VMAs Best Dressed 2021 - Design Land Picks

The VMAs are the one Music Awards event to follow if you are looking to find over-the-top red carpet looks. Like the previous VMAs red carpet events, last Sunday’s event at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center served numerous excessive and overelaborated fashion moments. Here are our top picks for the Best-Dressed Artists of VMAs 2021:

Olivia Rodrigo in a wrapped tulle Atelier Versace gown selected from Versace’s Spring 2001 Couture collection.

Doja Cat in Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood

Halle Bailey in Mônot: A statement risqué floor-length white gown.

Normani in Patrycja Pagas and Djula jewelry: A two piece deconstructed outfit with an exaggerated oversized belt.

Kacey Musgraves in Valentino: A purple mini dress completed with a matching feather hat and red leather gloves.

Lil Nas X in Atelier Versace: A shimmering lavender two piece equipped with a long train.

Iann Dior in a Signature ombre purple suit.

Troye Sivan in Fendi: A two piece set with a cropped blazer from Fendi’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection.

Megan Fox in Mugler and Machine Gun Kelly in a sparkling red suit: Megan brings back the iconic naked dress on the red carpet, embellished with crystals, while MGK complements the couple’s moment with a bright red shimmering suit.

Avril Lavigne in Area, Christalea & Stuart Weitzman and Mod Sun: A two piece suit with heart cutout blazer in the spirit of Avril’s original punk style.

Kourtney Kardashian in Balmain and Travis Barker in Thom Browne: Kourtney’s look consisted of an all black leather corset halter neckline dress, while Travis opted for a studded black suit in coordination.

---

These are our top 13 VMAs Red Carpet looks. Do you agree with our choices and which one is your favorite?

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

Fall 2021 Couture Highlights

Hello Design Land readers,

Fall 2021 Couture Week is here and we cannot wait to show you our favorite looks. This Couture Season, like every previous one, tends to push the limits in creativity, demonstrate raw ideas come to life in conceptual designs and experiments with specific showcasing techniques.

---

Schiaparelli

Schiaparelli Maison has experienced a rebirth since Daniel Roseberry took the position as artistic director two years ago, constructing a clear vision that forever pays homage to Elsa Schiaparelli’s legacy and conceptual artistry. The House’s Fall 2021 Couture collection includes surrealist recreations of golden flowers, a handcrafted jewelry bustier, embroidered vintage denim jeans, golden dove and ear pieces, padlock-shaped earrings, trompe l’œil lungs adorned with rhinestones and golden crafted facial features incorporated in solid jewelry. Schiaparelli Maison is synonymous with Couture, and each season Roseberry comes forward with another stunning collection that pushes limits of refined creativity.

COURTESY OF SCHIAPARELLI

COURTESY OF SCHIAPARELLI

COURTESY OF SCHIAPARELLI

---

Iris van Herpen

Iris van Herpen Fall Couture collection “Earthrise” is an ode to freedom. The concept of this season’s lineup is inspired by the launch of Apollo 8, the first spacecraft to witness the Earthrise from Moon’s horizon.

Three of the collection’s looks are a collaboration with the artist Rogan Brown, whose inspiration takes roots in the tradition of scientific illustration. Among the intricate dresses, Magnetosphere, Eclipse, Empyrean, Sphaera are only some of our favorites. Magnetosphere is created with Parley Ocean Plastic®️, sourced from upcycled marine debris in collaboration with Parley for the Oceans Parley.tv. The Eclipse dress and Sphaera dress are made out of hand-cut white spheres, varying in texture and lined up in color gradient, creating a layered illusion. The Empyrean gown is made of layers of relief sculptures that mimic the fabrics’ transition into plant, designed utilizing Parley Ocean Plastic®️ fabric.

Van Herpen collaborated with Domitille Kiger, the French female world-champion skydiver to showcase a new meaning of earthly freedom. For the first time, the experimental and intricate nature of Haute couture meets the extreme sport of skydiving, a push to test strengths in craftsmanship.

EMPYREAN, MAGNETOSPHERE, ECLIPSE, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

EARTHGAZE, BLUE MARBLE AND SPHAERA MUNDI DRESSES, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

AEROLOGY JUMPSUIT AND DRESS, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

MYTHOSPHERE, SPHAERA DRESSES, COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

---

Armani Privé

“Shine” is the title of this season’s Couture collection, a direct reference to the much needed brightness.

