Michael Kors Celebrates Laid-Back Luxury For Spring/Summer 2021

Introspection, in all of its existential glory, has informed many collections produced during quarantine from designers across the globe, who have used this meditative excursion to recalibrate their raison d’être. For Michael Kors, the forced solitude rekindled his affinity towards his surroundings, stating “We were all forced to slow down this year, and I think we all started to appreciate things in a new way—suddenly, a flower blooming, a beautiful sunset, a walk along the river, these were things that brought us hope. I wanted to look at nature and rebirth through an urban lens.”

Utilizing the ubiquitous digital presentation methods afforded to designers in recent times, Kors debuted his latest sartorial offering in three different methods to engage his clientele. Working with budding filmmaker Haley Elizabeth Anderson, an exploratory documentary-style video titled Up on the Roof augments the inspiration behind the collection through a cinematic lens. Alongside Anderson’s project, a more traditional runway show was recorded in a community garden, featuring a live performance by American Idol alum Samantha Diaz, while an additional music video of Diaz performing “You Got a Friend in Me” was also released.

When explaining the significance of the runway presentation’s mise-en-scène, Kors notes “this garden is a perfect culmination of the collection, which is all about the idea of nature in the city and finding balance in our lives.” To manifest the thematic preoccupation of this collection, the seasonally appropriate clothing revelled in fluid silhouettes and a colour palette inspired by natural hues. True to form, Kors, delivered classic American staples tinged with an understated elegance.