The best fashion moments of 2021

In 2021 the fashion world has returned to meet and take stock of a prolonged period of closures. This year brought the vaccine and, despite the looming variants of the virus, the transition to a new normal with some more social phobia. The effects of the covid have remained, but the world of fashion has not stopped evolving, trying to recover the period of rest in increasingly frenetic times and riding the wave of the general desire to celebrate the newfound freedom. Over the course of the year, more than 150 million shoppers visited the Lyst shopping platform, and nss peeked at their searches, views and sales metrics to celebrate the stories that shaped this fashion year. From the Demna phenomenon to the Vaccine Top, here are all the moments that have shaped this year between false starts and new beginnings.

Going out

After spending 2020 at home, the last year has revealed a common and urgent need to swap our loungewear for evening dresses. From April to August, the search for colorful, bright and bold pieces - particularly in shades of hot pink, orange, yellow and green - peaked at 191%, while from March to August, the demand for bold, paired jewelry, associated with terms such as "colorful", "beads", "rainbow" and "resin", rose by 545%. After great moments of crisis, history shows us that humanity stands up by celebrating life. The recent reboot of the Y2K aesthetic (see the SS22 by Miu Miu or Blumarine) and a growing nostalgia for everything that shouts carefree and bare skin, immediately brings to mind the roaring 20s, a period of rebirth from the ashes of the First World War and the Spanish epidemic, as well as the years in which Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby and TS Eliot The Waste Land. With the abolition of social distancing measures and a timid return to nightlife, there has been a revival of "going-out" fashion. Just like in the 1920s, short hems are one of the escalating trends: searches for miniskirts and short dresses increased by 221% and clicks on 'club heels' by 233% in the same month.

Vaccine-ready

With the vaccination campaign almost all over the globe, the Vaccine Top has quickly become a must of the season: searches for terms like one-shoulder, off-shoulder and cold-shoulder jumped to 73% from February to March and the asymmetrical style and cut-out has been an SS22 hotspot - among the runaways of Jacquemus, Versace, Nensi Dojaka, Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, Mugler, just to name a few. One-shoulder dresses were the best item to start the #vaxgirlsummer on an elegant note, thanks to a silhouette with which you don't have to roll up your sleeves to inject Pfizer (Dolly Parton was a great example), because, after all, the first dose can't be forgotten.

Crazy for loungewear

The Netflix & Chill philosophy made people care less about FOMO (fear of missing out) and enjoy JOMO (the joy of missing out) more. The pandemic gave new life to the 'comfortable' clothing sector, as people worked, lived and cooked from their homes and in the same outfits. The loungewear trend showed no signs of abating even with the gradual return to the office, when 9 to 5 workers started looking for a more relaxed, smart and casual version of the corporate uniform: the demand for oversized suits increased by 109% compared to last year, while wide-leg pants have been in high demand since July, an increase of 87%. During major athletic events such as the Olympics and Europeans, brands incorporated loungewear into activewear and consumers continued to prefer non-slip soles, breathable fabrics and technical materials. In June, ahead of Euro 2020, searches for football shirts increased by 33%, while for Tokyo Games the official Olympic skateboarding debut stole the spotlight and reach for the Dunk Lows increased by 100% in just 48 hours. Brands incorporated loungewear into activewear, and consumers continued to prefer non-slip soles, breathable fabrics and technical materials.

The return of the Met Gala

After a year of waiting, the most awaited event of the fashion system is back, the Met Gala, which not surprisingly for the evening presented the theme not only of the celebration of the USA flag and of the greatest American designers, but a real nostalgic homage to Hollywood's Golden Age and icons of the past, with Billie Eilish in an Oscar Della Renta Marilyn Monroe-style powder cloud dress. Brother Vellies, who dressed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a white mermaid dress with graffiti-style Tax The Rich lettering, peaked at 120% in less than 24 hours, while page views of ERL, worn by A$AP Rocky, were up 259%. But Balenciaga was the true protagonist brand of the red carpet, worn by Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, who with her veiled look showed us that if covered her silhouette is perfectly recognizable, and Elliott Page, the brand has seen the increased visits of 505 % in just 48 hours.

Fashion-week euphoria

Also this year, fashion week was officially back with physical shows and live events: almost a week after NYFW, searches for mini bags have grown by + 56%, + 36% for Thom Browne skirts and + 33% for cut-out shirts. Preppy clothing was particularly popular at London Fashion Week: + 28% for leather loafers and + 23% for collared shirts within a few weeks. Also in this case, the brand that generated the most interest thanks to an unlikely collaboration with the Simpsons, a special episode in which Springfield residents go to Paris to show, was Balenciaga with a 355% increase in clicks in 24 hours: after all we can say that she is doing her first Haute Couture and the collaboration with Harmony Korine and Kim and Kanye, this was the year of Demna Gvasalia.