2021: Year in Review

December 07, 2021 3 Comments

With the majority of 2020 being spent indoors, the excitement of 2021 and the many releases, whether it be fashion, sneakers or design, has been nothing less than breathtaking. 

No matter what level of sneakerhead you consider yourself to be, the anticipation of being able to purchase a highly coveted pair of sneakers which you love has hit us all. Luckily this year, the catalogue has been better than ever thanks to big collaborations which seem to excite all of us. We saw re-releases of past grails, collaborations with artists such as Travis Scott and finally saw the sneakers we loved get the recognition they deserved, such as the Adidas Superstar. The Jordan 1 got its fair share of love this year with many releases of long awaited colorways like the Neutral Grey 85’s, Pollen’s and finally the prestigious Trophy Room’s. Continuing his collaborative efforts with Nike, Virgil released his long awaited collection of Nike Dunk Lows as a part of his “Dear Summer” project. 

Supreme,  CDG, and Fragment are some of the few brands who happened to dominate this year with their collaborations on timeless silhouettes like the Nike Dunk Low, Nike Foamposite and Air Jordan 1, but only one collaboration topped them all. Arguably the sneaker of the year, the A Ma Maniere Jordan 3’s were able to capture the attention of old school sneakerheads with the classic silhouette and fashion enthusiasts with the subtle tones and premium fabrics.

The trend of normcore sneakers such as the Air Force 1, New Balance 550 and Converse Chucks were popularized because of the simplicity of the silhouettes. With collaborations from luxury streetwear brands like Aime Leon Dore, Ambush & Undercover, a pair of sneakers which complimented your fit became an essential within high fashion.

Although there was an abundance of drops this year, here is our list of the year's top 8, Which sneakers did we miss? 

1. Aime Leon Dore x New Balance 550 “Grey”
2. Travis Scott x Jordan 6 “British Khaki”
3. Supreme x Nike Dunk Low
4. Trophy Room x Air Jordan 1 
5. Air Jordan 4 x Union “Desert Moss” 
6. Yeezy 350 “Blue Tint”
7. Patta x Nike Air Max 1 “Monarch”
8. Off White x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Lemonade”

At the dawn of 2021 we were expecting brands such as Supreme, Kith and Fear of God to continue their reign of streetwear but unexpectedly we saw the rise of brands such as Stussy, Arc’teryx and Hidden. The styles consisting of Gorpcore, Vintage Workwear and Y2K fashion became a staple in the majority of our wardrobes. Whether it was pairing a vintage crewneck with a Carhartt Double Knee workpant or a JJJJound Sweatsuit . The combinations of styles this year were endless and artists such as A$AP Nast, Tremaine Emory and Tyler the Creator made it a norm to break these boundaries.

The contribution of these artists styles has even influenced luxury brands like Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton and Missoni to notice and create their own adaption of pieces based off streetwear classics. Collaborations are a constant occurrence in fashion but in 2021 we saw a few obscure ones which drew the attenetion of many. True Religion and Supreme easily tops this years most interesting collab with their nod to early 2000’s denim two-pieces. The nostalgia continued with brands like Von Dutch, Ed Hardy and Lacoste making its way back to peak fashion in a new revitilized way.

On the other side of the fashion spectrum, brands like Comme Des Garcons, Sacai, and Veilance were able to continue and improve on their already stable base by releasing new styles of their monochromatic looks. Comme Des Garcons’ recent release on the Nike Air Foamposite closed out the year with a simple yet refreshing look of the Penny Hardaway classic. Chitose Abe and Kim Jones were finally able to cement their friendship with a collab on many classic Dior pieces but with Sacai-favored fabrics and details like Japanese denim in workwear shapes. The influence of fashion culture reached it’s peak this year when the highly popular instagram moodboard page Hidden ® began his release of clothing pieces and household items.

The spectrum of fashion was broad in 2021, it’s span from high fashion to influencer merchandise has proven it to be difficult to recap every release but here are our favourite drops, collections and capsules of the year. Which fashion related release was your favourite this year?

1. Nike ACG SS21 “Multi-Purpose Trek Gear”
2. bentgablenits “Carnival” Collection
3. Billionaire Boys Club x Jun Inagawa “Manga Madness”
4. Louis Vuitton x Nigo Collection
5. Stussy x Comme Des Garcons SS21 Capsule
6. Union x Born x Raised “30th Anniversary”
7. Neighborhood x Undefeated SS21 Collection
8. “Off White” x Babylon LA

Rest in Peace Virgil Abloh, the late-great artistic visionary, cultural pioneer and role model for many creatives globally who is responsible for influencing many of the artistic advancements made in 2021 and previous years. Louis Vuitton was able to encapsulate him as a human through his final show collection with the brand. The show was nothing short of exhilarating yet it seemed to have more shades of sorrow than glamour. Whether it was his close friends and family who knew him closely or simply a consumer of his products, there was no escaping his influence of art and pure creative passion. Louis Vuitton definitely honoured him to the fullest with their simple tagline, Virgil was here.

2021 continued its tear of boundary breaking releases by introducing many to the world of Art & Design, whether it was an automobile collaboration, jewelry or Ikea furniture, this year's palette has intrigued nearly all of us. Chrome Hearts, Rolls Royce and Drake all have a name for being prestigious in their rightful categories but when combined they create one of the most jaw dropping vehicles to touch the road. Drake’s Rolls Royce created by the LA based brand features their trademarked cross embossed across the interior and capped off with a custom crystal spirit of ecstasy on the hood of the luxury vehicle. Frank Ocean happened to be another musician who was able to take his success elsewhere, releasing his own brand of jewelry and silk scarves. Inspired by Cartier's heavy detail on their pieces, Frank was set on  creating his own collection of unique chains and pendants which showcase many different colours, materials and overall looks. The reach design has had in the past year is remarkable, it has reached the point where you could possibly stumble across an artist's pieces while casually furniture shopping. Daniel Arsham was able to take his globally renowned art pieces and put them in the homes of people around the world with his collaboration with Ikea. His theme of an unstoppable passage of time which was previously applied to his pair of Air Dior 1’s was now on a simple household clock.

Whether it is an Ikea or Art Basel event, Art & Design is being introduced to all. Whether it was a statue, necklace or bike this year was nothing short of exhilarating, here are some of our favourite pieces which left us in awe.

1. Daniel Arsham x Ikea “Flat Furnishing’s Pack”
2. Virgil Abloh’s final show for Louis Vuitton
3. Kenzo x Brompton City Bike
4. Raf Simons x Kvadrat 
5. Chrome Hearts x Drake x Roll’s Royce
6. Frank Ocean’s Homer Brand

Although 2021 was a jaw dropping year for every aspect of creativity, we are all excited to see how we continue this upward spiral of Fashion, Sneakers & Design into 2022.

 

 

Written by: KJ Mishra

Layout by: Matthew Chan

Creative Direction by: KJ Mishra

3 Responses

Leave a comment

Name *

Email *

Comment *