The Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 collection proves that good things are worth the wait and dancing is essential — especially to the tune of Lady Gaga.
As any credible Brandon Maxwell Stan will tell you, the man and New York Fashion Week go together like bread and butter. He’s been a fixture on the schedule since 2015, delivering must-see runway show events every season that not only celebrate his excellence as a designer — but also his unfaltering ability to orchestrate a jolly good time. And so when the CFDA dropped their modified schedule for September’s New York Fashion Week, there was one glaring absence…. Brandon Maxwell.
Oh sure, we were living and operating within a global pandemic and there was no way a virtual NYFW could ever offer the pizzazz and fanfare we’re accustomed to. That said, it still brought a twinge of sadness to see Maxwell break a long winning streak on the fashion week scene.
Nonetheless, we all took a deep breath and kept the faith that Brandon had something wonderful up his sleeve for a Spring 2021 collection and all would be revealed in time.
– Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 Collection –
Well, I am beyond delighted to say the Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 collection has at last debuted and it WAS worth the wait!
Brandon tossed the tradition of an in-person event with guests out the window and teamed up with YouTube to create an alternative experience that was every bit as special. From the front row of their living rooms, guests across the United States and around the globe tuned into a video presentation on December 6 that was bursting with optimism. And it was no small feat!
Succeeding Where Others Fell Flat
Where most virtual presentations have fallen flat this year, Maxwell managed to do what just about everyone has failed at. He captured the movement and cheerful nature of his latest designs while also keeping the energy impeccably high on video.
In addition to showing off the Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 collection, this 360 experience also gave viewers an inside look into how a team of creatives worked together to share something beautiful with the world in a pandemic. The audience was taken backstage to watch models prepped for the show by hair and makeup artists, all wearing appropriate facial coverings and maintaining a social distance. The all-day affair even featured gossip and a break for lunch, because you know — we’ve all got to eat!
Dressed to impress, a diverse cast of 16 models then took stage – with no audience. Speakers blasted a powerful performance of This Wild Darkness. Moby sang “In this darkness, please light the way” as models emerged from a dark shadow into a beam of light while walking the runway. The designs, music and staging all worked together to create a full sensory experience that felt genuinely emotional.
The Full 2020 Experience
As for the 33-look Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 collection itself, think of these designs as though they tell a story of the 2020 experience.
Things start off dark and moody, like maybe Brandon has just wrapped up his 100th Zoom meeting and hadn’t left his house in days. This portion of the collection brought back memories from lockdown in the spring, when things felt very bleak and we treaded gently with hope that they would improve. Then, the energy completely shifts as Lady Gaga‘s powerful anthem Free Woman bursts onto the scene and a cheerful spectrum of color along with it.
Like a lot of us, Brandon Maxwell clearly reached a point in 2020 where he was ready to just DANCE. And have fun. And LIVE — in whatever way we safely can right now. There’s an attitude of enduring optimism that a dark moment in time is fleeting and won’t last forever. Talk about a wonderful note to end the year on!
Enjoy a closer look at the Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 collection below:
Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 Runway Show
Thank you to KCD NY and the Brandon Maxwell Team for sharing beautiful imagery of the Spring 2021 collection with DreaminLace. Photos are credited to the talented Kevin Tachman.
AVAILABLE NOW
Visit BrandonMaxwellOnline.com to view and shop the full Brandon Maxwell Spring 2021 Collection.
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XOXO
Kelly
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