Burberry
As one of the first designers to announce a step away from the usual fashion week schedule, Riccardo Tisci looked to mother nature for inspiration. "It began with a thought of British summertime, embracing the elements with a trench coat on the beach mixing with the sand and the water," he said of the In Bloom collection. "I envisioned the people of this space, like the lighthouse keeper, and a love affair between a mermaid and a shark, set against the ocean, then brought to land."
Models walked against a backdrop of a spectacular forest, with installations created in collaboration with artist Anne Imhof and music by musician Eliza Douglas, ‘further exploring the blurred boundaries between art, fashion and live events’ according to the show notes.
The fashion house's iconic trench was reinterpreted in fresh summer hues of ocean blue, earthy orange and moss green, all with modern detailings such as its bold patterns and cut-outs. ‘The collection is focused and refined – one vision, one story. This is the essence of both Burberry’s identity and my own creativity. Reaffirming the codes of Burberry – my codes of Burberry, our DNA," says Tisci.
Halpern
Embracing the shift the COVID-19 pandemic brought on the fashion industry, Michael Halpern paid homage to frontline workers for the spring/summer 2021 collection. The designer captured eight 'heroines of the frontline' in joyful films and portraits, saying: "To me, times of re-emergence call for pure creation: the most uplifting feeling I can think of. I didn’t design this collection with cocktail parties or ballrooms in mind, but purely from the desire to capture in dressmaking the individuality embodied by savoir-fair, and the joy it brings to those who wear it. This collection was created in celebration of the women on the frontline, and for anyone it may inspire and uplift."
Models from the collection included Ghalia, an OBGYN in London and Aziza, a night bus station controller also from London.
Victoria Beckham
"This collection is about freedom–to explore, to dress up, to be yourself. It is rooted in our true DNA, our language; strong tailoring, sharp colour, modernity," Victoria Beckham, one of the few designers to show a physical presentation, said o the collection. The pieces reflected that ethos, with designs embodying the modern women–one who wants to play around with lengths and textures, but also pieces that fit fluidly and effortlessly into her wardrobe.
Emilia Wickstead
The New Zealand-born fashion designer's SS21 collection was one close to her heart, inspired by the non-fiction book, Faery Lands of the South Seas, published in 1921 by travel writers James Norman Hall and Charles Bernand Nordhoff–of which, she discovered on her daughter's nightstand. It's an "exploration of both fantasy and refined simplicity," says the show notes. It includes 90s minimalist detailings paired with delicate colour palettes and prints, with pieces reflect that of the changing times.
RIXO
On top of launching its Recycle collection–made entirely of fabric cut-offs–RIXO launched its latest collection in a way that reflects the '60s, vintage aesthetic we've come to love from the London-based label: on a floral painted double-decker bus. The Ariel collection includes its signature bright dresses, pilgrim collars in mix and match prints and keyhole backs.
"This drop has a clear inspiration of all things underwater; the pearl and coral colours, shapes and mythical creations," said designers designers Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey via a press release. "It's all shown through the sea life prints, silky silhouettes, and frilled detailing. We are always inspired by vintage, whether that's fashion, art, or icons and another main print of the collection, the squiggle print, was inspired by French painter Henri Matisse."
Simone Rocha
Inspired by the 'provocative and the personal', 'the intimate and the confronting', Simone Rocha's SS21 was filled with luxe-finishes, sheer dresses and exaggerated details. “This collection is about comfort and security in the extreme. I wanted to create something signature and significant. I was looking at identity, personality, the provocative and a suggestive intimacy," the designer says. "This season it was about finding the balance in the sobering and exploding, pragmatic and foreboding, personal, provocative, suggestive intimacy and excavating. [I was trying to evoke] strength, fragility, understanding, stillness and resolve."
Molly Goddard
What started off as a neutral and pared back collection coming out of lockdown, Molly Goddard realised she needed to add some fun and colour into her spring/summer 2021 collection, inspired by art, Fruits magazine and Camden street style. The bold and joyful designs were paired with the designer’s footwear collaboration with UGG, which included boots, slippers and platforms, all in gorgeous colours.
