Tracking all the standouts from this season’s top collections.
NYC is the city of dreams, and the first one out of the gate for Fashion Month. See what the city's designers have to offer for Spring 2021 with the five best looks from each standout collection.
Khaite
Catherine Holstein has been churning out insider-favorite collections for seasons, each with their own unique DNA, but with a true brand identity. Spring 2021 feels almost like a distilled best-of from the young label—all of the pieces that seem to sell out of each collection reworked here. That translated to a sparse palette of mostly white, black, nudes, and brown on puff sleeve tops and dresses, sumptuous knits, sleek fitted dresses, and suede and leather jackets. If now is about building a perfect, edited wardrobe, this feels like a great place to start. —Kerry Pieri
Claudia Li
With travel bans and orders to social distance still (mostly) in effect, Claudia Li scoured her memories for inspiration. She landed on a wedding in Hawaii that she attended last September—an event that, as she said in a statement, made her feel “so happy at that moment it felt unreal, like I was in a daze, but strangely, at the same time, it was the first time where I felt real’.”
Titled “Till We Meet Again…,” the collection does indeed reflect the colorful, easygoing vibe of island life, but not in an overt way. To wit: A structured, gauzy shirt dress features exaggerated prints of ukuleles done in neon hues; a brooch made silk orchids and bursts of purple pleated chiffon and dangling pearls tops a maxi button-down over a sleek pleated skirt; and a yellow chiffon overlay with an oversized bow wraps around a black maillot, and is punctuated by large coral-shaped earrings. Sculpture artist Kennedy Yanko modeled each of the looks, perfectly capturing Li’s signature streetwise aesthetic and the vibrant motifs of Hawaiin culture with aplomb.—Barry Samaha
Rodarte
Kate and Laura Mulleavy have always created Rodarte through a dream lens, and that feeling exists for Spring 2021 even without the pomp and circumstance of a runway. Although the bridal themed collection that walked in an Upper East Side church last season was certainly evocative, we still have brides for spring, except this time around they’re frolicking on sun dappled mountains. The Rodarte woman is also exploring ’40s–inspired suiting and an array of loungewear from printed pajamas to logo sweatsuits—all topped off with a flower crown, of course. The design duo is embracing uncertainty here, knowing that women might still desire that standout piece, but are also in need comfort now. —Kerry Pieri
Adeam
While Hanako Maeda would typically be in New York come September, the designer has been quarantining in Tokyo with her family. Adeam’s Spring 2021 show was, therefore, that much more global: filmed live in Japan, and released virtually to time with New York Fashion Week.
Maeda typically infuses some elements of her heritage into her garments. But this season it was all about summertime in Japan, illustrated through linen and cotton, the fabrics traditionally used to make yukata, the warm weather kimono worn to summer festivals and hot springs. Those fabrications appeared in a myriad of forms, from easy dresses to wide-leg trousers. They were joined by the brand’s go-to Japanese crepe and cotton poplin, which were used to create convertible (and comfortable) daytime pieces. In a mid-pandemic world where designers are challenged to dictate what a now sweatpants-obsessed clientele will wear next spring, it seems Maeda has an answer: easy, breezy, effortless silhouettes—in a hopeful palette of soft blues, camel, whites, sunset orange. and rich fuchsia—that are just as comfortable, but feel infinitely more polished than loungewear. —Carrie Goldberg
Jason Wu
Jason Wu is one of the few designers who presented in-person for New York Fashion Week, keeping his show small and adhering to COVID-19 restrictions. Set against tropical foliage on a boardwalk-inspired runway that calls to mind one of Wu’s favorite destinations, Tulum, Mexico, the designer showed a range of easy warm-weather ready maxi dresses and suiting in bold, bright shades of orange and yellow, offset with blues and greens. The cotton poplins and lightweight knits are part of his new contemporary-priced line, and serve as inviting propositions to wear on an escape from the city—or for a new life in closer proximity to nature. Wu took his bow wearing one of the “Distance Yourself From Hate” masks he designed in collaboration with Fabien Baron to benefit Gay Men’s Health Crisis, an organization food and PPE to communities of color who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic and social injustice. —Kerry Pieri
