2021 Recapped: The Moments That Redefined Style

So here we are. Just a few weeks removed from the end of likely one of the most turbulent and unpredictable years of most of our lives, and I think we speak for everyone when we say it's been a wild ride.

From starting the year locked up in our homes away from our friends and family to the highs and lows of summer with "Freedom Day" and the Euro 2020 tournament, this year has been full of pivotal moments in history, culture and fashion alike.

As the year draws to a close, we've decided to recount some of the moments in which this year has both changed and influenced how many of us have dressed and styled ourselves. So sit back, relax and join us for a brief trip down memory lane.

In the latter months of 2020, the lockdown was reintroduced to the UK, and suddenly many of us were once again plunged into a world of household sheltering. As a result of this, the way in which we dressed changed and above all else, comfort became a priority. The concept of wearing a pair of jeans or cargo pants evolved to be foreign and instead, joggers and tracksuit bottoms reigned supreme in our weekly wardrobe rotations.

Naturally, with this shift in style, our spending habits changed also. By the start of December 2020 both the terms "joggers" and "tracksuit bottoms" had seen enormous spikes in search volume according to Google trends, meaning more people than ever were looking to add these comfortable looks and styles back into their wardrobes. From a streetwear perspective, brands such as Represent, Cole Buxton and Fear of God ESSENTIALS seemingly exploded into a new realm of popularity due to the fact they offered stylish and comfortable luxury pieces ideal for those rare occasions where we did need to leave the house.

Meanwhile, when we weren't lounging around on the sofa consuming everything Netflix could throw at us, many of us attempted to curb our boredom by embracing the great outdoors with activities such as running, hiking and walking. These new open-air pursuits once again spurred consumers to head online to search for new styles fit for the task. As a result, both "activewear" and "outerwear" reached near all-time peaks in terms of Google search also.

As lockdown finally came to an end, the previously delayed Euro 2020 tournament reared its head, understandably sending hardcore and casual football fans alike into a frenzy. The newfound freedom of release combined with the prospect of possibly winning an international football tournament had a vice grip-like effect on the general English population. Revellers packed pubs and bars to the brim in hopes of experiencing an England win alongside their friends and peers, suitably kitted out with an array of England related merchandise bearing the St George's cross.

As England stormed their way to the final of the tournament, the team's merchandise started selling in mass quantities with the signature Nike kit selling out at most retailers prior to the final game. As anyone present would tell you, streets and venues across the country were awash with both white and red hues due to the number of people wearing the kits.

During this time, selected brands even jumped on the hype with UK streetwear label Aries launching a collaborative collection with sports manufacturer Umbro. The collection drew heavy inspiration from both the rave and football culture of the 90s complete with loud colours and contrasting prints.

Though England fell short in the final, the sheer number of those who donned the team's kit or any kind of related merchandise was staggering, and we can only guess it's going to be equalled by next year’s FIFA World Cup.

To say we've had our fair share of Kanye West news this year would be an understatement. Between the release of his long-awaited album DONDA, the launch of Yeezy x GAP and even his unexpected divorce from Kim Kardashian, the 44-year-old rapper basically managed to make headlines most weeks this year. Now, with all that said we can't exactly ignore just exactly what's happened in that time.

After first being teased in June of 2020, June 2021 finally saw the release of the first Yeezy x GAP piece. Much to many undefined, the Round Jacket quickly became the Marmite of the fashion world with fans of the brand either loving or hating the bright-blue rotund shaped puffer. The puffer would eventually be released in both black and red versions, but it wouldn't be until Kanye released the "Perfect Hoodie" where the collaboration would be received positively by most. This oversized hoodie arrived in six different hues with mens, womens and childrens sizes on offer.

With the attention garnered and generated by Kanye, Yeezy x GAP actually went on to be named the "Most Hyped Collaboration" of 2021 based on the Lyst Index and its behavioural search data.

