The Pre-Fall collections are rolling in. The season that remains at retail the longest each year is a powerhouse for brands and retailers—in other words, pay attention, these are the clothes we'll be wearing in a few months' time.
This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.
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Nicolas Ghesquière drew upon three stylistic pillars of LV under his leadership: Tech Romanticism, Energetic Sportswear, and Rediscovering Essentials for Pre-Fall 21. The results are vibrant, truly sporty, and very LV. Stacy Martin serves as the ambassador of the Pre-Fall 2021 collection, photographed by Nicolas Ghesquière. The brand is calling the look, "Nouvelle Vague."
"Stacy has innate elegance and an inspiring personality," the designer says, "I have a lot of respect for her career path, her bold choices and the roles she takes on. I very much enjoyed photographing Stacy. So cool and laid-back, I love the way she wears my collections.”
According to a release for Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez latest, Pre Fall 2021, "advocates for a way of dressing that is free of unnecessary complication, while celebrating the joy of dressing up in all its tactile, material, andsensual glory, and as an antidote to the increasingly challenging times we are living in."
Rosetta Getty took a trip back in time to the golden age of minimalism for Pre-Fall, telling BAZAAR.com, "Like many women, I have always found great freedom in riffing on the key style codes of the era. During the ‘90s, I embraced an unexpected, genre-defining medley of minimalist separates, offbeat vintage finds, custom sportswear and high-octane evening looks. Reflecting on this transformative decade became the starting point for my pre-fall 2021 collection."
Sandra Sandor explains of the collection, “I was immediately inspired by an abstract picture frame in my home. And the more I delved into this inspiration, the more I could see that immediate connection with Surrealist motifs and cues. That is where we headed, looking at the relationship between form and organic shapes and how we tap into their qualities in our collection direction.”
Max Mara, for the pre-fall season, looked toElizabeth "Lee" Miller for inspiration. The fashion and art photographer is know for being a war correspondant for glossies during WWII, which is reflected in the military-style tailoring, large pockets, and utility belts.
Bohemia is a characteristic that is embedded in the Etro's DNA. The Italian label's pre-fall 2021 collection, however, was far more rhapsodic. From the shearling-lined vests to to the '70s-style, animal-print suits, the entire lineup is the stuff of rock legends.
“Ultimately, what I am trying to do in the Givenchy collections is to reflect today’s world,” said Matthew M. Williams, the brand's newly appointed creative director. “I appreciate a certain material experimentation and an intense contrast in clothing that could only be achieved and exist now. At the same time, we embrace tradition, the techniques of the salon and timelessness; these distinct elements are not mutually exclusive. The clothing is not disposable or dictatorial, instead we want it to become central to a person’s sense of their own style, and build each season. It’s an idea of a more personal luxury, of simultaneous formality and informality, construction and comfort; it’s the luxury of people wearing clothes, not clothes wearing people.”
Designer Jeremy Scott’s latest lineup focuses on combining found objects to form looks—sweatsuits mixed with silk, dresses with Baroque patterns, and double-breasted suits with gold buttons in the shape of teddy bears—that are characteristically Moschino. “I always want to have fun with it,” said Scott. “And, with this collection, that joy was found in looking back and fusing together different moments from mine and Moschino’s visual language over the years.”
Maria Grazia Chiuri wrote a love letter to Paris for Pre-Fall 21. Inspired by a host of creatives, including designer Elio Fiorucci, Andy Warhol, and Renaissance painters like Paolo Uccello and Mizza Bricard, the results are pure Parisian Dior—from leopard prints, to the famed Barr jacket, logo track suits, and joie de vivre to spare.
With NYC as a starting point, designer Wes Gordon designed a collection of, "fresh, spirited, and buoyant—miniskirts, polka dots and A-line silhouettes in vibrant hues."
"The collection is all about living loudly and proudly and playing with extremes," he explains, "Let a short skirt be short, let a full sleeve be full."
"At a time when we’re all determined to reach the other side of this challenging period but are unsure what that looks like or how exactly we’ll get there, this collection is about momentum—being propelled by personal strength and glimmers of hope," says creative director Catherine Holstein. "I wanted to explore the notion of ‘getting through,’ of making your way by surrounding yourself with what you feel you need. The instinct to seek comfort and to retreat into nostalgia is tempered by a craving for escape and by moments of pure joy."
Designers Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim looked to their Pre-Fall collection through an optimistic lens, with an eye toward vibrant colors, the codes of the house, and a summer of playfulness and whimsy.
"Lucie and Luke Meier have designed this collection mirroring this diversity, these ambiguous times, combining and balancing apparently conflicting elements. The result is relaxed and playful."
"Showing Château de Chenonceau, at the “Château des Dames”, was an obvious choice, " Virginie Viard says. "It was designed and lived in by women, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici. It is a castle on a human scale." The collection itself is a melding of... "the Renaissance and romanticism, between rock and something very girly, it is all very Chanel." Indeed.