Global 2021 Fashion Trends
By: Daria Shapovalova
Tags: Digital, Fashion Trends, Forecasting, Trends, Digital Transformation

There is no doubt 2020 was quite challenging and demanding, it made us think outside the box, challenge our limits, and open up extraordinary and never-seen-before facets. On the other hand, challenges are always progress, and I’m happy to admit how many positive outcomes and comprehensions almost each of us have achieved. All in all, time zips along and the first few weeks of 2021 has brought a lot of food for thought, conclusions to be done, and projections to be made. Based on the brightest events of 2020 and the first week of 2021 I’ve decided to outline the main global trends in the fashion industry.

Everything is à la mode

Lucky us! We have now approached a decade when almost every silhouette and garment is trendy. Whether you prefer “New look” from 50s, or mini from 60s, or YSL-like smokings from 70s, or fancy flamboyant a la Versace outfits from 80s, or shoulder pads and sport chic from 90s, or even crop tops and low waist trousers from 2000s. Spoiled for choice, ha? Now is the best time to delve into your 20-year-old wardrobe and come up with the fashion artifacts.

This trend leads us to another very important conclusion — don’t throw away your clothes after one season of service — and stop shopping fast. Your wardrobe will undoubtedly do double duty, believe me.

Supposing you cleaned up your closet and have no treasure box (aka mom’s or grandma’s wardrobe) to investigate — there is a way out. Vintage resale platforms are at a high ebb now. Check out The RealReal or Vestiaire Collective and give those vintage items a second life. By the way, the clothes and accessories produced in the past century are usually of better quality (let me just remind you that classic Chanel flap bags produced after 2008 don’t have their hardware made of gold, and their older sisters do).

2. Total gamification

Last year I told you about a very budding development trend for the fashion industry that has already captured Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Moschino. Gaming industry forges ahead and finds it’s ways to intrude and collaborate with others. And the results are not long in coming!

Last year Adidas’ former director of future trends, Ryan Mullins, and illustrator Dan Freebairn released Aglet — a new sneaker app modelled after Pokémon Go, meaning that users collect virtual currency by walking around in the real world, which they can then use to buy sneakers. Being a successful gaming project, Aglet has also become a developing platform for integration of fashion brands. Take their Gucci collaboration — Gucci ‘Virtual 25’ sneakers are the first pair of shoes by Miuccia Prada available only in digital!

3. Digitalization and direct interaction with the audience

As judged by the Prada 2021 spring campaign, the whole next year will be under the banner of teasing out the new rules of living and reality. New type of conversation have already started between Miuccia Prada, Raf Simons, and their audience. After presenting their spring 2021 collection in a digital show followed by a streamed session addressing questions sent to the company, the creative duo further explored the idea of engaging in conversation with customers in Prada’s new advertising campaign.

One of the questions asked is “Does ‘cloud’ make you think of data or sky?”, the question one wouldn’t even think of verbalizing 10 years ago. One of the main goals of the campaign communicated by Prada is to investigate the impact technology has had on life during the past year and acknowledge the role it played in enabling communication between people despite geographical distances.

When Prada is asking about a Cloud, DressX is already offering the Space. On 5th of January, the digital-fashion retailer launched the first COSMIC collection inspired by no other than one of the most innovative and ambitious space manufacturers — SpaceX. The collection celebrates the achievements of the world’s most progressive and forward-thinking company shaping the future of humanity. The printing of each garment of a collection was carefully selected by the DressX team and reflects a special moment in the history of SpaceX.

4. New type of detox

One of the hottest news from the fashion battlefield in 2021 — on January 6, Bottega Veneta deleted their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. As there are no official comments from the brand, the media are eagerly developing their theories over the probable reasons behind digital disappearance. Some claim that Bottega Veneta aims to become more up-market and follow Hermes trace, some say that the brand takes a ‘gap year’ from digital in order to prepare a new approach and strategy of social media conduct.

Well, that remains to be seen, but the one thing I am sure about is that the future detox will not look like an escape to the jungles but more like deleting Instagram, Twitter, Facebook apps from the phone. And this new reality has already come.

Co-authored with Elena Saraniuk