Ulla Johnson
Ulla Johnson is the reigning queen of bohemian cool, and this season she takes us to Japan, even if it’s just a journey of the imagination. Johnson references ceremonial dress and traditional Japanese artisanal techniques—including shibori resist dyeing, hand weaving, and boro patchwork— in looks that meld structure with a welcome delicacy. There’s plenty of crocheted knitwear and easy denim pieces, as well as cascading ruffles on romantic looks that manage not to abandon an urban sensibility. The message is clear: no matter where we’re living or how we’re living, a pretty dress is always a welcome proposition. —Kerry Pieri
Brock
This season may just end up being about finding your cozy profile. Are you a sweatpants girl? A fancy pajamas lady? A maxi skirt and knit woman? If the latter describes you, Brock is your first stop. Designers Kristopher Brock and Laura Vassar hewed closely to their brand DNA of floral gowns, cool jeans, and other feminine staples, while lightening up the fabrications and playing with layering. The results are just the dreamy, beachside looks a certain woman will be searching for come spring. –Kerry Pieri
Private Policy
Private Policy is a label unafraid to address social issues—Fall 2020 was themed around Big Pharma—but this new collection called “Searching for Aphrodite” felt more immediately personal, albeit no less political. Co-designers Haoran Li and Siying Qu, who created it together while separately self-isolating in New York and Shanghai, respectively, wanted to unpack the idea of beauty and self-love. There was a new ease to the collection thanks to soft Grecian drapes and relaxed tailoring in calming shades of sage and lilac, shown on an inclusive range of modern muses including amputee model and singer Marsha Elle and trans model and activist Dominique Castelano. —Alison S. Cohn
Dauphinette
Olivia Cheng describes her floral dress collection Dauphinette as “the happiest brand on earth.” It might be one of the most environmentally friendly too, thanks to the young designer’s focus on lowering her carbon footprint by making her puff-sleeve mini dresses and floor-sweeping maxis from deadstock twills and innovative bio-based fabrics like rose petal silk. From a hand-painted vintage leather jacket and a crop top formed from daisies preserved in tree-derived resin to earrings made from the wings of butterflies collected at the end of the creatures’ natural life cycle, circularity is the message. —Alison S. Cohn
Duncan
Michelle Duncan is an Estée Lauder exec who balances her day job with her side hustle designing Duncan, a buzzy line for “the goth girl gone corporate” carried exclusively on Matchesfashion. For Spring 2021 it seems Duncan is banking on a return to office, with a collection that focuses on her brand’s core silhouettes, figure-flattering and precisely tailored dresses and separates with unexpected details like grommets and beadwork to liven up the boardroom. And for those of us still working from home, one of her origami-pleated dresses with a sunburst embellishment at the V-neckline would also look pretty great from the waist up on Zoom. —Alison S. Cohn
Anna Sui
Anna Sui told BAZAAR.com she’s all about exploring the “new now” for Spring 2021 and that focus was apparent from mask to toe. The gingerbread house set served as a perfect backdrop for the on point accessory styling—sandals worn with socks, as if the models stepped outside realizing they needed to pull on shoes. From more refined versions of the nap dresses that have proliferated as of late to knee-length shorts and roomy trousers, these are silhouettes designed for the well-dressed WFHer who might need to join a video call at a moment’s notice. Sui’s bohemian aesthetic works best when comfort is a priority, resulting in a well calibrated mix of what we find ourselves both wanting and needing from clothes at the moment: namely, cozy pieces that are also redolent of the things we’ve always cherished about fashion (an embroidered trim, gossamer-thin ruffles that only serve to delight). Sui offered a blueprint of how to get dressed next year and enjoy it. —Leah Melby Clinton
Veronica Beard
