By their very nature, accessories are not the main affair. For spring 2021, clothing is hewing functional, beautiful, and exuberant, favoring comfortable silhouettes over the irony and/or escapism the industry once celebrated. The role of quirky costar falls to the season’s shoes, bags, hats, and wraps.
It’s an exciting proposition, and a freeing one, because in truth, you don’t really need any accessories this season. But you will still want them. Liberated from functionality, logic, or ideas of what makes something “essential,” this season’s plus-ones share a sense of irreverence and levity. For our feet, there are soft and silly slippers from Molly Goddard and Balenciaga or gigantic boots from Rick Owens and Paco Rabanne. Our bags might be homespun knotted sacs from Simone Rocha or Valentino, or maybe they will be slim, fuss-free phone cases like those shown at Versace and Coach. There are plenty of new face masks from Collina Strada and Anna Sui, and for the very dramatic, bold hats like Burberry’s sou’wester and Marine Serre’s chapeau-cum-plastic face shield.
The most salient accessories of the season might be the survivalist ones: Water bottles, camping-style bags and packs, and different modes of transport, like bikes and boards. We’re definitely going somewhere...maybe the devil-horned hats at Maximilian and Givenchy are a sign of where. Might as well look great for the journey!
Slipper Shoes
The most popular shoes of quar have not been stilettos, pumps, sandals, or sneakers. They are Birkenstocks, Crocs, and now that the weather is turning cool again, Uggs. A comfortable, anti-fashion shoe is proving to be spring 2021’s most bankable proposition. Molly Goddard collaborated with Ugg on her shaggy slip-ons; at Louis Vuitton Nicolas Ghesquière turned a quilted ski boot into a fashion statement, and at Balenciaga Demna Gvasalia added kitten heels to logo slipper slides.
It’s a Wrap
Zoom-top fatigue has set in. Luckily, wraps from Prada, Jil Sander, and Coperni offer a new way to layer for the camera—and more importantly for real life. It’s an evolution of last season’s blanket dressing; a way to make sure you’re comfortable without sacrificing elegance.
Market Totes and Straw Bags
The best carryall for spring 2021 is humble and handmade. Anna Sui crafted her knit bags from recycled cotton T-shirts, while Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli sent out a shoulder bag in macramé leather. Brave crafters can try to DIY their own versions, inspired by Christian Dior and The Row’s woven totes.
Sandals With a Lift
The sandals of next summer are somewhere between a chopine and a flatform, a shoe that is equally provocative and walkable. At Altuzarra, they cross with an espadrille, while at Erdem they come in snakeskin and olive satin—demure or vampish, depending on how you style them.
Hold the Phone
Phone cases and lanyards are the granny chains of the forgetful, promising that you’ll never lose your phone somewhere between the kitchen, bedroom, and living room again—and that when you leave the house you have the number one accessory of the 21st century safely with you. Only one question: How quickly can new sizes of these cases go into production now that Apple has announced a mini iPhone?
Shoes for Stomping In
The award for throwing caution—and logic!—to the wind this season, at least in regards to footwear, is a three-way tie between Rick Owens, Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, and Julien Dossena at Paco Rabanne. Together, the designers sent out some of the most unusual shoes of the season; Owens extended his platform boots to the hip, Ghesquière designed a platform clog with elastic strap, and Dossena propped up ankle boots on thin wire frames. Maybe there is a purpose to these strangely satisfying shoes? With nowhere to walk, a teetering high heel or clunky platform makes shuffling through your home a little more exciting.
The Mask
The face mask is not going anywhere anytime soon. Finally, designers are putting their own spins on the must-have item, making them from coordinating materials and adding flourishes like filters, chains, and bows.
Over-the-Top Toppers
Cristobal Balenciaga’s 1967 single seam wedding dress seems like a good idea for right now, an expression of concision and ingenuity shown with a dramatic curved hat meant to act as the look’s veil. That hat was first resurrected at the Balenciaga maison circa 2012. Fast-forward almost a decade, and the hat is making a second comeback at Burberry, Françoise, and Marine Serre (Serre’s wisely doubles as a face shield).
Go Bags, Belts, Harnesses
For the handbag averse, there is the chest rig and tool belt combo. Think of it as a carryall garment with pouches for everything from a phone to a lighter. Boramy Viguier’s comes as a stole; Marine Serre’s is a full body harness, and Kenzo’s is a slouchy waist belt in seafoam.
To the Point
Balenciaga, Charlotte Knowles, and Coperni’s newest bags are more like objects—with lethal curves. The batwing bag feels like the cousin to this season’s sharp shouldered trend—something angular and severe with which to cut through the world.
Simplified, Medium-Size Bags
Minimalists will appreciate no-nonsense purses from Hermès, Prada, and Peter Do in collaboration with Medea. In simple colors—black, white, red—and classic silhouettes, these are anti-It bags. That’s an appealing idea for the aesthetes out there building lasting wardrobes that don’t bend to trends.
Status Toe
The internet lost its mind over Matthew Williams’s three-prong sandals at Givenchy. The shoe, a nod to a similar style designed by Lee Alexander McQueen for the brand in 1997, was styled in the look book by Lotta Volkova with tights, turning models’ feet into something more like paws. But Givenchy’s creative team isn’t the only one advocating for tights-and-sandals—or the only one that singles out some toes. Emilio Pucci and Khaite tried it out too. Will you?
Hydration Is Key
Sustainability doesn’t only entail recycled fabrics and making fewer products. One of the easiest ways for us to behave in a more environmentally friendly way is to give up single-use plastics. Alyx and Fendi, among others, have made water bottles and holders to help the transition go smoothly and stylishly.
On a Roll
COVID has made many wary of close-contact public transport. In New York City, we are seeing a resurgence in cycling and skateboarding, so it’s no wonder that bikes and boards have made their way into the spring 2021 collections. The question remains: Can Vivienne Westwood actually ride a bike in that pencil skirt and corset?
Hell on Earth
It sure does feel like we are living in the end times, why not dress like it?