NYFW F/W 2021- FOCUS A SPOTLIGHT ON A DIGITAL RUNWAY

NYFW F/W 2021

February is a huge fashion month, starting with NYFW F/W 2021 and following the calendar to London, Milan, and ending in Paris. During the usual Fashion Weeks the streets of the cities are bustling with buyers, models, journalists, bloggers, celebrities, fashionistas, and more. This year is different. Moreover, the street style is missing. There is a new normal. Gone are the in-person shows, the parties, galas, and showcases. However, this does not mean that designers and brands are not hard at work.

The new normal is the digital fashion show or film. Some designers filmed a fashion show like we are sitting in the front row. While others produced mini-films and various other creative digital interpretations. I have watched all the NYFW F/W 2021 digital presentations (watch videos). I'm so impressed with the output. Through all the adversity of the past year, the fashion industry is still very much alive and fighting back with newfound creativity.

With many of the biggest names in the U.S. sitting out fashion week or shifting their show schedule, this season there was lots of room to check out the latest designs from the next generation of thought leaders in the city. Here are my favorite designs and use of the digital presentations from New York Fashion Week.

PRIVATE POLICY

NYFW F/W 2021

Since the start of the pandemic, fashion brands have been hard at work to try to get their designs and message out to the world. The days of showing it on a runway and they will come are over. This new reality may be temporary, or perhaps things have changed forever. Therefore, the designers and brands that can use these new parameters creatively and excitingly will achieve success.

Private Policy designers Haoran Li and Siying Qu, tell the tale of Chinese workers during the California Gold Rush. What sets them aside digitally is the setting (Museum of Chinese in America) that grounds the clothing in context. The message of the xenophobic feelings of that era are coupled with the COVID-19 issues of today and the current increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Clothing has to be the focus of all fashion shows. Private Policy's collection maintains its club-kid spirit. Moreover, they present a genderless look that combines Western workwear with 19th-century Chinese garment details. The pink and green wide-brimmed hats of Chinese workers, combined with quilted vests, cargo pants, and mini skirts, emphasize a modern sensibility. Here the 19th-century meets the 21st.

CHRISTIAN COWAN

NYFW F/W 2021

Some accuse the fashion world of taking its self too seriously. Therefore, when some playfulness comes along, it is time to celebrate. Humor is healing and lightens our struggles. For this reason, I have chosen the film created by Christian Cowan for his F/W 2021 collection. The designer’s new film, starring Paris Hilton and Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman, transposes the comedians into a stereotypical “fashion film.” This film is funny!

The fun of the presentation supports this stay-at-home glamour collection. Cowan's party girl has been domesticated. Where does a party-dress brand go when there is no party? Cowan designed a full range of garments with a glamourous style. These clothes say that just because we are stuck at home due to a global pandemic, we're still allowed to look good.

PRABAL GURUNG

NYFW F/W 2021

While a return to post-pandemic life may seem like a dream, some designers have gone forth with very optimistic collections. One of my favorites of this hopeful category is Prabal Gurung. Gurung is a designer who loves glamour, is a political activist, and a true New Yorker.

Watching Gurung's digital presentation is a joyful experience. Moreover, it is just what we need at this moment. Bright and cheerful, full of color and movement, this video shows a vibrant collection in its best light. Prabal Gurung skipped a season and spent last summer going to Black Lives Matter protests, biking the city's streets. These streets were filled with outdoor dance scenes, trans and drag performers vogueing, and all the street scenes that make New York, New York.

All of this and more are in the clothes of this collection. With the reds of bodega roses, vibrant pinks, and polka dots, there are flowers and amazing pant legs. This collection shows dresses, separates, suits that pay homage to Kamala Harris, and genderless tuxes. There is no essence of the tracksuits, tie-dye, and work from home banality. I adore this collection, and how it celebrates life and the persons living it.

ALICE + OLIVIA

NYFW F/W 2021

Two things make this video a personal favorite. I have always liked the label Alice + Olivia and the brand's fun and youthful identity. The video and collection are inspired by the T.V. program Gossip Girl, which is a fashion classic. This a glamourous collection ( are you getting a theme) that shows a variety of clothes suited to the up-and-coming New York woman.

The collection is up-town classics. Tweeds, hounds tooth, and plaids are in black, white, and reds. All these elements are tied together with the details of the collection. The details include gold chains and pearls as well as lace and pops of metallic. This collection is about being out in the city with an optimistic attitude for a bright future. I can sum up this collection in a phrase it is " I Enjoy Being A Girl."