Designers Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard didn’t have to look far to source inspiration for their Spring 2021 collection titled Wildflowers. It “came from looking inwards and from finding peace and freedom outdoors,” the duo jointly said in a statement. Their lookbook features models frolicking in verdant fields wearing bikini tops under floral sundresses and polished blazers as well as jumpsuits and maxi dresses the color of sunrise, speaking to their hope for brighter days ahead. —Barry Samaha
Marina Moscone
With raw hems and dropped shoulders, there’s a thread running through Marina Moscone’s Spring 2021 collection that captures the way we all have gotten dressed for the better part of a year: Undone even when fully outfitted. She spoke about being inspired by the pragmatic fashion choices of New York City’s chicest women during the ongoing pandemic. That latter push-and-pull materialized in knit dresses and tunics, easy pieces that look effortlessly elegant. Moscone’s brand of tailoring and artful twists and tucks are beautifully approachable always, but especially needed now. There’s nothing too fussy or constrictive about it, allowing us to bring those clean lines into the mix without feeling like we’re throwing it back to a time when popping by our local dry cleaner’s was a regular part of our routine. That New Yorker she was watching has certainly had to adapt over the past few months—she was paying close attention. —Leah Melby Clinton
Maisie Wilen
Maisie Schloss is no stranger to the fashion industry. Indeed, the Los Angeles-based designer has worked for Yeezy, and counts the Kardashian-Jenner clan as fans. She was set to make her New York Fashion Week debut this season, but even though she had to make do with a lookbook instead, the format worked in her favor. “My collection’s theme explores the effect of viewing images instead of having live interactions with design,” she said in a statement. “Coincidentally lockdown generated the exact environment of rarely seeing things in person, an ironically perfect setting for this research.” Schloss’s fan favorites like jersey and perforated knit pieces were present and she explored new fabrications such as silk and woven metallics with faded milky color schemes that convincingly replicated our Zoom called world. —Barry Samaha
Bevza
Take the coolest girl you know and imagine what it would look like if she designed the clothes she’d want to wear; that, in essence, is what you have in Bevza. The Ukrainian label’s spring collection is chock full of sleek dresses and separates that appear simple until you spot the oversized stitch at the hem or the fine gauge of the fabric. These are the staples you already have in your closet, but better, different. Slices at the midriff, billowing openings at the knees, and closures shaped like chunks of coral found on a deserted beach create a romantic, deconstructed feel, as if our heroine washed up on some new island with only a single trunk of perfect separates in tow. —Leah Melby Clinton
Overcoat
Take a bit of prep, add a dash of arts and crafts, then finish with a swirl of tennis team and—voila, Overcoat Spring 2021. The streamlined shapes could belong to any decade, supporting the idea that moving forward, we’ll be hunting for pieces that can live in our wardrobes for years. The spring-weight outerwear (fuss-free car coats, perfectly cut trenches) is endlessly adaptable to whatever layers your heart desires. If you’re a head-to-toe Overcoat sort, that’ll mean faded pastel blouses, tailored bottoms, and, or a matched set of dip-dyed separates that can be worn as a full look or on their own. —Leah Melby Clinton
Aknvas
What if we had to craft shopping profiles the way we do dating-site bios? “Woman who loves bright colors and cheerful silhouettes seeks something different that’s tailored but relaxed and ready for staying in or going out.” One could be chided for asking for the stars—but then you haven’t met Aknvas. Designer Christian Juul Nielsen hails from Copenhagen (AKA Ganni-land) and spent time at Dior under John Galliano. He escaped to the Caribbean when the pandemic hit, designing Spring 2021 from that sunshine-soaked place. Those personal details explain the delightfully madcap attitude of the voluminous shirting, candy colors, and this-all-goes-together styling. There’s nary a neutral in sight, though if you've been jonesing to return to the fashion-is-fun side of things will you even mind? —Leah Melby Clinton
