Proof that this year wasn’t just 2020, Part II!
Well folks, it’s over: 2021 has come and gone, if you can believe it.
Though it might’ve felt like it was just Part II of 2020 — what with the ongoing political upheaval, the Covid-19 crisis continuing to evolve and a seemingly-daily avalanche of bad news — another year did, indeed, pass.
There was much for us to cover here at Fashionista: We welcomed in a new presidential administration which, amongst other crucial changes, marked a return to the use of fashion as positive messaging. As climate change continued to ravage the planet, we asked questions about what role fashion plays in the problem — and could play in the solution. The fashion and beauty industries continued to push back against racism, launching the #StopAsianHate movement. And, sadly, we lost some of our most treasured talents much too soon with the deaths of designers Alber Elbaz and Virgil Abloh.
But through it all, there was proof fashion could be fun again, too: As vaccines rolled out, we marked the return of red carpets, the re-emergence of major industry events like the Met Gala and a rapid comeback of in-person fashion shows. We asked some of our favorite people how they’re making it and how they shop, with enough delightful responses to fill a book on each. We shopped in our own unique ways, finding fun new fashion and beauty trends to try ourselves. Plus, we still had plenty of spare time at home to catch up on all the latest costume design in television and film.
There are many ways to commemorate the Year That Was 2021, but here, we’re narrowing it down to our favorite stories that ran on Fashionista; whether somber or silly, deeply-dived reports or hashed-out personal thoughts, heart-wrenching or heartwarming, these features will stick with us for a long time.
We’ll see you in 2022!
Inside the Industry
Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Why Virgil Abloh Will Live Forever
Dolce & Gabbana Wants to Move Forward. But in Fashion, Who Earns Forgiveness?
Three Harlem’s Fashion Row Designers Created the Looks Worn by the Newest American Girl Dolls
What Can Fashion Media Learn from the ‘Elle’ Latinx Issue?
Armed With a Viral Puff Dress, Selkie Aims to Make Fashion More Inclusive
Weed Merch and the Evolution of the Modern Cannabis Lifestyle Brand
Kerby Jean-Raymond Celebrates Black Inventions in Debut Pyer Moss Couture Collection
This Is How Luxury Resale Platforms Price Their Handbags
Sustainability Remained as Urgent as Ever
Portland residents cool off at Sellwood Riverfront Park during a heat wave on Monday, June 28, 2021. Photo: Maranie Staab/Bloomberg via Getty Images
What Role Will Our Clothes Play in Adapting to a Warming Planet?
Maternity Wear Has a Waste Problem
If You Care About Fashion Ethics, It’s Time to Start Paying Attention to Amazon Warehouses
In Fashion, Regenerative Farming Isn’t an Impossible Solution
Cleaning Up Fashion Starts With Policy Change
3 Up-and-Coming Designers Who Could Shape the Future of Sustainability
Why Haven’t Wedding Dress Rentals Caught on in the U.S.?
The Career Ladder Looked a Little Different
Photo: Christian Vierig/Getty Images
What’s It Like to Start a New Fashion or Beauty Job Remotely in a Global Pandemic?
Michael Halpern, the New York Designer Making a Mark in London
The Emerging New York Label Showcasing the Possibilities of Jamaican Crochet
Untitled in Motion Makes Wearable, Leisure-Friendly Art
‘Smize Cream’ Is Just the Beginning of Tyra Banks’s Disney-Like Universe
5 Tips for Starting Your Side Hustle From Fashion Folks Who Did It
Career Advice From the Current Generation of Black Fashion Industry Talent, to the Next
Did 2020 Change Fashion Internships for the Better?
