Fall/winter 2021-22: the major trends

The traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks were lacking this time around, but 2021 has nevertheless started with a bang. Buying season is upon us, and fashion buyers throughout the country are figuring out the must-have colours, fabrics, textures, silhouettes and prints for the coming fall. The first blow is half the battle, as the saying goes, so we’re here to help with a summary of the upcoming trends. 

Out of the twilight towards optimism and revival

We recently reviewed the major trends from the SS21 fashion weeks, but this time, we’re delving deeper into the world of trends. We’re happily leaving the twilight zone that was 2020, and are headed full speed into a new year alive with optimism and new possibilities (something that almost all forecasters agree on). We are perhaps more conscious than ever of societal and environmental change, and of what we consider to be fundamentally good for us. From reimagined values to transparent and ethical consumption, the years ahead are all about authenticity, craftsmanship, nature and well-being, and timeless items in which function outshines form.

A comfortable, white winter with wings

Following the advent of The Brown Age, trendwatcher Lidewij Edelkoort forecasts a summery ‘Green Wave’ in 2021, followed by wintry ‘Stillness’, on our way towards a completely ‘Blank Page’ in 2022. In response to the upheaval of ’20, fall 2021 garments offer a tender, comforting embrace. Get ready for added calm, in the shape of white, neutral shades with light pink and pale green, blue and orange accents. This colour palette comes alive in knitwear in warm, comfortable fabrics with relief, such as wool and mohair. Birds appear to dominate the prints, and look out for romantic details, expressed using flounces, embroidery and ruches. 

Colour combinations using fabrics from days gone by

Today’s society buzzes with antitheses, and the same goes for the current design language. In addition to the emergence of the light colour palette, trendwatcher Christine Boland emphasises that plenty of mixing is also the order of the season. Heritage fabrics, such as velvet, brocade and jacquard, for example, in jewel tints like sapphire, emerald and amethyst, combined with fluorescent splurges. This mix of authentic and tech shades is also reflected in the FW 2021-22 key colours proffered by renowned trend institute WGSN and colour system Coloro, including bloodstone (red) and their 2021 colour of the year: A.I. Aqua (aquamarine).

From playful to minimalistic

Boland also predicts the return of daring combinations of classic checks in supple plissé fabrics, or even a striped shirt with ruches. She forecasts the arrival of floral photo prints on semi-transparent fabrics such as voile. Accessories such as bow collars, roll-necks and large necklaces will also make a comeback. Silhouettes vary from classic tailoring to draperies, and puffed sleeves and layering is used to create mass volume. Trendwatcher Jan Agelink also directs our attention to geometric form language and quilted fabrics, potentially in pastel tints and/or with iridescent effects. And to end with Edelkoort: the movement set to flourish from SS22 onwards is a minimalist take with timeless design and a touch of activewear.

Written by Marjolein Lammerts van Bueren.