Emanual Ungaro
Emanual Ungaro’s Spring Summer 2021 collection is the epitome of both a fresh summer afternoon and the brand’s roots in fashion. Indulging in print, each piece speaks to Ungaro’s ‘sensual obsessive’ nature: his obsession with colours and pattern, his daring to be different and his attention to detail. The collection orients around three patterns: a multi-coloured floral, a monochrome floral and a monochrome spot. The effect of this is that in isolation each piece is impactful, demonstrating the ‘clashes of bright colours and prints’ that the Maison prides itself on. In combination, however, the pieces manage to create a simultaneity of energies. Emanual Ungaro’s Spring Summer 2021 collection is an effortless yet intentional fashion statement, embodying both the calm breeze of a summer day and the power of fashion.
Leonard Paris
Titled ‘Silky Wave’, Leonard Paris’ ready to wear Spring Summer 2021 collection is an indulgent romance with colour. Filmed against the ocean, the presentation emits freedom, the wave acting as a metaphor for the power of our soul and our dreams, the strength we all hold within us. This is directly spoken for through the centrality of the orchid throughout the brand and the pieces, a flower “without geometric limits”. With the Hawaiian shirt being each piece’s commonality, there is an optimism which speaks to the collection’s artistic intention: being ‘a true ode to freedom found’. The vibrancy of each pattern, the fine line between harmony and discord, creates an energy which is evidently steeped in the brand’s roots in Chinese art. The richness of colour, combined with the luxe of silk, creates a buoyancy which perfectly embodies the sun-soaked summer days which winter dreams of.
@leonardparis Instagram
Loewe
The Spring 2021 ready-to-wear collection (titled ‘fantasies and realities’) is experimentation, and subsequent manipulation, of the silhouette. Described by Jonathan Anderson, creative director, as ‘a story of dramatic silhouettes exploring the craft of pattern making’, the collection voyages into both clothing and bags, the common thread being an exploration of our past, the new present, and the unpredictable future in relation to the art of fashion. There is an emphasis on detail in Loewe’s ready-to-wear pieces: hand-embroidered, hand-woven and hand-made forming the foundation of each piece. There is a movement to the collection, an accentuation of angles and shapes which is referenced by the house as ‘a sculptural extremization of fashion’. The collaging of material textures with tailoring demonstrates this greatly: the knotting of a highly sequined ball gown manifests as a glamourous ballgown, a relationship both unexpected yet perfect. It is the essence of the unexpected, which Loewe has incorporated so well, also building it into their new bag collection. A re-modelling of their adored classics, the bags have merged history with shape and texture; this is apparent in the Shell Bag, inspired by nineteenth-century clay work.
Loewe SS21 Collection images via Vogue Runway
Issey Miyake
Labeled ‘UNPACK THE COMPACT’, Issey Miyake’s Spring Summer 2021 collection is divided into five different concepts: FORM BODY, TO GO, OUT A PIECE, SPONGY AND TEMPORARY ROOM. Each part of the collection places emphasis on the joy of unpacking, intending to demonstrate the transportability – and thus the universality – of their clothing. This links strongly with the house’s core attitude toward fashion, seeking to demonstrate the relationship between the body and the cloth, the concept, and joy behind ‘a piece of cloth’. ‘Form Body’ sees moulded and minimalistic vests which are dissectable by the sole zip feature; ‘To Go’ uses water repellent material and is focussed on the compactness of its pieces, said to reflect and suit active people; ‘Out A Piece’ again centres around the zip and universality, presenting simultaneously angled and rounded silhouette; ‘Spongy’ is a stretchable compactable knit collection which seamlessly and effortlessly lines the body; ‘Temporary Room’ imitates artwork and painting, the pieces being a collage of fragments from a picture of a living room. The dynamics of Issey Miyake’s Spring Summer 2021 collection create a movement to cloth and fabric which is often overlooked by designers. Consequently, the house has both reinstalled and reinstated the joy of cloth and the power of clothing in relation to our living body.
Issey Miyake SS21 Collection images via Vogue Runway
@isseymiyakeoffical Instagram
Nina Ricci
Nina Ricci’s Spring 2021 ready-to-wear is inspired by their perfume ‘L’Air du Temps: a fragrance created after the second world war and representing ‘hope, optimism, and revival’. This concept is reflected in the fluidity of the collection’s pieces, their use of material being loose fitted and flowing as opposed to their traditional form-fitting and tailored structure. Whilst still true to their feminine, lady-like foundations, there is a playfulness to the collection’s interpretation of Spring fashion. Its incorporation of hats, alongside varying inclusions of colour and pattern, creates a beautiful blend between material and movement. The lack of severity to each piece, the enjoyment in cuts and fabrics, creates a truly gorgeous collection.
NINA RICCI – Spring/Summer 2021
Nina Ricci SS21 Collection images via Vogue Runway
Words by Hannah Emmery