Stella McCartney Has Spent 20 Years Living in the Tension
Sincerity Is at the Heart of Manolo Blahnik’s Success
Wes Gordon Wants Every Woman to Feel Like a Superhero in Carolina Herrera
How Some of Our Faves Were Making It
Photo: Nomi Ellenson/Courtesy of Cora Harrington
How Stuart Vevers Went From Making His Own Club Clothes to Shaping the Future of Coach
How Jawara Went From Helping Out at His Aunt’s Salon to Becoming a World-Renowned Hair Stylist
How Lisa Says Gah’s Lisa Bühler Built One of the First Instagram Brands Out of Her Apartment
How Claire Bergkamp Became One of the Most Quietly Influential Figures in Sustainability
How Radhika Jones Went from English PhD Student to Editor-in-Chief of ‘Vanity Fair’
How House Of’s Christina Tung Is Bringing a Holistic Approach — and a Lot of Heart — to PR
We’re Still Obsessing Over These Shopping Tips
Photo: Emma Summerton/Netflix
How I Shop: ‘Derry Girls’ and ‘Bridgerton’ Star Nicola Coughlan
How I Shop, Beauty Edition: Gemma Chan
How I Shop, Beauty Edition: ‘You’ Fan-Favorite Shalita Grant
How I Shop, Beauty Edition: Golde’s Trinity Mouzon Wofford
Behold the Power of a Good Style Moment
Photo: John Sciulli/WireImage
The Next Chapter of Street Style Is Going Viral
Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston Are Making Celebrity Styling More Human
Kate Young Is Making Some of the Most Entertaining Fashion Content on YouTube
Adele at a Basketball Game Looks Exactly How We Wish We Looked at a Basketball Game
Harry Styles Concerts Are His Fans’ Met Gala
Our Favorite Shopping Trends in Fashion…
The Happiest Knitwear Is on Etsy
Giddy Up, It’s About to Be a Horse Girl Fall
All I Want to Wear This Summer Is a Corset With Jeans
Non-Basic Wedding Guest Outfits You’ll Want to Say Yes To
Spotted: Warm-Weather Outfits That the Original Cast of ‘Gossip Girl’ Would Wear in 2021
26 Ways to Win at Tennis Style, With or Without Knowing How to Serve
5 Non-Boring Outfits Inspired by Popular Home Decor Pieces
…and Beauty
18 Colorful Mascaras to Brighten Up Any Look
19 Actually Cute Accessories That Won’t Damage Hair
13 Luxurious Hand Soaps That Will Make Your Bathroom Feel Extra-Fancy
8 Hair Perfumes You Won’t Want to Stop Spritzing
16 Luxurious Candles That Aren’t Made by Diptyque or Byredo
17 Actually Helpful CBD Products, Recommended by an Anxious Person
Influencer Culture Continued to Evolve…
Photo: Christian Vierig/Getty Images
The Influencer of the Future Is Here, and They Don’t Want to Sell You Anything
What the Internet’s Preppiest Influencers Are Selling
All Your Favorite New Influencers Are Dogs
This Year’s Met Gala Was Extremely Online
An Emma Chamberlain Superfan and Skin-Care Aficionado Reviews Every Bad Habit Product
Farmers, Foragers and Homesteaders Are the New Fashion Influencers
Why Is Everyone Obsessed With Pillow Bags?
The Early-Aughts Revival in Fashion Goes Deeper Than Low-Rise Jeans
..Perhaps Nowhere Moreso Than on TikTok
French TikTok creators at the @thefrenchhouseparis, a Paris-based content collective. Photo: Philippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images
On TikTok and YouTube, Building Your Empire Starts With Merch
Meet the TikTok Creator Pulling Back the Veil on Luxury Fashion
Baths Are Changing for the TikTok Generation
9 Dermatologists Share the Social Media Skin-Care Trends That Haunt Them
Meet CeCe Vu, TikTok’s Ultimate Fashion and Beauty Secret Weapon
Kendra Scott Is the Real Star of Alabama Rush TikTok
Beauty and Wellness Served as Both Agents of Change and Methods of Escape
Photo: Courtesy of Dedcool
Is ‘Clean’ Perfume the Solution to My Scent Sensitivity?
Ami Colé Is Doing ‘Clean’ Beauty That Caters to Melanin-Rich Skin in a Whole New Way
SheaMoisture Is on a Mission to Make Personal Care More Inclusive of Black Men
How Do We Change the Perception That Black-Owned Brands Are Only for Black People?
What 21 AAPI Founders Want the Beauty Community to Know Right Now
How Black-Owned, Indie Skin-Care Brand Klur Survived — and Thrived — During the Pandemic
On Rethinking the Concept of ‘Wellness’ in 2021
How to Make Your Curly Hair Look Its Best, According to 3 Celebrity Hairstylists
Just a Bunch of Perfect Tweets About Adam Driver’s New Burberry Fragrance Campaign
I Couldn’t Help But Wonder: What Happened to Carrie Bradshaw’s Hair?
Good Costume Design Was More Than Just Eye-Candy
Photo: Karolina Wojtasik/Courtesy of HBO Max
The Costumes on ‘Gossip Girl’ 2.0 Cement the New World Order of the Upper East Side
Where ‘Gossip Girl’ Went, Fashion — and Dollar Signs — Followed
The New ‘Gossip Girl’ Is Already Having an Impact on the Fashion Industry
The Chic Costumes in Season Two of ‘The Other Two’ Are In on the Joke
Breaking Down the ‘Legit’ Fashion-Filled Season Finale of ‘The Other Two’
The Expensive Fashion in New York City Media-Set Shows Is More Realistic Than You Think
Why Aren’t More Asian-American Costume Designers Helping Tell Our Own Stories?
The ‘House of Gucci’ Costumes Are a Lesson in Contemporary Fashion History
The ‘Zola’ Costumes Reference ‘Clueless,’ ‘Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion’ and ‘Wizard of Oz’
The Costumes in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Offer a History Lesson in Social Justice
Zendaya Wears Custom Aliétte to Make John David Washington Mac and Cheese in ‘Malcolm and Marie’
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