Comfort, ease, looking inward—these are the fashion vibes for spring 2021. Across the board, designers have reacted to the pandemic and to the general dreadfulness of the world by creating clothes that ground us. Loose shapes and soft fabrics have replaced strict tailoring and sculptural silhouettes. There are more sweats, more leggings, more tees, but also more mashed-up options for those of us who want to dress up and have fun with clothes, even if we’re just sitting on our couches.
Sarah Staudinger falls into that latter category. From quarantine, she designed a spring collection from a very personal standpoint. It was inspired by a recent-ish trip to Portugal, a place she fell in love with. In fact, over Zoom she promised that she’s “moving the Staud headquarters there if Trump wins in November.” Humor is one of Staudinger’s great qualities as a designer. This season she managed to squeeze in a bit of cheek via a Good Vibes print that featured on an array of lucky charms.
The silver-lining sentiment continued with her clothes. Prints inspired by Portuguese interiors on flowy tunics and slip dresses were wildly happy feeling. Ditto an abstract-pattern long shirtdress and a painted nautical-stripe organza top and skirt. Staudinger used tweed in a smart way, creating casual cutoff shorts and bra tops with rough edges. Nothing was constricted, and everything looked versatile. It added up to Staudinger’s most refined and thoughtful collection yet. The finale look was unequivocally the most important in the lineup: a “Vote” hoodie.