As Giorgio Armani states:

“We have lived through very dark times, and now it seems like we can see some light. My collection is light, yet touching, because its inception comes from a feeling of rebirth.”

The collection’s most striking features are the brilliance of fabrics that appear mercurial and liquid, the multi-layered silk organza, satins and silks interwoven with ultra fine metallic thread. It is overall an energizing lineup, with a multitude of positive colors and embracing a joyful reality.

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

---

Ronald van der Kemp

The Mind Vaccine is RVDK Fall 2021 Couture collection. The lineup includes a handwoven backless metal chain vest, a mega bell bottom from upcycled denim leftovers, a gold umbrella covered with silk mesh and vintage lace snake detailing, an umbrella peplum jacket with mini-maxi skirt, a hand-painted silk velvet art gown with raised shoulder, and many more. Since last season’s molded eco felt corset, RDVK is constantly looking for creative ways to find circular solutions and upcycle fashion discards.

COURTESY OF RONALD VAN DER KEMP

COURTESY OF RONALD VAN DER KEMP

COURTESY OF RONALD VAN DER KEMP

COURTESY OF RONALD VAN DER KEMP

COURTESY OF RONALD VAN DER KEMP

---

Balenciaga

For the first time in the 53 years since Cristóbal Balenciaga closed his Couture House, Demna Gvasalia presented his first Balenciaga Couture collection. In this lineup, Gvasalia honored Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy, adding his streetwear influence and attitude to a well-tailored collection.

In Demna Gvasalia’s words regarding the revival of the couture house:

“Fifty-three years have passed since Cristóbal Balenciaga closed the doors of his house, largely due to the birth of ready-to-wear, which questioned the raison d'être for the concept of haute couture. 

Over half a century later I see it as my creative obligation to the unique heritage of m. Balenciaga to bring the couture back to his house. It is the very foundation of this century-old maison.

Couture is the highest level of garment construction, that is not only relevant in today’s mass-productive industry, but even absolutely necessary for the survival and further evolution of modern fashion.

I invite you to discover and enoy this tribute to the legecay of Cristobal Balenciaga and my very personal vision of the essence of fashion”.

COURTESY OF BALENCIAGA

COURTESY OF BALENCIAGA

COURTESY OF BALENCIAGA

---

Azzaro

“Olivier Theyskens evokes the dream in an ode to the evening and incants the real to sublimate it further.”

In a sparkling collection of encrusted gowns, fluid lines, and structured looks, Azzaro creates a balance of opposites, brings both shadow and light, fluidity and structure, the excessive and moderation.

COURTESY OF AZZARO

COURTESY OF AZZARO

COURTESY OF AZZARO

---

Fendi

“A poetic transfiguration of the past within the present day”

Marking Kim Jones’ second couture show, Fendi Fall 2021 Couture collection brings numerous aspects of Rome together, starting with the architectural influence, to the cobblestoned pavements, marble ornaments and multicolored mosaics. Each outfit is an intricate labor with a singular focus, all finalized with mother-of-pearl embellishment, fur mosaic work and sculptural statement accessories.

As stated by Fendi’s official IG page, this collection is “celebrating the eternal beauty of Rome. A contemporary connection between eras, cultures and aesthetics.”

COURTESY OF FENDI

COURTESY OF FENDI

COURTESY OF FENDI

COURTESY OF FENDI

COURTESY OF FENDI

COURTESY OF FENDI

---

Chanel

This Season’s Chanel Couture show took place in the Palais Galliera, City of Paris Fashion Museum and was inspired by movements of French Painting. The lineup included tailored blazers, waiscoats and tweed jackets, a round-shouldered skirt suit in black tweed, a blouse with trompe-l’oeil ribbon motif embellishment, a draped satin dress with black bows, a multi-coloured Lesage tweed jacket and trapeze skirt framed with embroidery, and a V-waist ball skirt in silk Mikado. Many of the looks take direct inspiration from Impressionist paintings and the method of Pointillism.

COURTESY OF CHANEL

COURTESY OF CHANEL

---

Giambattista Valli

“An evasive nocturnal walk, with a slight taste for danger in search of the pleasure of reliving these emotions. A sense of unknown pervades one’s walk in the Ville Lumière.
Pieces of present, past and future memories emerge. Its glares, its glamour made up of nights filled with lights reflected on wet asphalt, its promiscuity, its eclectic and voyeuristic aesthetic à la Ryan Murphy.”

