This year has been one of a kind. The spring ‘21 collections which showed this past September have been both a reflection and a response to the current state of our world. They focused on two of the emerging style themes: ‘Comfort’ and ‘Escapism’. Designers were deeply aware of the lifestyle shift this pandemic has brought us and this season’s runway looks were in many cases more wearable, and more relevant than any collection before.

‘Comfort’ has been a growing style focus during this pandemic as many people who are confined to their homes and working remotely have turned to Athleisure styles. People are looking inward, and there is a greater focus on wearability. With nowhere to go, people are dressing for themselves. The clearest market indication of this shift is that denim sales are down while sweatpants sales have seen a significant increase. [Source: Washington Post ]

On the opposite side of the spectrum ‘Escapism’ was born out of the frustrations of lockdown and the stay-at-home shift. Many people are bored of their home-centric lives and are looking hopefully towards future travel plans, events, and parties. ‘Escapism’ is the mentality that people are sick of their home-wear and are ready to go all out for Spring ‘21. Designers addressed this through bold colors and silhouettes, while keeping embellishments, trims, and details to a refreshing minimum.

These shifts in market mentality were reflected in the 12 top NYFW S’21 Runway trends.

*This report focuses on the New York collections but a few looks from other cities have been included as well.

1. Sleeve Drama:

Spring 21’s sleeves are the stuff wanderlust dreams are made of. 2020 has been a dramatic year and these theatrical sleeves and are telling the tale of adventure for Spring/Summer 21. Designers are encouraging us to “Wear your heart on your sleeve” and dress for the Spring we want to have.

On another note, video chats are the new norm and they’re not going away any time soon. The bold sleeved tops look great over a web camera and from 6ft away as well.

2. Flares and Fullness:

Flowing and flared skirts and dresses are the answer to a break in structure. This silhouette is both comfortable and dramatic. The wide hemmed skirts that came down the runways in solid colors were simple in design, and beautiful statement pieces.

3. Wide Leg Pants:

Athleisure is on the upswing and these wide leg styles leave room to move. They combine leisure wear with high fashion and are the perfect ‘outside–to-inside’ style. Wide leg pants provide a much needed stylish option to sweatpants. The extra wide and more exaggerated styles are a response to the desire to return to fashion, without ignoring the desire for greater comfort.

4. Belted and Sashed Waists:

Bold belts bring structure to unstructured looks and add an element of waist definition to the flared and wide legged styles. As other silhouettes are becoming more casual and loose, a thick stylized belt or sash has the ability to convert a piece and pull the look back in. It’s a very wearable trend that pairs well with Spring’s other emerging trends.

Spring 21’s belts ranged from wide to narrow, and from leather buckled belts to self fabric sashes. This trend had been gaining traction for the past few seasons and it wasn’t derailed by the recent lifestyle shift.

5. Cutouts and Crops:

Cropped tops, and cutouts are a break from all seriousness and formalities. These laid back styles are vacation ready and embody the phrase ‘less is more’.

Designers went minimal for Spring, going light on trims and embellishments. Instead there was a focus on composition and silhouette. These cutouts added design lines without seaming.

6. Ruffles and Tiers:

Dramatic, feminine and ethereal all over ruffled looks graced the Spring ‘21 runways. The light airiness was a refreshing contrast to the heaviness the world has been through lately.

7. Shirtings:

As some offices reopen, and others continue to hold remote video conferences, the woven shirt becomes a staple again. This time it’s been upgraded with bold new sleeves, oversize silhouettes, and longer lengths. While retaining it’s air of professionalism, this new shirting is more comfortable and more stylish than its classic counterpart.

8. Lace:

This feminine fabric is a simple way to dress up a basic look and is a welcomed change to the overly casual pandemic style.

Subtle laces and embroideries added texture to the runway, appearing as tonal solids and sometimes sheers. These airy laces romanticized next spring and put a delicate spin on the upcoming season.

9. Shorts:

Comfortable, practical, and travel worthy: shorts became a preferred pandemic option to jeans. Spring 21’s popular silhouette is fitted through the hip and wide at the leg opening. They range in lengths, with most hitting the mid thigh, but some extending to the top of the knee.

Though shorts have a reputation for being casual, designers showed all over printed short suits that would be perfect for returning to the office.

10. Pop Colors:

The Spring ‘21 collections are split between the two ideologies: Comfort and Escapism. Each had equal color representation on the runway.

The Spring ‘21 escapism narrative is both vibrant and hopeful.

The accent colors are: Nobility Blue, Lemon Yellow, Blush Orange, Pale Lavender, Iced Mint, Carnation Pink, Citrus green, and Powder Blue

These colors are applied as single color looks rather than being mixed. Although there’s such a varied pallet for Spring ‘21, designers were careful to avoid overpowering looks and complicated combinations. Even with all the accent colors, the mood for Spring is simple and fresh.

11. Neutrals:

With such a strong accent color pallet, designers employed an equally powerful group of neutrals to balance their collections out.

Tans, creams, blacks, and white tones answer the feelings of global uncertainty. The neutral pallet is synonymous with a fresh canvas for new beginnings.

12. Basic Prints:

3 of the season’s strongest print trends are Vertical Stripes, Leopard, and Florals. Keeping in line with the simple ideology, each print has minimal colors. Many prints appear as all over looks. Spring 21’s prints are not overpowering and blend well with the rest of the collections.

During this pandemic the modern woman’s lifestyle has changed and designers were challenged with redefining their own relevance. Following the themes of ‘Comfort’ and ‘Escapism’, Spring ‘21 RTW collections proved to be hopeful, clean, fresh, and just what we needed!

Do you have a favorite trend from the list above? Share yours in the comments below!

*An alternative version of this report was published in the SI Advance New York Newspaper. You can view the tear sheets on my press page.

Deanna Kei is a NY Fashion and Beauty Illustrator. She works with brands to create unique and engaging content featuring their products and collections. To commission illustrations for your brand please write to deannakei@gmail.com