As the coronavirus pandemic extended into 2021, major brands and companies were committed to bouncing back from its impact on business with new initiative and shakeups that dominated the year’s news cycle.
The biggest fashion news of 2021 included major changes at design houses, including fashion designer Daniel Lee suddenly leaving Bottega Veneta, and monumental deaths among the industry’s most revered figures, such as Virgil Abloh, Alber Elbaz and Elsa Peretti.
The year also saw several historic moments in the fashion world, such as at President Joe Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration, which put a spotlight back on American fashion, and at Paris Couture Week, which saw Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond make history as the first Black designer to receive a spot on the coveted calendar.
January 2021: President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Puts a Spotlight on American Fashion
Biden’s and Harris’ historic inauguration had a big impact on American fashion.
Both First Lady Jill Biden and Harris chose emerging American designers for their meaningful sartorial looks. The first lady wore a custom blue Markarian coat, dress and matching face mask for the ceremony, which were embellished with Swarovski pearls and crystals placed in a floral pattern. The color blue was chosen to “signify trust, confidence and stability,” according to Markarian.
Harris looked to Christopher John Rogers for her inauguration look, which consisted of a purple coat and dress accessorized with a David Yurman American flag pin. The color purple, which was also worn by former First Lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton, had a significant meaning at the inauguration, as the hue “represents a blending and coming together of the red and blue, which are the two colors that represent each of the major political parties in the U.S.,” according to Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.
Harris’ look also gave a nod to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, who ran for president in 1972 and used purple as one of her campaign colors.
Biden’s and Harris’ historic inauguration had a big impact on American fashion.
Both First Lady Jill Biden and Harris chose emerging American designers for their meaningful sartorial looks. The first lady wore a custom blue Markarian coat, dress and matching face mask for the ceremony, which were embellished with Swarovski pearls and crystals placed in a floral pattern. The color blue was chosen to “signify trust, confidence and stability,” according to Markarian.
Harris looked to Christopher John Rogers for her inauguration look, which consisted of a purple coat and dress accessorized with a David Yurman American flag pin. The color purple, which was also worn by former First Lady Michelle Obama and former Secretary of State and First Lady Hillary Clinton, had a significant meaning at the inauguration, as the hue “represents a blending and coming together of the red and blue, which are the two colors that represent each of the major political parties in the U.S.,” according to Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.
Harris’ look also gave a nod to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress, who ran for president in 1972 and used purple as one of her campaign colors.
Teen Vogue was embroiled in controversy in March 2021 over its newly appointed editor in chief, Alexi McCammond, whose history of racist and homophobic tweets came to light after her appointment. Many of McCammond’s tweets targeted the Asian American community, which was experiencing a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes. After weeks of backlash over the appointment, McCammond announced she would no longer take on the role.
The month also saw the passing of famed Tiffany & Co. jewelry designer Elsa Peretti, who died on March 18 at the age of 80. Peretti started her career as a model, serving as one of American fashion designer Halston’s many muses.She later joined the fine jeweler and created some of its most well-known pieces, with her minimal silver jewelry becoming a core part of the brand’s identity.
The fashion world was in mourning in April when former Lanvin fashion designer Alber Elbaz unexpectedly died at the age of 59 after battling COVID-19. His death came just months after Elbaz revealed his new fashion venture, AZ Factory, which he launched with Richemont.
April also saw Gucci celebrate its 100th anniversary with its “Aria” collection, which unveiled the design house’s “Hacking Project” with Balenciaga, where the two brands interpret each other’s logos, motifs and famous styles in their pieces.
Earlier in April, Salvatore Ferragamo announced that creative director Paul Andrew would be exiting the brand the following month. WWD was the first to report the news in January when market sources indicated Andrew’s contract was ending in February.
As COVID-19 restrictions were slowly being lifted, IMG looked forward to September’s New York Fashion Week with a new initiative with 11 American designers that are committed to presenting at the biannual event through 2022. The alliance includes brands and designers Telfar, Rodarte, Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Brandon Maxwell, Prabal Gurung, Sergio Hudson, Monse, Jason Wu, LaQuan Smith and Markarian.
The month also saw several major sales in the fashion and media spaces. Verizon Communications started the month off by selling Yahoo and AOL to private equity firm Apollo Global Management for $5 billion. Hearst Magazines followed suit by selling Marie Claire U.S. to U.K.-based media company, Future, which already owns the U.K. version of the magazine.
On the fashion side, Ralph Lauren announced it would be selling Club Monaco to private equity firm Regent after 22 years with the brand.