Giambattista Valli Fall 2021 Couture Show focuses on a sense of joie de vivre, making for a joyful occasion with signature tulle cloud dresses, chiffon gowns, sequined column dresses and tailored trouser suits. The collection manifests a certain freedom of movement and living in the moment.

COURTESY OF GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

COURTESY OF GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

COURTESY OF GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

COURTESY OF GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Which Fall 2021 Couture collection is your favorite? We love each and every one of them for their expressiveness and overindulgence.

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC

Everything you need to know about Spring 2021 Haute Couture Week

Let’s talk Couture! In case you have missed the latest Virtual Fashion Shows for Spring 2021 Haute Couture, we are here to bring you the Highlights and keep you updated on the latest runway looks!  Couture week has just come to an end, and despite having to present virtually to no physical audience, Couture Houses have delivered some stunning looks this year that have brought attention back to the Fashion World.

Schiaparelli

COURTESY OF SCHIAPARELLI

Starting with a stunning and rather surprising Spring 2021 Couture Presentation from Schiaparelli, Daniel Roseberry has managed to execute an ideal comeback for the House of Schiaparelli. Only recently, last week during the Presidential Inauguration we saw the brand dress Lady Gaga in an unforgettable black fitted jacked, a red silk ball skirt and a striking golden dove brooch to sing the National Anthem. Designer and Creative Director Daniel Roseberry, has been playing out of the box to pull the brand out of its past stagnancy and surely, he does not disappoint. Vogue reports that Roseberry feels a shift of mentality, a focus and confidence that comes from his relationship to his process and the atelier. 

COURTESY OF SCHIAPARELLI

“It isn’t about being too perfect for me, but it is about shutting the moment down.”

COURTESY OF SCHIAPARELLI

We certainly see this shift in its most glorious form in the latest Couture collection, which contains elements of homage to Elsa Schiaparelli and presents the opposite of the extra feminine nature of expected Couture garments. Through structured muscular bustiers, accentuated abs and biceps, a dress knitted with more than 200,000 Swarovski crystals, folded voluminous sleeves and the dazzling golden bijoux, this Spring Couture collection brings back the powerful female heroine.

Christian Dior

COURTESY OF DIOR

Ah, Christian Dior! The House never disappoints in delivering artistry through their Couture shows. This year, Dior presented the collection through a carefully curated film and accompanying series of photographs. The inspiration of Maria Grazia Chiuri comes as a consequence of the chaotic year of 2020, and lies in the hope that arises from negotiating with fate. Tarot cards come to life in this film, such a theme stemming from several stories. Christian Dior himself believed in the power of Tarot and their ability to see into the future and first sought out the help of signs when his sister disappeared. 

COURTESY OF DIOR

This is Chiuri’s interpretation: 

“We decided to film a story about this girl who goes inside a castle. It’s a labyrinth which represents an interior trip. When she meets each of the tarot figures, she has to reach a decision about her life. And on the other hand, she meets aspects of her own personality and learns not to be scared of the future.”

COURTESY OF DIOR

The collection includes period Renaissance inspired pieces, including high waisted corsets, brocade fabrics and a balance of feminine and masculine energy. The merge of the mystique, magic and spirituality are incarnated in the embroidered fabrics, golden details and mysterious allure that prevails throughout the collection. 

COURTESY OF DIOR

Giambattista Valli

COURTESY OF GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Volume and more volume! There is no better term to describe the signature style of Giambattista Valli. 

 “Sometimes I look at other couture houses and I see a lot of decoration. Couture is not about decoration. Couture is about volumes,” he asserted. “When you sketch ready-to-wear, you have to be a designer. When you create haute couture, you have to be a sculptor. It’s the difference between building a space and decorating it.” 

COURTESY OF GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Spring Couture 2021 brings another series of extravagantly voluminous gowns, catered to clients that seek drama and flair! The presentation took place in Seville, a place where the Spanish and Islamic cultures melt together and create a new third culture, as a symbolism about the world coming together into a global culture. 

 Iris van Herpen

COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

For this Couture collection, Iris van Herpen collaborated with Parley for the Ocens to utilize Ocean Plastic® fabric made from upcycled marine debris. The Dutch designer claims that the quality of manmade, natural and sustainable materials has reached an even point, and the selection of sustainable materials, above all, remains a change of mindset. The inspiration for this year’s gowns and fabric selections comes from a book by Merlin Sheldrake titled “Entangled Life” which focuses on the way fungi maintain their life systems on Earth. We can see this inspiration reflected in silhouettes and details, with gill-like pleating and mycelium lace, some of which was produced on a collaboration with an artist that grew lace patterns from wood. 

