Winter 2021 Trend Report

Writer’s Note: This season is all about comfort. We’re talking earthy blues in a cerulean hue and cozy motifs of omnipresent stars. But that’s not to say these trends are lax. Oh no, designers this season packed quite the sartorial punch via astral bling, lapis lazuli, cunning cutouts, and so much more. Take a look!

Cerulean marries all of the whimsy of an arctic landscape with the romance of an optimistic teal. The result is a bright shade of blue somewhere in between lagoon and sky that adds a frosty hint of color to your go-to winter palette.

Inspired by the color’s excited, playful energy, Erdem selected a shiny, cerulean gallery in the heart of London as the backdrop for its winter runway presentation. The design house’s nostalgic looks recalled the glitz and tempo of the Jazz Age, but with a youthful, modern twist: a refreshing splash of sapphire blue. One look in particular caught our eye—a billowing gown in a breezy azure that positively sparkled.

Proving this trend’s timelessness, Emma Roberts looked easy, breezy, beautiful in a light blue dance dress by Celine; Tessa Thompson lounged in a Marine Serre knit number rendered picturesque with some strokes of teal; and Emma Corrin dressed up a Miu Miu pantsuit in a punchy cerulean that highlighted the silhouette’s unexpected frills.

This shade dazzles just as brilliantly on and off the dance floor. Indulge in ballroom dresses that run the gamut from mint to turquoise…you can’t go wrong when it comes to this effervescent hue of blue.

Artists across genres and time—from Van Gogh to W. H. Auden to Corinne Bailey Rae—have looked to the twinkling night skies for inspiration. There’s something captivating about stars that keeps designers enraptured. Perhaps it’s their constancy? Their boundless, aspirational symbolism? Their zany asymmetry? Our guess is that it’s a magical combination of all of the above. But one thing’s for sure: stars captured designers’ imaginations this season, resulting in a constellation of styles as enthralling and enviable as the stars above.

For a beautiful exemplification of the starry night trend, check out Oscar de la Renta’s winter collection. Golden starbursts enlivened a memorable little black dress. Cirrus clouds added a touch of whimsy to one sweeping cobalt gown. And a neat array of silver gemstones awakened a navy frock with astronomical success.

On the red carpet, Jennifer Lopez radiated in a twinkling Balmain getup that reminded us of an infinite Milky Way. And at the same event, Taraji P. Henson, who played a NASA mathematician on the silver screen, donned a moonstone encrusted Giorgio Armani mini reminiscent of a wintertime meteor shower.

With starry emblems, celestial color schemes, and heavenly bling, this trend translates effortlessly into the rich galaxy of dance dresses. Just see for yourself—no telescope necessary.

As Coco Chanel famously said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” The soul of this trend definitely embodies that ethos. Tiny cutouts in geometric prints or repeating florals add a certain levity to the denser, darker fabrics of winter. But their true mysticism lies in their brevity: just a wink of skin tells the story of what’s not there…Is there anything as sexy?

Carolina Herrera hinted at the answer to that question in constructing a winter oeuvre. Eyelets shaped like story book wildflowers freshened up the collection’s saturated looks. In a particularly playful expression of this trend, a daisy chain of eyelets offered a feminine touch to an ivory tunic.

Innovating the power of the eyelet, Bebe Rexha turned heads in her subtle orchid Julien Macdonald dress. The eye-shaped cutout along her bodice, however, was less subtle, but every bit as sophisticated. And gracing the same red carpet, Laverne Cox spoke lengths with artfully little in her golden-and-black Michael Costello gown.

Take a note from Carolina Herrera and look for ballroom dresses that reveal a whisper of skin along the décolletage, side, or hem, perhaps in a modular design or floral pattern.