In addition to working on Yeezy projects, Kanye also collaborated with luxury fashion house Balenciaga for a select capsule of merchandise to promote his 10th studio album Donda. The capsule, which was first available for purchase back in August, featured T-Shirts with references to parts of Kanye's childhood as well as a black balaclava-like mask. With Balenciaga being named the "world's hottest brand" in 2021, this collaboration was truly a collision between two of the most influential forces within the industry.

Since the release of Boon Joon-ho's 2019 academy award-winning hit Parasite, there has been somewhat of awakening to foreign film and television in the Western world, and few shows seem to highlight better than Netflix's own Squid Game.

After releasing worldwide on September 17th, the Korean thriller horror drama quickly garnered the attention of the world amassing a staggering 1.65 billion viewing hours in just the first 28 days of its release. If the viewing figures weren't enough to go by, the show seemingly dominated pop culture spaces around the world too with musicians sampling the theme song, shows like Saturday Night Live doing skits and a mass amount of memes and references simply flooding social media sites.

Naturally, given the effect Squid Game had on everything else, its foray into fashion didn't take long. Just three weeks after the premiere of the show, the sale of the Vans Slip-On worn by the show's contestants grew by a whopping 7,800%. In addition, brands quickly scrambled to try and attain collaboration rights to the series, with Shanghai's own Emotionally Unavailable brand being one of the few to scoop up a partnership.

If that wasn't enough, star of the show Jung Ho-Yeon was even named as Louis Vuitton's latest Global Ambassador less than a month after the show's release and currently has over 23.8 million followers on Instagram. While it's hard to exactly pinpoint just how influential Squid Game was, we're willing to bet those classic red and green jumpsuits are going to be the go-to Halloween costume for years to come.

Held in Houston Texas, Astroworld was an annual music festival headlined by rapper and fashion mogul, Travis Scott. With 2020's festival being cancelled by Covid-19 complications, fans were ecstatic for the festival to happen once again in 2021, but no one could have predicted the tragedy that would occur.

On November 5th 2021, a crowd crush occurred at the event woefully resulting in the deaths of 10 people. Following the event, harrowing videos surfaced of crowd members being crushed and pleading with both camera operators and Travis alike to stop the show but the performance continued on. In one video, Travis Scott can even be seen observing ambulance crews attending casualties in the crowd but only asked the audience to raise their fingers to say they were ok before continuing with his performance.

Following the event, Travis Scott tweeted “I’m absolutely devastated by what took place last night. My prayers go out to the families and all those impacted by what happened at Astroworld Festival. Houston PD has my total support as they continue to look into the tragic loss of life” as well as going live on Instagram to say he was "not aware of the severity of the situation". This for many was not an adequate response, leaving fans of the artist to boycott both his music work alongside any past and upcoming fashion work.

Given the events that transpired, it came as no surprise that Nike would postpone the launch of the upcoming Nike Air Max 1 x Travis Scott collaboration "out of respect for everyone impacted by the tragic events at the Astroworld Festival." It remains to be seen whether or not any further Nike x Travis Scott collaborations will happen going forward, but undoubtedly if they do there will be many that oppose the idea.

On November 28th 2021, news broke that sent shockwaves through the worlds of fashion, art, culture and music. Off-White founder and legendary designer Virgil Abloh had unexpectedly passed away following a battle with cancer.

The announcement was first made on the designer's Instagram page reading "We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend." Unbeknownst to all but his closest friends and family, Virgil had actually been battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma.

Naturally, this heartbreaking news shocked the world with friends, family, colleagues, celebrities and fans alike all leaving tributes all over social media. Since this point, many fans of Virgil's work actively chose to flaunt and wear his creations in tribute, and as a result, the Off-White x Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" he designed even skyrocketed in resale price by almost $5000.

Despite Virgil Abloh's final Louis Vuitton menswear collection just being revealed, the man's legacy will live on long after its launch. Virgil paved the way for future generations of creatives to thrive and express their art, so there's no doubt in our minds we'll be feeling his influence for years to come.