COURTESY OF IRIS VAN HERPEN

This past year for Iris van Herpen has been about maintaining communication in a time of isolation and separation. The system that fungi create to communicate in a “wood wide web” has been particularly fascinating, providing a context for this couture collection to fit right into our timeline. 

Viktor & Rolf 

COURTESY OF VIKTOR & ROLF

Viktor and Rolf Spring 2021 Couture collection comes as something fun and lighthearted! The designer duo decided that after a grim year they should offer some escapism for their audience and clientele, something carrying a lot of energy and power! For this reason, the collection appears more youthful, and carries on a theme of upcycling and DIY, which is unusual for a couture show, but also what sets this collection apart from others! A clash of colors and textures pulls together two piece outfits, each of which releases exhilarating energy! 

COURTESY OF VIKTOR & ROLF

Chanel

Chanel Spring 2021 Couture show has transformed the Grand Palais into a country wedding in the South of France, decorated with floral arches and a bright atmosphere of celebration. As always, Chanel presents outfits that include the brand’s iconic boucle fabrics into cardigan jackets and vests, now more encrusted and embroidered than ever. Other garments are hand-painted and made from custom lace, hems finished with re-embroidered blossoms.  

COURTESY OF CHANEL

Creative director Virginie Viard describes this year’s couture collection as a “bohemian style wedding, a family celebration in a village including the mother, the aunt, and the 15-year-old girl dressing up for the first time”. The silhouettes bring both feminine and masculine energies, by including layers of petticoats for the most voluminous gowns and skirts, paired with button-ups and more traditional menswear. 

COURTESY OF CHANEL

Armani Privé

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

Armani Privé Spring 2021 Couture show was set for the first time at Palazzo Orsini in Milano in front of no audience. The collection showcased a variety of feminine gowns, elaborately embroidered sheer fabrics, encrusted florals, translucent layers of tulle and sequined details, in a fresh color palette of cool mint, soft taupe, and navy. 

In Armani’s words: 

“Couture is rooted in fashion history. It represents the pinnacle of creativity and sartorial skill, but is a world available only to very few. Today, through the democracy of the Internet, we are able to offer a front row seat to everyone.”

COURTESY OF ARMANI PRIVÉ

Valentino

COURTESY OF VALENTINO

Yet another Couture show with no audience, this Valentino Spring 2021 collection served to honor the intricate and irreplaceable nature of couture as a process and valuable legacy of the brand. Couture celebrates the human, the mind that conceives and the hand that creates and gives value, were the words of the Designer. He called the looks Temporal, as they will survive time and outlive trends to come.

"Through a work process that sits above time, they produce timeless objects moulded on the individual." 

COURTESY OF VALENTINO

This year’s Valentino looks were uplifting in their color palette and simply illuminating. The collection is inspired and constructed only with the surface and garment quality in mind, as opposed to a more intangible concept. When compared to past collections, this lineup has flipped the ratio of evening-wear to day-wear, making the pieces much more wearable and versatile.

COURTESY OF VALENTINO

Fendi  

COURTESY OF FENDI

Fendi Spring 2021 Couture, also marked Kim Jones’ debut collection, turning this into an important event! The show attracted a lot of attention when they recruited some of the most well-known models in the industry; Naomi Campell, Kate Moss, Cara Delevigne, Bella Hadid Demi Moore, and Adwoa Aboah. 

COURTESY OF FENDI

The collection was visibly inspired by Virginia Woolf’s time-traveling, gender-blurring novel Orlando and the visual language of Bernini’s Marbles. The lineup also served as a celebration of the legacy for Fend;, incorporating pieces of significant elements of the brand, and family; emphasizing the idea of unity and collective energy. 

In his notes for the show, Kim Jones pointed out as follows:

 "Fendi represents artisanal quality of the highest order, and it is all about family. It is in its third generation with a Fendi at its helm, and I am guest starring while bringing in the fourth. Here, I am surrounded by strong, powerful women who I love and respect, and want to bring their energy into what I do."

This concludes our Report for Spring 2021 Couture Week, and we are inspired by the artistry and craftsmanship showcased this past week! Which show was your favorite this Couture Season?

Sending joy and creative stimuli your way,

XOXO Lori / Design Land NYC