revival of Balenciaga’s haute couture line by Demna Gvasalia was impressive: not just the clothes, which were amazing, but the whole environment, brought back to life from the past. It was like stepping into an archive image – that’s where I first met Miren Arzalluz, director of the Palais Galliera and former director of the Cristóbal Balenciaga Foundation in Getaria. She looked like she was having a heart attack – that’s how awesome the resuscitation in those salons was. But the collection itself looked forward, rather than back – that’s what tailoring should be. A laboratory of ideas.

“Ideas are, of course, what makes Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons so exciting: I felt honored to be able – finally! – get the physical experience of one of their Prada shows. But it was also fascinating to see how they incorporated technology into each of the two shows they put on simultaneously in Shanghai and Milan. It reflected, to me, how electronic communication has become a part of our daily life, an idea taken to the extreme over the past couple of years. Here – as in real life – video screens have opened windows between people all over the world, which seems a nice concept. It reflects the positive lessons from the strange life we ​​have been living – and honestly, we will probably continue to live for a while. Thoughts that give you food for thought, but a great fashion continues to be created. And I’m incredibly grateful for it.

Sophie Bew, editor

“I think Demna Gvasalia’s first couture offering for Balenciaga was one of the most exciting moments in fashion this year. Couture denim, padded opera coats and UFO saucer hats fulfilled and exceeded all expectations of such an event. Seeing Kim Kardashian wearing it all and about IRL also added some extra meta-joy to the whole shebang. “

Rebecca Perlmutar, Fashion and Marketing Coordinator

“My favorite fashion moment in 2021 is personal. I’ve had the pleasure of working with designer Richard Malone for several years now, but this season’s Spring / Summer 2022 show was especially special. Located in the Victoria & Albert Museum after hours, the ornate frame was a glorious backdrop for Richie’s new collection. Experiencing this alongside Richie and her team, stylist Nell Kalonji, and casting director Holly Cullen was a moment I won’t soon forget.

Ted Stansfield, digital editor

“I think my favorite fashion moment in 2021 was Rafael Pavarotti and Ibrahim Kamara Same spells, new rituals story in the Fall 2021 issue of Dazed. I keep coming back to it. The colors, the textures, the silhouettes, the drama …

“At the risk of sounding out of date, I have the impression that IB uses clothes like a painter uses paint, or a sculpture uses a material, wielding a shape, a shape, a line, a color and a texture to create looks that border on art. Each of the looks in the story is a masterpiece, but there are 32 of them.

“I can’t seem to get over the variation in them and yet the consistency too – they’re all so different, so imaginative, so incredibly creative, but they all feel like they’re in the same universe. A universe that I have the impression of never having seen before, but in which I want to be immediately transported. And yet, for the creative mastery of all looks, they also talk about the pleasure of dressing. That’s what big fashion does, in my mind at least.