How Do TikTok’s 2021 Trend Predictions Compare to the Runways?
As the end of 2020 marked the close of a historical year for TikTok, users took to the app to reflect. Some shared highlights of their year, others reminisced over early quarantine's comparative simplicity by revisiting last spring's viral audios, and TikTok's fashion community—from professionals in trend forecasting to teens with a penchant for curating the perfect Pinterest board—looked forward by compiling styles they expect to dominate 2021. But how do their predictions stack up to what we saw in the Spring/Summer 2021 shows?
After a year of collective style exploration pulled TikTok towards maximalist fashion, users are paying closer attention to details that can add contrast, texture, and volume to their garments, and trim is at front of mind. In 2021's earlier, colder months, fur-trimmed coats are expected to serve as the season's statement outerwear, while feather trim—seen in Fendi and Saint Laurent's collections—will gain traction in the year as a whole.
TikTok's role in reviving Y2K fashion is undeniable, and users expect the app's affinity for the time period to only flourish and evolve. Those in love with glitz can expect to see a rise in sequined pants—from roomy, wide-leg silhouettes seen at Chanel to more fitted styles shown by Gucci and Junya Watanabe, and print mesh tops layered into Sportmax and Givenchy's collections felt like a nod to '90s and 2000s Jean Paul Gaultier, whose pieces are currently coveted by vintage lovers on the app.
Last year was big for knitwear—designer, DIY, and everything in between. The sentiment of dressing with comfort in mind hasn't dissipated, so users are instead reaching for knits that are a bit funkier, from unique, organic shapes seen at Ottolinger to bright, multicolored pieces (already beloved after TikTok's viral Harry Styles cardigan trend) seen at Gabriela Hearst. Alongside bold hues, repeated mentions of sage green—seen throughout Jacquemus' serene, countryside presentation—show that the shade has the potential to be this year's new neutral.
Outside of overarching trends, users speculated about hero pieces that will blow up the same way Vivienne Westwood pearl chokers and Nike Air Jordan 1s did in 2020. What seems most agreed upon is the resurgence of the Gap logo hoodie, but the app's more adventurous users see Maison Soksi's patterned hoisery as a 2021 wardrobe staple, especially the Italian label's teal Carl Marx x Maison Soski swirled tights.
With exposure on social media and the breadth of knowledge online, today’s tastemakers are younger than ever. Just as TikTok users gathered to predict the next year in fashion, designers sourced them as inspiration months before. In the past few years, designers have turned their interest to street style, taking inspiration from what people are actually wearing and going against the traditional hierarchy of fashion where the luxury labels dictate what styles will trend. But now that street style is diminished due to the pandemic, social media like TikTok and Instagram have become the main platforms to express personal style. When fashion goes viral, its impossible for trends like cottagecore and academia to go unnoticed by the industry at large. Celine notably pulled from the Internet-friendly E-boy aesthetic in its most recent menswear collection, but the influence of TikTok's audience appeared in much of the Spring/Summer 2021 season as a whole.
Miu Miu's collection felt especially Gen Z-friendly, providing the runway debut of 18-year-old Lila Moss and generally encapsulating today's teens' spontaneous approach to fashion and beauty—from pairings like track pants and embellished halter tops to the eyebrow slits included in models' fresh-faced makeup. So much has yet to come, but both TikTok and high fashion have provided an exciting foundation for new trends to build on as the year progresses.
