8 Breakout Trends From the New York Fashion Week Spring 2021 Virtual Runways

With Covid-19 forcing a predominantly digital showing for the Spring 2021 runway shows, anything was possible. Though some felt the absence of several headlining American acts at this unprecedented New York Fashion Week, the designers who did debut collections offered a very practical vision for spring. Even those who are known for being big contributors to the ongoing fantasy that is fashion, toned it down and created pieces that everyone will want to wear while bingeing the latest Netflix series.

Here are 8 of the biggest trends seen at this season’s New York Fashion Week:

BURNT ORANGE

A fall-like shade of orange cropped up several times in New York’s Spring 2021 presentations. Some terra cotta standouts include an easy, loose-fitting shorts set courtesy of Thakoon, a cool Jason Wu maxi dress with cutout detailing and pockets, and an easy breezy strapless frock from Adeam.

COUCH FLORALS

It appears that all of our excess time spent on the couch has influenced Spring 2021 moodboards, judging by the florals that got a very English-countryside-cottage-decor update this season. From dainty daisies that look stripped off our grandma’s sofa to groovy stems in saturated hues plucked from ’70s furniture, designers like Anna Sui and Batsheva brought floral whimsy to formerly drab house dresses.

CUTOUTS

A carryover trend from Fall 2020, designers are still into revealing bits of bare skin in unexpected places — whether it’s down the leg of a pair of tight pants (Simon Miller) or on the sleeve of a shiny dress (Raisavanessa) or even funky street wear (Colina Strada).

GLAM SWEATSUITS

Whether or not you believe that sweatpants are forever, a number of American labels from Cynthia Rowley to Thakoon to Rodarte offered up fancy versions of the cozy fleece bottoms for spring. Some fully leaned into this year’s loungewear obsession by creating matching hoodies styled super casually, while others paired the garments with floor-length gowns.

HIGHLIGHTER HUES

Designers for brands like Theophilio, Alice + Olivia, and Cinq a Sept took inspiration from the electrifying shades of pink, green, yellow and orange that can be found in office supply closets across the country. There were Bic-style highlighter hues rendered in everything from billowy dresses to couch-friendly sweatsuits.

KNIT BRALETTES

If you got used to going braless the last six months, it seems that designers like Jason Wu and Veronica Beard took note by offering a super-soft and supportive solution: knit bralettes. Often styled with a high-waisted pant or skirt and worn alone or under a cardigan, the barely-there top is destined to become a wardrobe staple next May.

LUXE PAJAMAS

Pajama dressing isn’t a new phenomenon, but it’s certainly something everyone has become very familiar with during quarantine. Turns out, you won’t have to give it up anytime soon: Silky separates and bed-friendly onesies were quite popular with designers like Rodarte and Tom Ford this season.

MINI TENNIS SKIRTS

The m.o. for skirts next spring is the shorter and more tennis-like, the better. Sandy Liang and Collina Strada took a very preppy approach to the thigh-revealing bottoms with pleated style, while Simon Miller had a more athletic, court-approved take.

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