Similar to fashion weeks from previous season, Fall/Winter 2021 menswear shows were presented virtually. While some shows featured a digital interpretation of the physical world, some combined the physical and digital elements which is also known as phygital. Thus, we had the opportunity to see the brands’ perception of the future and how they are adapting to the "new normal”. We round up the highlights of the season with Prada, Fendi, Tod’s, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Hermès from Milan and Paris fashion weeks.
Prada
The long-awaited Prada Fall/Winter 2021 menswear show was definitely among the highlights of the season. Upon the Prada Spring/Summer 2021 Women's collection by the magnificent duo - Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons – the first menswear show was presented in a digital format. The models walked the runway in ultra-colourful and oversize silhouettes underscored by an original electronic soundtrack by Richie Hawtin. The venue of the show was designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas and his studio AMO. At the end of the show, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons answered a series of questions asked by students from all over the world on Zoom.
Fendi
In Fendi Men's Fall/Winter 2021 show, Silvia Venturini Fendi blended colorful imagery with her signature tailored silhouettes. In the collection, Fendi's artistic collaborator chosen for this season's menswear was British comedian Noel Fielding. Known for his kaleidoscopic works, Fielding's more outlandish styles paired well with Fendi's refined elegance, resulted in a restorative collection that boasts a youthful appeal. The collection fuses the functionality of technology with the impracticality of fashion, reveling in the contradictions of the "new normal.”
Etro
Etro’s Fall/Winter 2021 menswear collection proposes new style codes to break down fashion barriers by the creative director Kean Etro. In a location where the refractions of light follow one another, an extremely contemporary and unconventional Etro, reconsidered the new role of the consumer towards the fashion system.
Tod’s
Revealing its latest collections through a visual story, a film titled #sevenT, Tod’s reinterprets wardrobe staples in a modern way. Being a movie buff, Walter Chiapponi entrusted Italian heartthrob Lorenzo Zurzolo of Netflix’s Baby fame to star in Tod’s Fall collection video and the lookbook. Seven represents the days of the week, T is for Tod's but also for time. The T is the recurring sign, made of metal and shown on belt buckles and loafers and bags along with unexpected combinations of relaxed tailoring in warm, earthy tones.
Dior
For Dior Men's Fall/Winter 2021 collection, Kim Jones teamed up with abstract painter Peter Doig. True to form, Jones once again blurred the lines between art and fashion in his new collaboration with Doig. The collection consists of a bold colour palette (deep purple, butter yellow, bright orange, etc.) and well-structured outerwear pieces.
Louis Vuitton
“Tourist vs purist” – Virgil Abloh explores masculine archetypes and recent social movements in his latest collection, challenging the concepts of social norms, inclusivity and bias. Designer, who presented his sixth collection named ‘Ebonics’ with a film directed by Josh Johnson. The show which could be regarded as a series of performances within a performance, concluded with a number by Yasiin Bey, known previously as Mos Def.
Hermès
Hermès menswear show was the closest to evoking a real-life runway experience.
Creative director Véronique Nichanian replicated the lens of an IRL audience and the result was pure magic. The seven sectioned interactive split screen made it better to appreciate the dark red leather button downs, brown silk ascot ties, and equestrian saddle embroidery emblematic of the brand.