It's That Time Again...June 2021

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous suffering and change to the world. And the fashion industry has seen major seismic shifts not only in presentation but also in philosophy. Many houses have decided to cut the number of shows they present per year. Most have decided to gang men's and women's shows into one. And most major brands are taking hard looks at how they do business in terms of waste and sustainability: many brands and designers are increasingly recycling/upcycling and using dead stock. These changes seem as if they will be permanent.

But for now, at the tail end of the pandemic, there will be some differences. At Milano Moda Uomo, only three designers will be presenting actual physical presentations: Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, and Giorgio Armani.

JUNE - JULY 2021 FASHION SCHEDULE -- SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Digital London Fashion Week (Men's and Women's)
June 12 - 14, 2021
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Milano Moda Uomo
June 18 - 22, 2021
https://www.cameramoda.it/en/milano-moda-uomo/

Paris Fashion Week Homme
June 22 - 27, 2021
https://parisfashionweek.fhcm.paris/en/calendar/

Pitti Uomo, Florence
June 30 - July 2, 2021
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en